Throughout my daily life, I am constantly telling people I will pray for them. I have a really great group of friends that my husband and I meet with every Sunday night after church and we are constantly sharing prayer requests with one another. I always have every intention of keeping those promises to pray. And sometimes I do, but a lot of times I forget or I pray about something and I forget about those prayers days later. I'm not being intentional about remembering to be thankful when God answers those prayers (even when the prayer is not the answer I was hoping for.) This is why a few years ago I started keeping prayer journal. Here is my system:
1. Get A Journal
Have a separate place for keeping your prayers. I bought a journal that was separated by days and had a small verse or quote in each day. That way if I couldn't think of what I wanted to say to God that day, the verse might spark some inspiration. I made sure I got one where I could write my own date in so that if I missed a day, it wouldn't matter and I wouldn't have wasted space in my book. It doesn't have to be fancy. Any sort of notebook will do.
2. Peaks
What were the high moments for today? Before I come to God with all of my challenges, I like to remember what he has blessed me with today. Most of the time they are little moments like drinking coffee in the morning with my husband or a lunch with a friend, but they remind me that I have so much to be thankful for.
3. Pits
Sometimes I struggle with praying for myself or admitting that I'm having any challenges. I write down what moments were especially challenging for the day and this allows me to see the areas I am continuing to struggle with. Are you having continual challenges at work? Arguments with friends? Trouble keeping calm in traffic? Bring these issues to God.
4. Praises
Keeping a journal allows me to remember what I prayed about months ago. Was one of my pits a challenging work situation? Maybe that situation has been resolved now months later. I like to go back through my journal and highlight any prayers I believed were answered in some way. Back in my journal several years ago I have many entries asking God to help me figure out a tough relationship situation. I remember at the time being devastated that the relationship didn't work out the way I wanted to. Many months later, I see the praises during the beginning of my relationship with my now husband and I can see God was answering my prayers. He heard my struggles and brought me out of that relationship so that I could meet the man that he had for me. Going back through my journal helped to see that God was working in my life.
5. Prayers
Is there something specific you told a friend you would pray for? A request for yourself? Writing it down here to remember to continue to pray about it.
This is just one way to keep a prayer journal. I'm sure there are tons of other ways to organize your thoughts and discussions with God but I believe the important things is just find a way that works for you to remember to bring everything to God in prayer and to be able to remember how God answered those prayers.
Do you keep a prayer journal? How do you organize it?
Rebecca C.
I don't keep a prayer journal...but I do keep a gratitude/happiness journal. :) I just write things every day (or almost every day) that I am grateful for and/or that make me happy.
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