Prayerfully Write a Letter To Yourself and Gift the Future You

Sometimes it’s hard to remember what was important to you in the past, what you thought and what you dreamed of. Recalling those things helps you see God’s work in your life. Lisa Christman, Awana excecutive assistant to the CIO and the CEO emerita, describes an exercise the Awana messaging team enjoyed under her direction. As she has found, and as the messaging team anticipates, a prayerfully written letter to yourself can be a beautiful gift to future you.

Prayerfully Write a Letter to Yourself and Gift the Future You

A few years ago I wrote a letter to myself. I sealed it up with the intention that I would read it in a year’s time. I wanted to write to the me of the future, to check in and encourage her, to make a connection between who I was that day and who I am (or was) becoming.

Recently, I found myself fidgeting with the envelope of last year’s letter when something on the back of the envelope caught my eye. Jeremiah 33:3 (Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things you have not known.), one of my favorite Scriptures since youth group, first scribbled on the inside of a notebook gifted to me by a leader at a summer camp. It gave me pause; and in a prayerful spirit, I felt at peace, comforted that even though to me my future is unknown, I have a good, good Father who I can call to, who has written my path and walks it with me.

In the same way I’ve written to myself you can write to yourself. It doesn’t have to be lengthy; in fact there aren’t too many parameters. The only guardrail is to be kind and write in prayerful encouragement to your future self.

It can be a simple prayer, a verse or a note that you read in six months or a year, or even a decade! If writing to yourself is a stretch for you, think of it as just another prayer. What are you thankful for? What are you hopeful for? Are you seeking direction/clarity from God? Uncertain about a season of life you’re in?

Try it out! You can do it on your own in your quiet time with the Lord, in a small group setting or with your family. And who knows, you might be surprised by what you hear from God (and yourself) through this simple little DIY time-travel activity.

If you write yourself a letter, tell us in the comments about the experience. To join us in prayer for Awana Clubs around the world, check out our latest prayer calendar. And check our other prayer blogs.