Prayer Journal

A prayer journal is a diary of our conversations with God. Many great leaders have kept some kind of prayer journal, including Moses.

Exodus 24:3-4 When Moses went and told the people all the LORD’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, Everything the LORD has said we will do.Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said.

No one has to keep a prayer journal, but I encourage you to consider it for the following reasons:

Slow down and listen.
Have you ever hurried in, opened your Bible, read a passage, then zipped off to school or work? Have you ever been reading before bed, and found yourself drifting off to sleep? What about that verse that really caught your attention? Did you have a chance to write it down or think about why God brought that verse to your attention? A journal helps me to think and meditate about what God is saying to me through His Word.

Focus in a busy world.
Have you ever found your mind wandering? It happens to all of us. A journal helps me focus on the issues I want to talk to God about.

Worries and concerns.
Have you ever been so upset that you couldn’t get your mind off of your problem, let alone read your Bible? Sometimes, as I write down my problem for God to look at, He’ll begin to speak to me about it. Writing helps me to get out of that “stuck” mode so I can begin telling God what is bothering me. He may show you things about your situation or impress your heart with how to proceed in the situation.

Answers to prayer
Another benefit of journaling is that we can look back to see how God has answered prayers and changed our ways of thinking over time as we have grown with Him.

Suggestions for what to write in your prayer journal each day:

1. Date and Chapter(s) you are reading in the Bible.
2. Give thanks to God for the good things in your life as well as the problems. God will develop our character through both. We show God we trust Him by saying “Thank You!”
3. Areas in which you have failed and want to ask the Lord for forgiveness. We bathe regularly because we want to stay clean. We also ask for forgiveness regularly in order to stay spiritually clean.
4. Verses that catch your attention. The Holy Spirit causes verses to stand out to us as a way of communicating with us. Write down what God may be saying to you through these verses.
5. Things God may impress on your heart about worries and concerns.
6. Prayer requests.

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