7 Surprising, Helpful Journal Prompts to Find Your Purpose

Inside: These 7 journal prompts to find your purpose will help you dig up the clues God’s planted in your heart. Plus, discover the sneaky traps keeping you from pursuing what’s hiding in your heart.

Some people come out of the womb knowing exactly what they want to do with their lives.

They’re positive about their purpose, their calling is clear, and they know just what to do to get there.

I’m not one of those people.

After decades of searching, I was still saying, “When I grow up, I want to know what to do with my life,” well into my 30s.

The number of career quizzes, personality tests, parachute books, and career counselors I went through was insane.

One time, I even got desperate enough to straight-up beg God for a burning bush moment. Just so I could get a crystal-clear answer from Him about my purpose and path.

Meanwhile, I excelled at my corporate job while I grew ever more miserable. A small voice inside me kept whispering what I felt was true—God meant more for me. But since He didn’t seem to be giving up the secret to finding my purpose, I silenced the voice, focused on my job, and stewed in my growing misery.

As it turned out, God’s answer to help me find my purpose was within me the entire time.

If only I’d had some useful, God-focused journal prompts for finding my purpose.

Bonus: As a bonus for joining my weekly newsletter, get this free printable download—The Essential Guide to Finding Clarity. It gives you 7 revealing questions to help conquer your confusion and know what to do now.

The Power of Using Journal Prompts to Find Your Purpose

I know you feel me because you’re here, looking for journal prompts to find your purpose. Because you’re not one of the people who comes out of the womb knowing what they were meant to do with their lives.

You’re over here with the rest of us, trying to figure it out.

Maybe your life looks successful on the outside. Meanwhile, underneath, you’re angsting over why you feel unfulfilled. And as each year slips by, your desperation to figure out your purpose—to live a life of meaning—grows.

Maybe you waited for divine inspiration about your purpose to hit you. And when it didn’t come, you begged God to reveal your purpose to you. But all you came away with from those encounters was confusion over why God was silent in the face of your desperation and pain.

So you’ve taken practical paths, even as a secret place in your heart remains empty, waiting to be filled with joy in pursuing your purpose.

If only you could find it.

Well, here’s some great news!

For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.

Philippians 2:13 (CSB)

God wants you to walk in your purpose. You just need the right help to see the clues He’s planted inside you to help you get there.

These 7 journal prompts to find your purpose will start you off on excavating those clues.

Related: How to Know What Your Calling Is from God (It’s Life’s Ultimate Joy!)

3 Gotchas to Avoid with Journal Prompts to Find Your Purpose

Here are a few tips before you jump into these journal prompts for finding purpose. They’ll help you get the most out of this process.

1. Don’t rush through these questions.

They can help you start to find what you’ve been seeking for years. So give each journal prompt the time it deserves by meditating on it.

Sit with each of these journal prompts to find your purpose. Ponder each question as you journal your thoughts and memories. When you do, you’ll begin to uncover what you’ve been trying to find this whole time.

2. Don’t just yourself or your thoughts as you’re journaling to find your purpose.

Judgment is one of the fastest ways to kill your potential. And it’s probably what buried the answers you’re seeking in the first place.

Don’t dismiss any answer as too big, too small, too scary, or too insignificant. Let it be what it is and be curious about it. You’d be surprised at the things God can use to lead you into your purpose.

3. Tell yourself the truth.

If these journal prompts to find your purpose are to work for you, you’ll need to be 100% honest in your answers. Don’t give pretty-sounding answers. Be raw and honest with yourself and God as you go through each one.

Also, if an answer doesn’t immediately come to mind, don’t dismiss the journal prompt with, “I don’t know.” You do know. You’re probably just afraid of the answer.

When “I don’t know” comes up, recognize it as an indicator of an area for which you need a little bit of courage and a lot of curiosity. Then sink into it and see what comes up for you. Probe into what you’re afraid may be hiding under your “I don’t know.”

Start letting the sun shine into the dark places you’ve been scared of.

7 Unusual Journal Prompts to Find Your Purpose

Just as you won’t be dismissing any of your answers to these journal prompts for finding purpose, please don’t dismiss the journal prompts themselves either.

They’re not your usual purpose journal prompts, asking about your goals, skills, talents, or favorite hobbies. These journal prompts to find your purpose go far deeper. They have the potential to reveal clues you can follow up on.

They can help you step into how to know your God-given purpose.

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), [a]recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

Ephesians 2:10 (AMPC)

Now, ask the Holy Spirit for revelation and dig in.

1. When you were a little girl, how did you see your life unfolding?

Close your eyes and cast your mind all the way back to when you were a small girl dreaming about your future. 

