The story behind Selah
A notebook that never really ended
Before there was Selah, I had a prayer journal — a simple little notebook in which, with a date at the top, I wrote down what was on my mind and what I wanted to bring before God.
It started during my university years. A friend gave me a notebook as a gift, and from then on I used it faithfully: on the days I made time to pray I would open it, write the date at the top and jot down what was on my heart. Every day? No. There were gaps — sometimes weeks, sometimes just two or three days in between. But the notebook was there whenever I needed it.
The beautiful part came when I flipped back. There were requests from weeks earlier — and I would pray for them again. Some I could check off. Beneath some entries I added a little testimony: how God had answered, when, in what way.
- Neighbour in hospital↳ She is back home. Thank you, Lord! (Nov 11)
- The job offer — which way?
- Fallout with Tobias — reconciliation
- Small group tonight — forgiveness↳ An honest conversation. Something came loose.
- Anna — exam on Friday
- Thankful for the rain after the dry weeks
This is what the original looked like — flip through it yourself.
And this I didn't expect: it often wasn't the new entries that carried me most — it was flipping back. There it was, in black and white, how God had answered months earlier the very thing that had felt unsolvable at the time. Especially in the seasons when I wasn't doing well myself, the notebook was evidence:
God is faithful. He is at work. Even when I can't feel it in the moment.
Selah is an attempt to translate exactly that into something digital:
- One page per day
- Flip back
- Check off
- Write a testimony
Nothing that complicates prayer — but everything paper could not: search, be reminded of old requests, never lose a thing.