The Art of Keeping Records: A Spiritual Habit for Believers

I can remember when I first came across the term record keeping. It was a topic in one of my junior classes. I might not remember much from that subject, but one thing I cannot forget is how much I enjoyed it. I loved it so much that I never wanted us to move on to another topic.

Years later, as I grew older, I discovered journaling. That was when I realised how similar it was to what I had been taught back then.

Journaling, simply put, is the intentional act of writing things down — your thoughts, experiences, prayers, lessons, and even the little moments you do not want to forget. It is keeping a personal record of your journey.

This line of thought brings to light how a large portion of the events recorded in the Bible came from journaling.

Our God is a God of details. He is deliberate and precise in His instructions. He is also an expert in record keeping, and this is evident right from the beginning of creation. We see how the world was without form and how everything came into being step by step.

In the same vein, when God instructed Noah to build an ark, He did not stop at telling him to build alone. He went further to specify the type of wood to use, the measurements, the structure, and everything required to build the ark according to His plan.

This pattern is also evident in God’s dealings with Moses concerning the children of Israel. The instructions were written down in detail — the number of clans in Israel, their names, how the priests were to dress, and how sacrifices were to be offered were all carefully documented.

Most of the prophets in the Bible also recorded the revelations given to them by God. The book of Habakkuk emphasises the importance of writing things down when it says, “And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run who reads it.”

Even the story of Jesus was retold in different accounts by the disciples, based on how each of them recorded what they witnessed.

All of this points to how important journaling is for a believer — not just for someone who desires to hear from God, but for someone who is intentional about keeping a record of what God says and reveals.

Journaling helps you see what God has done. It reminds you of how He showed up when you thought all hope was lost. It helps you recognise God’s blueprint for your life, and in many ways, it becomes a means through which God reveals Himself to you.

One beautiful thing about journaling is that the more you journal, the more you find things worth journaling about. It also helps you remember important moments that might have been forgotten if they were never written down.

God is a God of details. He gives instructions down to the tiniest detail.

One habit to intentionally cultivate this new year is journaling. Write about how the year started, your breakthroughs, disappointments, joyful moments, and even your dreams. It may not make complete sense now, but it will make much more sense in the near future.

Those disappointments or hurts may be things God will later use to produce something good in you, just like the story of Joseph. But if you do not journal them, how will you remember how far God has brought you?