How To Begin A Prayer Journal

Use these easy steps with prompts, suggestions, and templates to learn to begin a prayer journal to deepen your relationship with the Lord.

Why Ought to You Begin A Prayer Journal?

No prayer is ever wasted and also you actually don’t want a prayer journal to speak to God (that’s a free present given to all of us!) however I’ve discovered it so extremely useful in my very own prayer life.

I wrestle with wandering ideas, long-winded rabbit trails, and all kinds of different distractions (squirrel!) once I’m praying in my head. Even with the perfect of intentions, my “quiet time” with the Lord turns right into a wild goose chase the place I find yourself making grocery lists as a result of I considered a last-minute addition and scrolling by way of Fb as a result of I picked up my cellphone to lookup a Bible verse.

After I write down my ideas, it helps me:

• keep centered on what I actually wish to speak to God about.
• really feel extra related to Him as I write. When my ideas are bouncing round, it’s powerful to really feel deeply related to Jesus. After I’m setting issues apart to journal, I can extra simply quiet my ideas and repair my eyes on Him.
• course of my ideas and emotions extra totally.
• file my story – my ideas, emotions, circumstances, struggles, and victories. It’s so useful to have the ability to look again on the place I’ve been and what God has introduced me by way of and see what number of prayers He has answered alongside the way in which. I can’t wait to share these with my son as he grows as much as inform him all about God’s faithfulness in our lives!

How To Begin Your Prayer Journal

Step 1 – Choose Your Journal & Provides

I’m at the moment utilizing this Talia discbound journal from Amazon, however for years, I simply used no matter low-cost college-ruled clean spiral pocket book I might get my arms on.

Talia Discbound Pocket book, C…Store on Amazon

Don’t really feel like you need to do something fancy or costly. Crucial a part of prayer journaling is doing it.

I just like the disc-bound journal as a result of I can:

• Lay it flat. This one is a massive deal to me. With notebooks, I at all times selected spiral certain as a result of anything would flop closed on me whereas I used to be writing, which drove me nuts. This one seamlessly stays open for me whereas I write!
• Add/take away/rearrange pages in my journal (even when they aren’t the identical measurement because the pocket book). I like to have the ability to add significant issues like printed pages, Bible verses on index playing cards, Bible research, postcards, invites, prayer lists, and sermon notes to the identical pocket book. (I exploit the TUL discbound gap punch so as to add printed pages).
• Fold over onto itself, taking on much less area. I don’t want a full desk area to put out your entire splayed-out journal. Identical to a spiral journal, it folds over (and the discs don’t get in the way in which almost as a lot as a 3-ring binder).
• Use more room on every web page for writing. The disc holes don’t lengthen far into the web page, which provides me extra room to put in writing.

Any pen or pencil and paper will do, however, after making an attempt nearly each pen and pencil on the market, I’ve discovered pens I actually love. I favor actually wonderful strains in my writing so I normally use these ultra-fine black Pilot pens for many of my writing.

After I wish to add a splash of shade, I pull out my set of Staedtler Fineliner pens.

Step 2 – Choose Your Prayer Journaling Template

You might be welcome to incorporate no matter sections in your private prayer journal as you’d like, however I extremely suggest utilizing my Prayer Journal Bundle. It’s what I exploit myself and it’s done-for-you and able to print to start out utilizing in your quiet instances ASAP.

In case you are simply beginning out with prayer journaling, don’t overcomplicate issues. Writing even one sentence a day can begin an exquisite behavior! Choose a number of sections you’re most drawn to, begin there, and add or take them away as you’d like.

I’ve discovered that sure sections are extra helpful in sure seasons. After I’m battling my identification and confidence in Christ, I be certain that to incorporate day by day reminders of my identification in Christ. In different seasons, I focus extra on the names of God.

Listed below are some strategies for sections to incorporate:

