David Brainerd’s Devotional Diary

At Glory Bound Journals, we’re passionate about helping believers document their walk with Jesus. Journaling isn’t a modern trend. It’s a time-tested spiritual discipline that many of the church’s most influential Christians have used to draw nearer to God. From recording Scripture insights and heartfelt prayers to processing struggles and celebrating God’s faithfulness, these journals became sacred spaces for daily devotion and lasting transformation.

One powerful example is David Brainerd (1718–1747), the young missionary to Native American tribes whose private diary has inspired countless believers, including missionaries like Jim Elliot and William Carey. Brainerd battled tuberculosis, loneliness, depression, and the harsh realities of frontier life, yet he remained relentlessly devoted to prayer, fasting, Scripture meditation, and soul-winning. His journal wasn’t a casual diary of events; it was an intimate record of his inner life with Christ—his longings, failures, victories, and moments of sweet communion with God. After Brainerd’s early death, Jonathan Edwards edited and published the diary, and it quickly became a spiritual classic that continues to stir hearts today.

An Example from Brainerd’s Journal

Here is a moving excerpt from Lord’s Day, October 19 (one of many entries that capture the depth of his devotional life):

“In the morning I felt my soul hungering and thirsting after righteousness. While I was looking on the elements of the Lord’s Supper, and thinking that Jesus Christ was set forth crucified before me, my soul was filled with light and love, so that I was almost in an ecstasy; my body was so weak I could scarcely stand. I felt at the same time an exceeding tenderness and most fervent love toward all mankind; so that my soul and all its powers seemed, as it were, to melt into softness and sweetness…”

In this single entry, Brainerd captures a profound encounter with Christ at the Lord’s Table—raw hunger for holiness, overwhelming love, and physical weakness overcome by spiritual ecstasy. It’s the kind of honest, Scripture-soaked reflection that turns a simple devotional time into a life-shaping moment.

How Journaling Fueled Brainerd’s Spiritual Growth

Brainerd didn’t journal to impress others or create a public record. He wrote for his own soul and for God’s glory. By putting pen to paper each day, he gained powerful benefits that strengthened his walk with Christ:

- Honest self-examination and humility: He freely confessed seasons of spiritual dryness, sin, and discouragement. Writing these down kept him from self-deception and drove him back to the cross and God’s grace.

- Remembering God’s faithfulness: In the midst of illness and isolation, revisiting earlier entries reminded him of God’s sustaining presence and past answers to prayer.

- Deepened prayer and meditation: The act of writing clarified his thoughts, intensified his longings, and turned his journal pages into extended conversations with the Lord.

- Greater discipline and perseverance: The habit reinforced his commitment to early-morning prayer and Bible reading, even when his emotions or body lagged behind.

Through journaling, Brainerd’s devotion became more intentional, his dependence on Christ more complete, and his ministry more fruitful—despite a life cut short. His diary didn’t just record his growth; it helped produce it.

Other giants of the faith followed a similar pattern. Jim Elliot filled his journals with Scripture reflections and radical surrender, writing the now-famous words, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” John Wesley meticulously recorded his daily spiritual temperature. Jonathan Edwards used multiple notebooks to track his resolutions and self-examination. In every case, journaling was a practical tool that helped these believers stay anchored in Christ.

If you long for the same kind of intentional, transformative devotion, why not begin today? Our Glory Bound Journals are thoughtfully designed to help you capture Scripture, prayers, reflections, and God’s work in your life—just like the faithful who have gone before us. A portion of every purchase supports missions work around the world, so your journaling can echo the Great Commission too.

What about you? Have the journals of past saints inspired your own practice? Drop a comment below and share how God is using your journal to draw you closer to Him.

Happy journaling, 
The Glory Bound Journals Team  
“Write what you see…” (Revelation 1:11)