Hills & Valleys - expanded to a 6 week study

Below is an expanded version of "Hills & Valleys: Learning to Look to Jesus during Life’s Emotional Highs & Lows" prompt journal Bible study, with deeper weekly themes, discussion/reflection questions, and devotional thoughts for a richer group or personal study experience. You could easily use this for a 6-week church group, small group, or solo journal journey.

🌄 Hills & Valleys

A 6-Week Prompt Journal Bible Study
Learning to Look to Jesus during Life’s Emotional Highs & Lows

✨ How to Use This Study:

Each week offers a devotional theme, Scripture focus, journal prompt, reflection questions, and practical application. You can use this alone, with a friend, or in a group. Set aside quiet time each week to invite God into your peak and valley places—and learn to see His steady presence in both.

📖 Week 1: The God of the Mountains and the Valleys

Read: 1 Kings 20:28, Psalm 121:1-2

Devotional Thought:
The same God who shows His glory on the mountaintops walks with us through the valleys. We often think God's power is only visible in our victories, but His presence is perhaps even more powerful in our hidden, hard, and low places.

Prompt:
Think of a recent “mountaintop” moment. How did you feel? How did you experience God? Now think of a recent “valley.” Where did you struggle to see God’s hand? Invite Him into both places through a prayer of thanksgiving and surrender.

Reflection Questions:

  • Have I seen God more clearly in my victories or in my struggles?

  • How does knowing God is with me in both places give me courage?

Practical Challenge:
Create a visual reminder—a stone, photo, or journal page—of a time God met you in a valley.

📖 Week 2: When the Highs Make Us Forget

Read: Deuteronomy 8:10-18, James 1:17

Devotional Thought:
Success can lull us into spiritual sleep. When things are easy, we’re tempted to forget the One who gave us every good gift. God’s invitation: Remember Me. Return to Me. Rest in Me.

Prompt:
Have you ever noticed that you prayed more urgently during trials than during calm? Why is it harder to cling to God when life is good? Write a list of current blessings, and next to each, add how you want to steward it in a God-honoring way.

Reflection Questions:

  • What are signs that I’m relying more on blessings than the Giver?

  • What spiritual habits help me stay anchored during abundance?

Practical Challenge:
Write a “thank You” note to God this week for 5 blessings you usually overlook.

📖 Week 3: When the Lows Make Us Doubt

Read: Psalm 23:4, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Devotional Thought:
God doesn’t leave us in the valley. Even when we can’t feel Him, He walks beside us. Doubt isn’t a sign of weak faith—it’s an opportunity to lean deeper into trust.

Prompt:
Describe a time you felt alone, anxious, or defeated. Where was God during that time? Write down a Bible verse you want to cling to the next time you feel lost in a valley.

Reflection Questions:

  • When have I doubted God's goodness, and what helped me come through it?

  • What do I need from God in the valleys—comfort, clarity, community?

Practical Challenge:
Begin memorizing one valley-focused verse (e.g. Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 34:18, Romans 8:38-39).

📖 Week 4: God’s Plan in the Peaks and Valleys

Read: Jeremiah 29:11-13, Romans 8:28

Devotional Thought:
God doesn't waste a single moment—joy or sorrow. Every part of your journey is woven into His loving plan. His goodness is not always immediately visible, but it's always present.

Prompt:
What area of your life feels confusing, delayed, or broken? Write a prayer asking for eyes to see God’s bigger plan and a heart that clings to Him, not just outcomes.

Reflection Questions:

  • What might God be growing in me during this hard season?

  • How do I need to shift my focus from results to relationship?

Practical Challenge:
Make a “faith timeline” listing moments where you didn’t understand at the time—but now see God’s hand.

📖 Week 5: Learning to See with Eternal Eyes

Read: Colossians 3:1-4, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Devotional Thought:
This world is not the end of our story. When we look at life through eternity’s lens, both our joys and sorrows take on new meaning. Every hill and valley becomes part of a greater climb toward Jesus.

Prompt:
What does eternity mean to you? How can thinking about forever change how you walk through today’s struggles or joys?

Reflection Questions:

  • Am I living for what’s urgent or what’s eternal?

  • What would change in my daily life if heaven was my first lens?

Practical Challenge:
Write a letter to your future self about how you hope to grow in faith through the rest of this year.

📖 Week 6: Practical Steps to Focus on God

Read: Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 6:33

Devotional Thought:
God invites us not just to believe, but to walk with Him. Focusing on God is a daily decision—and one we’ll need to make in both chaos and calm. We don’t wait to feel strong or certain. We follow, trust, and obey bit by bit.

Prompt:
What 3 things help you focus more on God during your week? What’s one habit you want to start or return to?

Reflection Questions:

  • What tends to distract me from God’s presence most often?

  • What rhythms help me stay spiritually grounded?

Practical Challenge:
Make a daily rhythm chart—list a few spiritual habits you’ll build into each day (e.g., worship music in the car, morning devotion, journaling before bed, etc.)

🌿 Final Reflection: Your Personal Psalm

Read: Psalm 46, Psalm 62

Prompt:
Write your own psalm—an honest prayer or song expressing your heart to God about the mountains and valleys of your life, and how you’ve seen His faithfulness.

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