Several years ago, I was gifted a prayer journal. The concept of writing down prayers was new
to me at the time, but I thought I would give it a try because I knew my prayer life needed to up
it’s game! Each entry in the journal provided space to write about specific topics. There was a
place to write about what I was grateful for and a place to write things I needed to confess.
There was an area to write things I was struggling with and one to record Bible verses that were
meaningful to me at the time. There was also a spot to write prayers for friends and family in
need. In the back of the prayer journal there were a few pages dedicated to listing prayers that
had been answered.
I have to admit that I was a little intimidated when I saw a place in my prayer journal to write out
scripture. A quick online search is where I started, but I’ve also used a study Bible, Bible
Gateway, and You Version (the Bible app), all of which allow for searches by topic. I found that
looking up relevant scripture was a great way to get to know my Bible better, too. I noticed that
sometimes I was just drawn to a specific verse or Bible story that God wanted me to hear
because of what was happening in my life at the time. Spending time writing out prayers also
made me willingly extend my time with God in prayer and scripture, ensuring that I opened and
read my Bible each day. I’ve also learned to take time to listen to God when I pray. There are many ways that God
speaks to me in prayer when I take the time to listen. The Holy Spirit often guides me to certain
scriptures or things I need to pray about. God speaks to me through His word as I search for
relevant topics in scripture while praying. Taking the time to actually notice that my prayers have
been answered is yet another way that God speaks to me.
Not all prayer needs to be written. In fact, in Ephesians 6:18, Paul tells us to “pray in the Spirit
on all occasions with all kinds of prayer requests.” All prayer, any kind, brings us closer to God.
Using a prayer journal helped me to strengthen my relationship with God through prayer and
reading the Bible. I encourage you to try it.
Now, I use a simple notebook as a prayer journal so that I can be more specific in the prayers that
I write out. Yes, God knows what I’m thinking, but He still wants me to pray to Him and share
what is on my heart. In all of my prayers, I ask that God’s will be done. I feel it’s important to
let God know that I trust in Him completely and want to glorify His name. I still make a point to
include each of the areas that had been in the prayer journal and I go through my notebook every
week or so to highlight prayers that have been answered. And guess what? I need a new
highlighter! God is so good.
by Tracey Renae
