I'll describe what it's like right now... but that will definitely change as I continue to use it... that's a given!
It's a three ringed binder - actually a very nice one that Quiet Time Ministries sells for its Quiet Time notebook - it's burgundy and padded - so it feels extra special when you pick it up :-)
I had some extra calendar pages so I stuck them in as monthly dividers (one page per month) I have written some current prayer requests and needs of people who I know in there. I wanted to keep track of how often I used my prayer journal... so I date requests and its sort of a running list. If the request becomes long term, or is for one of my very close friends I will transfer it later to the proper section.
My email list friends requests are there, facebook friends requests, prayer requests for people at church - things that cross my path that I think I should pray for but I would forget if I didn't make a note somewhere.
It's easy to just flip open the first section quickly and add a note about someone.
Then I have a small section where I am writing down ideas about HOW I could use my prayer journal. Sort of a planning section for my thoughts on how it's going and how it's NOT working...
After that I have some divider sections
For me - where I have
- my life goals and other goals written down and I pray about them from time to time
- I write verses and quotes in there that mean a lot to me. If I have a habit I want to establish or break I'll write it in there and keep it at the front of my memory banks!
- I have written some questions that I pray to God to remind me to ask Him about my plans and ideas...
- Prayers I have come across that I want to pray for myself - for example - from Lysa Terkeurst
"God, I want to see you
God, I want to hear you
God, I want to know you
God, I want to follow hard after You
And even before I know what I will face today, I say YES to You "
from "When women say Yes to God"
- I have a section where I write down the main points that I feel God is speaking to me from sermons, conferences, and my daily quiet times - so that I can pray about them and remind myself to DO what God has SAID to me.
- I have a section for concerns that are bugging me personally now... like what courses to choose for school and how to pay for them, things I think I need or want, questions I'd like God to answer...etc.
For my husband
I have a list of things to pray for my husband and for my marriage - with Bible verses. I got it from a website and from Stormie Omartian's book about praying for your husband. I use a post it to mark where I left off last time... and I write out prayers about specific things about health issues or problems we are facing together...
Family
I have a list of topics and verses for my sons and wives with verses - I found these in the Stormie Omartian book about praying for your family and your Adult Children
Then I write out specific prayers
I have a list of things to pray for my grandchildren - and a section right after it for specific prayers for them
I have some pages for my parents and my sisters... and their family situations.
I mark each person's page with a post it
I date the request or topic and then I write it down. If it's something that will need to be prayed for over a long time, I will leave extra pages so I can add details later...
Friends
I do the same thing with requests from friends. If they are my BEST friends, I have a page for them marked with a post it hanging off the edge.
If it's just a quick one time request from an acquaintance then I will put it in the front general section. If it becomes a long term request I'll start a new page in this section for them. Since it's all on binder pages it's easy to move pages around when I want to.
Church and missions
I'm involved in planning for large events at church - these will have their own special pages. Right now I'm helping plan a ladies retreat for March. I will put those prayer items on a separate page in this section. I'll write down ideas God gives me as I'm praying.
I have some friends who are missionaries and they will have their own separate pages in here. I put in their latest newsletters and mark down things we talk about when we Skype if I do that...
I support some World Vision girls and their names are here with prayers for them.
Worship
I recently decided I wanted to keep a book on worship handy and read a chapter at least once a week if not more often. I'll re-read the books I have collected over the years and write down the quotes that are inspiring me to worship now... it's been a bit of a dry season and I need to focus on this right now.
Meditation/ Memory
I'll write down verses that I want to meditate on and memorize which to me is one and the same thing.
I'll study them out and put down my information here and then pray through them...
Book notes for what I read about prayer
I have a ton of books I've collected on prayer and I'm starting to keep notes about each one of them as I read. I put the date down every time I read and that way I can look in my journal and see what was happening - sort of cross referencing. Often I will type out the quotes in my computer and print out the page - three hole punch it and add it here. (Saves space and I also have the typed out notes if I want to use them in something else...)
Prayer Prompts
In just about every book on prayer you will find ideas of ways to pray for sick friends, names of God, how to pray for missionaries. If I have a section these fit in - they will be in that specific section - but some prayer prompt lists don't fit there, so I put them here.
I don't use all the sections all the time
I switch back and forth as the mood fits.
I actually have in the past used a schedule Monday for this Tuesday for that...but I don't end up having a specific prayer time every day where I use my notebook
I've found that the more I have organized my notebook, the more I turn to it and use it though...
Most of the sections are more of a prayer prompter.
The general section and the For me sections get used all the time...
Hope this helps...
I'm sure I'll write more about this topic in more detail in the future.
Please leave your comments and ideas for how you do prayer journaling :-)
I'd love to hear from you!
Deb E
Part 2
I spent a good long time this morning looking for articles about prayer journaling. I found some real gems...
Here are some of the things I found that were inspiring...
I found the PRAY! magazine website. Although this magazine has been discontinued, they still have some of the archived issues online. You can search for different topics. :-)
Keep a running list of thank you notes to God
Keep a section for prayer techniques
- pray for suffering people when I hear a siren
- set an alarm and pray X times a day
- pray while I dust or exercise
- prayer postures list and where they are found in Scriptures - try a different posture
People from David to A.W. Tozer INVESTED TIME to write out personal prayers...consider them your own personal psalms
Meditate on Bible passages about prayer or copy Bible prayers into your journal to pray for people.
Eph 3:20 comes to mind
Talk to God about your prayer life
Here are some journalling questions to be used from time to time...see if keeping a prayer journal changes your spiritual life and prayer life.
- Reflect on the impact prayer has made on your spiritual life.
- How has God used prayer in your life?
- How has prayer deepened your walk with God?
Consider your prayer journal entries as a kind of "Stones of remembrance"
Look back on your weekly and monthly entries to write down answers to prayer
Look back to see how God has been leading you and teaching you.
Look back to look forward.
And a quote to leave you with today :-)
"When God says no, He's saying yes to something better."
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