A few weeks ago, I did something I never thought I’d actually do. I burned all of my journals. At first, I hesitated. Each page held pieces of my story, prayers whispered in the dark, goals written with hope, dreams still waiting to be fulfilled. Some prayers had been answered, while others were still hanging in silence. Years of my heart had been poured out in ink, and yet there they were, stacked in my bedroom, collecting dust.
I honestly didn’t feel like reading through them, and I don’t have children to pass them on to. The thought of dragging them through another decade felt like a weight I didn’t need to carry. So I made a decision, and I decided I would let them go.
One by one, I tore out the journals. I prayed over the words as I released them into the fire. And as the flames curled around the pages, something inside me began to loosen. It felt as if Jesus was standing right there with me, whispering, “You don’t have to carry this anymore. Let it go.” Every word I had ever written was surrendered back to the Lord who inspired them in the first place. Not because those words didn’t matter, but because I am no longer the one holding them - God is.
When Journals Become Heavy Instead of Purposeful
When Journals Become Heavy Instead of Purposeful
For years, journaling has been my safe space. My place to process with God and a container for grief, gratitude, prayers, and dreams. But over time, those old stacks of filled notebooks began to feel less like treasures and more like just physical stuff that took up space. I realized that while journaling had helped me heal, I didn’t need to hold onto every page forever. My relationship with God isn’t trapped in the ink of the past; it’s alive and breathing in the present.
A Sacred Surrender
As the fire grew, so did my sense of release. Each page turned to ash became an offering:
- The prayers I prayed in desperation.
- The dreams I once held so tightly.
- The goals I didn’t achieve.
- The seasons I’d rather not relive.
All of it went up in flames, not wasted but surrendered. Because God had already seen those words, he had already answered in His way and timing. And He was inviting me to release the weight of the past so I could step into the freedom of today. It reminded me of Isaiah 43:18–19: "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?"
Sometimes, the most faith-filled thing we can do is let go so we have space to receive the new thing God is doing.
What Burning My Journals Taught Me
What Burning My Journals Taught Me
That night, I learned something important - letting go doesn’t erase the past, it redeems it. Burning my journals didn’t mean my prayers, hopes, or tears were meaningless. It meant they had served their purpose. They had been heard by God. And now, they were safe with Him.
Here are a few takeaways that might encourage you if you’re feeling weighed down by your past:
- Your words aren’t wasted. Even if you never re-read them, God did. Every tear-stained prayer, every hope scribbled in the margins, He saw it all.
- You don’t have to carry everything forever. Sometimes keeping stacks of journals can tether us to old pain. Releasing them can be healing.
- God is writing new pages. Your story isn’t finished. Letting go of the old doesn’t mean losing it; it means making space for what’s next.
Journaling as Presence, Not Pressure
Since burning my journals, I’ve felt surprisingly lighter when I sit down with a fresh notebook. It no longer feels like I’m adding to an overwhelming archive. Instead, it feels like I’m meeting with God in the present moment. That’s what journaling should be - an act of presence, not pressure, a way to connect with God right here, right now, instead of carrying the weight of every word into the future.
Since burning my journals, I’ve felt surprisingly lighter when I sit down with a fresh notebook. It no longer feels like I’m adding to an overwhelming archive. Instead, it feels like I’m meeting with God in the present moment. That’s what journaling should be - an act of presence, not pressure, a way to connect with God right here, right now, instead of carrying the weight of every word into the future.
Maybe for you, journaling looks like writing down gratitude lists, or prayers, or even just a single verse. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and you don’t have to keep it forever. It’s about connection, not performance.
Journaling Prompts for Releasing the Past
Journaling Prompts for Releasing the Past
If you’ve ever felt weighed down by your past journaling entries, or even by mistakes, regrets, or unfulfilled dreams, here are some prompts to help you release them to God:
- Lord, what burdens am I still carrying that You want me to release?
- What dreams or prayers have I been holding too tightly?
- Where have I seen Your faithfulness, even when the answer looked different than what I expected?
- What “new thing” are You inviting me into right now?
- How can I trust You with both my past words and my future story?
Take a few quiet moments to write. And if you feel led, you might even create your own act of surrender - whether that’s tearing out a page, closing an old notebook, or simply whispering, “Lord, I give this back to You.”
Final Thoughts: The God Who Holds It All
That night wasn’t really about burning paper; it was about trust. Trusting that I don’t need to cling to every page of the past to know God has been faithful. Trusting that He will keep carrying me, even when I don’t have the words. And trusting that His plans for me are still unfolding. Maybe you don’t need to light a fire, but perhaps there’s something God is asking you to release so you can step into what He has next.
If you’d love help making space for journaling and spending extra quality time with God, I created the Faith-Fueled Growth Journaling Guidebook just for you. It’s filled with prompts and guidance to help you release the pressure, reflect on God's presence, and grow in your faith with intention. You can grab your free copy HERE.
The words you’ve written will always be part of your story, but they aren’t the whole story. God is the Author, and He’s writing something new in you right now.
A Little About Me...
Hello! I’m Jenna - a Christian woman in business navigating celiac life, cozy routines, and the kind of leadership that begins with slowing down and meeting with the Lord. Around here, I share journaling tips and prompts, simple daily routines, and gentle, faith-led ways to flourish with intention. My hope is that this space feels like a deep breath, a place where you can settle in, feel supported, and find clarity for your life and business. If you’re looking for a cozy companion for your quiet moments, here’s the tea I make every single morning.
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