Prayer Journal
This page features a series of resources for helping you to begin and develop your prayer journal, including short video tutorials, 5 tips for ideas for your journal, and links to journal templates and software aids.
The most important thing about a prayer journal is that it is written from the heart. A journal reflects your walk with God - it is a place where you can be real with Him, confess your weaknesses and sins, and draw close to your Father in Heaven. King David's writings in the psalms are a good model for us. We see a degree of honesty and openess with God, and a wide range of emotions - from deep sadness and grief to great celebration and joy. It can also be a place to "Be Still" before your maker and reflect on your life. With a journal you can take time out to dream and receive God's infinite love. A prayer journal is both about our relationship with God and our needs, and also about the needs of others. It is a place to record these needs and requests as you pray these prayers from your heart.
resources on this page
How to Start a Prayer Journal
Discover 4 great tips on keeping a journal by published prayer poet Julie Palmer:-
Our prayers lay the track down on which God's power can come. Like a mighty locomotive, his power is irresistible, but it cannot reach us without rails.
Watchman Nee (1903 –1972), Chinese Church leader & Christian teacher.
Prayer journal ideas
• write down your prayer requests for your loved ones, friends and neighbours.
write down any requests for yourself - these might be to do with your health, key appointments coming up, things that concern you or are causing you to be anxious, or anything else that springs to mind!
• re-read these requests after a week, thanking God for answers to prayer and remembering to commit again to pray for any on-going needs and situations.
• capture your dreams, desires and aspirations in your journal. Dreams can be about anything - it could be that you have a dream to live overseas somewhere, or become a great politican or even get married! These could be written down - or consider getting creative. Why not draw a picture of your dream? What does it look like? Perhaps you might also be able to use colours to depict it in your journal.
• if you receive a word of encouragement, a vision or prophecy from somebody else, keep a record of this in your journal. Remember to read these through occassionally to remind yourself of what God has said to you through the words of others.
• write down any bible verses that you feel are important to you. With some of these scriptures you might also want to commit to memorizing them. You could also make a short note by each verse and record why it is significant for you. Try taking your prayer journal to church or bible study groups so that it is at hand for you to quickly jot down a reference or quote.
A Daily Prayer for your Journal
a printable image of this beautiful prayer by St Richard, Bishop of Chichester:-
Prayer Journal Examples and Templates for ideas
Prayer Journal DownloadA woman's prayer journal (from Hillcrest Baptist Women) - featuring guides to confession, repentence and forgiveness, listening to God, a prayer guide for renewal and strength, and suggested prayer topics and prayer examples.
Free Prayer Journal Software
A free computer program that can help you keep a electronic prayer journal, and record your prayer requests and answers from Hal Lee Ministries.
Prayer Journal Templates
On this page from overflowliving you'll find several prayer journal templates in pdf form that you can print out and use to keep track of your prayer requests and journey with God.
Prayer Connects
An inspiring and uplifting short film about the nature and power of prayer:-
How to create a Journal
There is not a "correct" way to order a prayer journal - it's really down to you and what you feel comfortable with. Here are some different approaches to how you might put one together:-
• Use a ring binder. This is useful for keeping and collecting different things e.g. hand-outs from bible study sessions that you intend to read that week, a photo of someone you are praying for etc. You could create a number of different sections and separate them by a tab system. For example - a section for your dreams, a place for your prayers, another section for your bible notes, somewhere for your inspirational quotes etc.
• Use a notebook. Often a plain paper notebook is the best kind (rather than a ruled one) as it allows you to make sketches and drawings as well as writing your prayers and thoughts down.
• Keep your prayer journal on your computer (e.g. your laptop or ipad etc.) There are software companies that provide template organisers for your journal (see below) or you could devise your own. It's also possible to adapt Microsoft Outlook to become a journal by recording your prayers in the calendar section and making notes in your task manager.