Writing a Prayer Journal

Writing a Prayer Journal
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you,
whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3)
A prayer journal is a little different than a regular diary-type journal, although it is very easy to intertwine the two (I do). The idea behind the prayer journal is to focus on your conversations with God. You set aside some time every day to write about what is happening in your life. What makes it special is that it is written to the Lord, like one long prayer.
The prayer journal is not meant to be formal. It can contain your thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams. You can write it in the same way you would write a letter to a friend or along the same lines as a conversation, you would have with someone you can trust and confide in. God is interested in every aspect of our life, big and small, silly or solemn.
A prayer journal is a way to learn more about Him, and to track where you have grown and been blessed as you read the pages. You can tell God about your day: what worries you, even what you have to remember to do. You can praise Him, ask Him questions about what to do or things you do not understand. You can place in writing your prayer requests for people you know in need, which can also help you to remember to pray for them again in the coming days.
Some people like to read devotions every day and write down what they learned or how it affected them. A prayer journal is also a great place for this. Others like to take their prayer journal to church or Bible study and jot down the points they want to remember. What you do and don’t want to include is up to you. The main idea is to be open and honest, and to set aside that time as a part of your time with God. Daily, write down the prayers you offer up to Him, including praises, desires, and hurts. You are writing letters to God and keeping up with them. In fact, you can even write your entries in letterform. The point is to keep up with what you are saying to Him. Although it is very important to write down any prayer requests, the idea is to encompass that, but also to go beyond that.
When you write down your requests, you can later see how God is working in your life to answer those prayers, either divinely or naturally. Scripture states that when we ask for something in prayer, believing, then it will come to pass (Matthew 21:22). Writing down your praises helps to strengthen your expectancy in having your prayers answered. It focuses your attention on the positive things that God has already done in your life, and helps you understand how truly capable He is at answering your prayer.
Monitoring the hurts, the joys, and the concerns you have during the day also helps strengthen your walk with God. He often uses these things to get our attention or to switch our minds in a new direction. Writing these down, along with what caused them, allows us to go back later and see what God is doing in relation to them.
Keeping a prayer journal is one way to help you strengthen your relationship with God. It can help you to remain focused and aware of His presence with you. It may help you to lay down your burdens and to feel wrapped in the warmth of Gods loving arms.
So, try writing a prayer journal. What do you want to tell God? What do you want to ask of God? How would you like God to respond? Write it all down. What would you really like to say? God is waiting and listening for whatever you have to say? Remember, God loves you and cares what you have to say.

Peace and Love,

Sue




"Be still and know that I am God"(Psalm 46:10)