Writing is a true joy of mine. And faith plays a big role in who I am as a person. I believe in the power of prayer and find that writing them out is a great way to see what you're saying, praising or asking God. It is also really awesome to see how God answered my prayers, when I look back to my old journal entries!
So maybe you are wanting to start a prayer journal, but don't know how to even begin; that is what today's post is all about.
Of course the very first step is to purchase a journal. It can be as fancy as a leather bound journal to as simple as a spiral bound notebook. The page format doesn't matter either: bullet journal, lined or blank pages work all equally. It's truly up to you and your own preference.
Pens? Pencils? Markers? Again it's completely up to you and your artistic/creative style and what feels most comfortable in your hand. Maybe you want to doodle some designs in the margins, or you have super pretty handwriting, or maybe you are more of a "chicken scratch" kind of writer. There is no wrong answer to the writing utensil used for your personal journaling sessions.
Okay, we have our utensils and pads of paper, it is time to start journaling. Growing up it felt like there were "rules" to praying. You had to fold your hands and close your eyes and bow your head and silently pray. As an adult I've found that prayer looks different in the different seasons of my life or just throughout a single day. There is no wrong way to pray and that includes our journals. Whether you feel like pouring your heart to God through the pages or you want to organize your pages with worship lyrics, prayers, praises, prayers answered, scripture, quotes etc. Or maybe you want to draw out your prayers onto the pages.
Time of day is really up to you as well. You know better than anyone what your schedule is or what your day looks like. The discipline aspect of journaling is carving out time for it. Maybe it means you wake up earlier, or maybe you need to go into work just a little bit later. Do it before going to bed, or right after getting home from work or school.
We set aside time for our workout sessions, making meals and various different appointments. Our spiritual health is just as important as our mental and physical health. We have to stop making excuses and make God our priority. It is life changing and transformative of our attitudes towards others when we pray.
A tip I learned back in high school was to highlight your prayers that have been answered. Then when you look back through your prayer journal and see how many prayers have been highlighted, you can see how God has worked in your life! That alone is inspiration to start the habit of journaling prayers.
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