• Date – That is actually useful for flipping again and seeing how God has reworked you over time – I at all times neglect dates until they’re written down!
• Gratitude/Answered Prayers/Reward – There are so many advantages to beginning your day with thankfulness in your coronary heart and in your prayer journal. It’s an exquisite option to acknowledge God working in your life and expertise extra peace, pleasure, and contentment. In case you get caught, I’ve 31 gratitude journal prompts right here that may assist get your inventive juices flowing.
• Confession – I haven’t seen many prayer journals embrace this part and I’m not completely certain why as a result of confessing our sins and asking for His forgiveness is such an essential a part of connecting with God.
• Bible verses – Clearly, having God’s Phrase as part of your prayer time is essential! Selecting to repair your thoughts on the Reality is so precious. In case you’re unsure the place to start out, I’ve lists of Bible verses on all types of matters you possibly can look by way of to search out one thing that matches what you’re going by way of proper now.
• Prayer Requests – I prefer to maintain a day by day record of prayer requests which might be on my coronary heart at that second, in addition to ongoing lists of prayer requests which might be extra long-term (like for missionaries, Compassion Worldwide kids we help, therapeutic, our nation, and many others). I included each ongoing and day by day lists within the Prayer Journal Bundle.
• Your Id In Christ – In case you are battling low self-confidence or low vanity, it is a great part to incorporate. I embrace over 30 examples of your identification in Christ within the journaling bundle, however you may also use these Bible Verses in your identification to put in writing your individual.
• Traits of God/Names of God – Figuring out who you might be is essential however realizing who God is is much more essential. Studying the names of God has been so good for me to be taught extra about God’s character and studying to acknowledge His voice.
• Feelings Test-In – I’m a giant feeler so that is at all times an important part for me. Some days it’s a fast phrase or two and typically it’s paragraphs of my processing my emotions with the Lord.
• Journal Prompts – Feeling caught and probably not certain what to put in writing about? Pre-written journal prompts might be actually useful in getting your ideas rolling. I’ve 10 journal prompts in your quiet time right here that you simply’re welcome to print and use for your self.
• House To Share – Give your self area simply to share your ideas and emotions with God. Typically I write phrases, typically I draw photos that come to thoughts, and typically I draw lyrics to hymns or worship songs on my thoughts – something that makes you are feeling related to the Lord.
• House to Hear – Do not forget that conversations are two-sided (I point out it as a result of I usually neglect!), so don’t neglect to depart area so that you can hearken to the Lord and write down something you hear from Him. If you wish to be taught extra in regards to the thought of listening to the Lord, a earlier pastor wrote a very inspiring e book referred to as “Extra” on the subject that actually helped deepen my very own relationship with God.

Extra: When a Little Little bit of …Store on Amazon

Please don’t really feel like it’s essential to embrace all of these without delay! All the strategies above are sections I’ve included in my prayer journal in a single season of my life or one other, however by no means all on the identical time.

Step 3 – Choose A Day by day Prayer Journaling Time

Please, don’t skip this step.

If prayer journaling is new for you, it takes intentionality to start out a brand new behavior. It’s really easy to undergo your day like regular, climb into mattress, after which understand – “Eek! I meant to journal, however forgot!” We’re creatures of behavior and it’s really easy to do!

Suggestions For Creating A New Behavior

1. Choose a time that works effectively in your schedule.

I extremely suggest very first thing within the morning to start out your break day on the precise foot, however there are seasons of life that don’t make that very straightforward (once I had a new child, I didn’t even know what time “very first thing within the morning” meant and first-morning naptime labored a lot better throughout these months!).

I prefer to allocate not less than 20 minutes to actually give myself time for my ideas to cease racing and to actually dig into some deep dialog with the Lord, however begin the place you might be! Even 5 minutes is a superb funding into your relationship with God.

2. Set a reminder alarm.

If you’re beginning a brand new behavior of any form, it’s laborious to recollect to do this new factor, even when we now have the perfect of intentions, as a result of it’s out of your routine.

I prefer to set an alarm on my cellphone to go off on the time I picked as an additional reminder to assist me comply with by way of on my good intentions.

3. Pair your new behavior with a longtime behavior.

Will you do your prayer journaling when you drink your morning espresso? After your exercise? Earlier than breakfast? after your alarm goes off? Proper after dropping your children off at college?

Connecting this new behavior of prayer journaling with one thing you already do frequently is simply one other approach that can assist you construct this new behavior into your life long-term.

4. Consistency is best than perfection.

Apply, observe, observe. Attempt your greatest to sit down down together with your prayer journal every single day, even when it’s only for a couple of minutes.

Give your self grace that you simply received’t at all times have the “good” quiet instances. One thing is at all times higher than nothing and the extra constant you might be, the extra this behavior of prayer journaling will simply really feel like a part of your regular life.

And that’s the aim! Connecting with the Lord needs to be an everyday, constant behavior – in each season, in each emotion, in each schedule change.

It is likely one of the best methods to remain rooted in His Phrase and in His love, taking a look at life with religion eyes.

Rejoice at all times, pray with out ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for that is the desire of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Step 4 – Begin Journaling!

That’s all there may be to it! You’ve gotten your supplies, you’ve got a fundamental construction in your time with pattern journal prompts…now, all there may be left to do is write!

On my greatest days, I like to create a peaceful atmosphere for myself to prayer journal – a candle, some instrumental worship music, a clear area to put in writing (typically outside if it’s good!).

However please don’t suppose that’s a prerequisite for prayer journaling! You’re going to have imperfect days. Some days on this season of my life, I’m journaling two phrases at a time sitting in a pile of Legos with a bouncy, chatty toddler. You possibly can adapt prayer journaling to suit into any season of your life!

Prayer journaling persistently is a lot extra essential than journaling completely.

Embrace your present season and permit your self the pliability to make it be just right for you. The aim is to get within the behavior of connecting with the Lord and deepening your relationship with Him, it doesn’t matter what that appears like particularly for you.

Pleased prayer journaling!