Go back to the days when you played without care and had what felt like big, God-given dreams for your life. Call up those days when your dreams weren’t chained down by “reality” or “good sense.”

What did you fantasize about doing with your life?

2. What stopped you in your tracks?

Now, think about the people who have—on purpose or by accident—discouraged you from pursuing your little-girl dreams.

Recall the subtle messages you received—whether from loved ones or from society—that said your dreams were stupid, unrealistic, or unworthy.

How did their judgment make you feel? What emotions did you start associating with your dreams?

3. How do you feel about the reasons that threw you off track?

Back when you were still a little girl or a little later as a young woman, your reasons for abandoning your little-girl dreams may have seemed legit.

However, looking at them with new eyes now, you may find them weak and insubstantial. So dig into why you turned away from those dreams.

For example, did you lock your dreams away because of other people’s opinions of them? Did you fear others’ judgment of your choices and decisions?

Keep asking yourself why until you get to the real truth.

Bonus: As a bonus for joining my weekly newsletter, get this free printable download—The Essential Guide to Finding Clarity. It gives you 7 revealing questions to help conquer your confusion and know what to do now.

4. If you weren’t afraid, would you pursue your dream?

If you didn’t care about or fear:

• Other people’s opinions
• Other people’s judgment
• Failure
• Change
• Making the wrong decision

…or any other fear you’re nursing, would you go after your dream?

If you forgot about the people and the pressure to do what’s expected of you, would you choose to explore your dreams?

5. If you could start over your life from scratch, would you pursue your dream?

Imagine this: you’ve just lost your job, your relationship, and everything else tying you to your current life.

I know—it’s a little scary to imagine. But push past your fear of the unknown and wipe the slate of your life clean in your mind.

Imagine you no longer care about the people who used to judge and criticize you. And imagine you suddenly have no responsibilities or obligations, except to yourself and God.

What would you choose to do?

Related: The 21-Day Finding Your Dream Work Journal

6. What’s the worst that could happen if you pursue your purpose?

Your imagination is one of your best assets, but only if you use it to your advantage.

You can misuse it by going to the worst-case scenario and letting it spiral into fear. This will stop you in your tracks every time.

On the other hand, you can use it to show yourself how the worst-case scenario may not be as bad as you’re making it out to be.

So push past the fear and let yourself consider possible downsides and consequences you’d have to deal with if you decided to go after your dream.

Then for each scenario you think of, ask yourself, “What’s bad about this? And what’s good about it?”

You may find you’ve removed the fangs from the snake you were afraid was waiting to bite you.

7. What’s the best that could happen if you pursue your purpose?

You may be afraid of the worst-case scenario. But you may be afraid of the best-case scenario too.

I mean, what if you let yourself dream and it never happens?

But for one perfect, pure moment, let go of your fear and let yourself consider the possible upsides and rewards waiting for you if you decide to go after your dream.

You see, you need to know what you’re in danger of letting slip through your fingers if you choose not to pursue your dreams.

So revel in the best-case scenario. Let yourself bathe in the beauty of it and feel yourself having it. Then journal what comes up for you.

Your Next Step after Journaling to Find Your Purpose

I didn’t come out of the womb knowing my purpose in life. So I pursued what the world told me I should want.

Sure, I looked successful on the outside with the trappings of my corporate executive status. But I was miserable underneath because I knew God had more for me—something to help others while satisfying my soul.

Through all the years I spent searching for it, I never knew the truth: God had given me the first step from day 1.

He was never withholding information about my purpose from me. I was the one who was too scared to face the truth of what I wanted—of what He’d planted in me.

You can do the same by unearthing what you buried out of fear or lack of trust in God and His plan for you.

So what should you do after you’ve gone through these 7 journal prompts to find your purpose?

First, if you want to go deeper, get the 21-Day Finding Your Dream Work Journal. It gives you 21 days of more unexpected journal prompts to find your purpose and path. Each journaling prompt will help you gain insights and knowledge to make stepping into your purpose easier.

Then pray your way through putting your journaling discoveries into action.

• Ask God to help you be brave enough to get over caring about others’ opinions and go after what He’s planted in your heart.
• Ask Him if this is truly what He wants you to do as you get ready to go after it. Also, ask Him to stop you and redirect you if this isn’t His will for you.
• Ask God to show you the single next step to take in pursuing your dream.
• Pray for the faith to trust in Him to reveal each next step at the right time.

The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.

Psalm 138:8 (NLT)

Once you’re prayed, take a deep breath and draw courage from Jesus’ abiding love and the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life.

Then take the first step God shows you, and every single one after that.

Before you go, get your FREE printable download to help conquer your confusion—The Essential Guide to Finding Clarity.

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