The following content is part one of an extract taken from the spiritual journal of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones. God willing, we will publish part two next month. It has been recently published as an appendix in the book, Baptised with Heavenly Power, by Philip H. Eveson, © 2025. We re-publish it here with the agreed permission of Christian Focus Publications.
Journal for February 5th, 1930
I have often considered as to whether I should keep some sort of a journal of my thoughts, feelings and of my activities in general. I have not done so hitherto because I have been afraid of dwelling too much upon myself, realising that I am already far too prone to morbidity and introspection. Not only that, but having so little spare time for reading etc, I have felt that it would be wrong for me to spend this valuable time in analysing and dissecting myself. All the spare time I have (which is far too little owing to my preaching engagements, my medical work, visitation of members, writing out of sermons, week-night meetings and the fact that I can’t read here in the afternoons) – all the spare time I have I feel I ought to give to reading. And yet, I have felt increasingly that it would be a good thing for me to set down on paper various thoughts about myself. I do not propose to keep a detailed diary of my doings as much as an analysis of my spiritual condition.
During my meditations concerning my own spiritual state while I have been travelling in trains, or sitting here in this room, or while walking along the beach, I have realised that there are many, many sins which are eventually gaining a victory over me. I realise this entirely at the time, but it soon passes away. Other things crowd in and my best resolutions are forgotten. Such passing self-examinations, therefore, I am quite convinced, are not enough. I stand in need of a method which will be much more definite and which will compel me to face the various problems of life more consistently and with greater regularity.
