How to start a prayer journal, and why

Sometimes, we look for different ways to grow and strengthen our relationship with God. Everyone has a different way of talking to God. While prayer is the main source of communication with God, some people prefer talking to God by writing words on a piece of paper. You’re probably wondering how God is supposed to see what you write in your prayer journal. The thought of having a certain prayer request in your mind has the ability to reach God, and he will sense it whether you speak it or write it to Him.

Maintaining connection

As a believer, you may have various prayer requests for yourself and others. A great way to get them across to the Father above without forgetting is through a prayer journal. Besides helping you remember your prayer requests, it will also help maintain your connection with God.

Finding God is not enough, as you have to maintain that spiritual relationship with him. You can do so by starting a prayer journal.

In the Old Testament, Moses, Jacob, and Hagar build stone altars as a reminder of God’s promises and what He did. The stone altars served as a tool to teach others. Nowadays, this is the essence of a prayer journal.

How to begin a prayer journal?

Before starting a prayer journal, you should know why you’re creating one in the first place. To answer this question, ask yourself what triggered you to make one in the first place.

Searching within makes more sense than finding answers from other people and the Internet. So, pour a cup of tea and grab your Bible, journal, and pen.

Snuggle up in your favorite blanket and start taking care of your soul. You might go to church in-between your journal entries.

1. Choose a proper journal

Once you’re aware of why you want to use a prayer journal and its purpose, you can purchase a nice journal. Ideally, this notebook is small and easy to carry around, in case you have to travel.

You may want to keep it with you at all times to feel the presence of God. That can give you the peace of mind that He is constantly listening to your prayers.

Choose the type of journal you’re comfortable with; there are numerous options available. Some great choices out there are bullet journals, traditional journals, and guided journals.

When buying your notebook, also consider getting the supplies for it at the same time. Some of the things you might want to get are:

• Colored pens
• Bookmarks
• Highlighters
• Sticky notes

Add to this list whatever you need to enhance your prayer journal. The goal here is to make it more interesting so that you want to use it again and again.

2. Set up the pages

The next step is to start allocating pages and deciding what to include in the book. You can first start off by creating an index page with the correct numbering for the sections within it.

Then, move on to creating a prayer request list. You can create three columns, consisting of requests, scriptures, and answers.

Keep a few pages aside for notes and pointers relating to the scriptures. It’s better to have too much space than not enough.

You can make your prayer journal by breaking it into sections, such as:

• Lost
• Needs of others
• Personal needs
• World needs
• Sick
• Church needs

The main thing is to organize and write this notebook in a way that you feel comfortable reading in your most desperate times. After all, that’s when you’re looking for answers from God.

Why do you need a prayer journal?

There are many reasons why a prayer journal is useful. The main purpose of having one, though, is to deepen your relationship with the Heavenly Father.

Many times, your thoughts can wander about during prayer. But, a journal is like your sacred space, without distraction or sound.

While writing, it is just you and your thoughts, along with the presence of God. Some people struggle with forming the right words to say when speaking to God, especially when you’re praying for something that has been bothering you for a while.

Sometimes, verbal prayers may not be enough to convey thoughts and emotions. In that case, starting a prayer journal will help you find the words to express your feelings.

The special journal will allow you to elaborate on the details of your prayers a bit more. You will also get to see what you’re actually praying about by reading the lines.

Sometimes, as believers, we blurt out many prayers while conversing with God. So much so that once we finish, we have forgotten what we prayed about. A journal will help you see how you talk to God.

It’s similar to having conversations with God on the phone. The only difference is that this is a journal.

As a seasoned believer, people tend to take you as a prayer warrior. This is hard to believe at times, but it’s how people struggling with prayer may look at you as you never quit praying.

With your journal, continue to pray and take pride in doing so. To feel as if you are a prayer warrior, you have to maintain a connection with God, and a valuable way to do that is through written words.

With the help of the journal, continue to express your prayers, especially those you haven’t received answers for yet. Use this journal to strengthen your prayer warrior instincts, raise your vibrations, and feel good overall.

Your prayer journal will allow you to freely pour your thoughts and prayers without overthinking. You can always go back to your prayer journal to see what you’ve prayed about and maybe create a checklist on the prayers God has answered.

Final thoughts

Unfortunately, many people aren’t lucky enough to know how powerful prayer is, as some of them are still afraid to talk to God verbally through prayer. You can probably help people struggling with prayer, but first, you have to maintain your prayer warrior instincts and then continuously ask God to help them.

If you’re looking for other ways to embrace God’s presence and love in your life, you can check out the selection of Christian T-shirts. Be the light, share the light!