SPIRITUAL PASTORAL FORMATION YEAR HOUSE

Archbishop’s Residence Compound

D. Jakosalem St., Cebu City

PRAYER FORMS | Sem. Jonel D. Lamila

Prayer is a bridge that helps me to be connected with God. What if I need another bridge like
writing? During the third module of our SPFY Program, we had learned the different forms of prayer.
These are techniques and ways that could help us deepen our communication with God, and hence, our
own spiritual journey. One of the best things I discovered was conversation with God through prayer
journal.

Journal writing is not new to me. I could still remember how our spiritual director at the minor
seminary eagerly told us the importance of journal writing. He used to stress that every seminarian
should be faithful to his journal. In every recollection day, he requires us to write all that inspired us
during the talk. Whenever we were asked to write the experiences, I wrote it according to the subject of
a particular day. But this time, prayer through writing brought me to a different level.

I felt uneasiness during my first try because I pray to God in a verbal way. But I simply wrote
my experiences and feelings and everything I wanted to tell God. By writing my reflections, I started
to understand my littleness and acknowledged with sincerity all the bad things I made throughout the
day. I expressed my gratefulness for all the blessings that God has given me, especially the gift of life,
family and friends. Then, I realized that I was writing and praying at the same time! I felt heavy and
stressed out the whole week but when I surrendered all myself to this activity, little by little, I felt calm
and light. I was inspired and motivated again.

Indeed, writing is powerful. But this human skill could also bring us before God if we use it as
an instrument to gather our thoughts and feelings. And it is such a powerful tool in prayer. In this
method, I discovered new things that would deepen my communication with the Divine that I am
longing for. I never thought that journal writing could be helpful in my prayer life. Prayer journal, as it
is called, is, indeed, a good means of acknowledging and reflecting on God’s manifestation of love in
my life. St. Ignatius is right when he said, “we can find God in all things.”