Inside: Get creative ways to stay focused in prayer, connect deeper with God, and cultivate a rich prayer life with these 15 prayer journaling ideas.
Cultivating a consistant, rich prayer life can feel hard.
We know prayer is important. Jesus prayed, and He told us to do the same. From the beginning of time, God has wanted to communicate with us, His creation.
As with any spiritual discipline, the struggle is not in God being available for us; rather, the problem is in the midst of our noisy and busy world, it's hard to sit down, focus, and be disciplined in what we know is good and right.
Prayer journaling can help you slow down, shut out distraction, and get back into a daily rhythm of communicating with Jesus.
Our minds are like knotted balls of yarn, stuffed with strands of information, worries, plans, and the unfinished details of life. Using a prayer journal to write and pull those strings free can help you stay focused as you pray with your Father.
These 15 prayer journaling ideas will help you enter into a praying routine that is life-giving, and ultimately honoring to your Creator.
What is a Prayer Journal?
Prayer journaling is simply this: communicating with God in written, pen-to-paper form.
It's a way to connect with God. It offers a avenue by which to gain insight into what's going on in your own heart and what He wants to say to you. Prayer journaling can take many forms, from simple gratitude journaling to dream journaling or scripture journaling. The key is to find a practice that honors God and helps you stay consistent.
If you aren't sure where to start, these prayer journaling ideas will help to get you going.
Benefits of Prayer Journaling
Prayer journaling has benefits both in the spiritual sense and the practical. Prayer journaling can help you:
- keep track of answered prayers
- record requests
- focus your mind as the pen strokes the page
- gain insight into your own thoughts
- create a quiet space to listen to God and record
- silence the mind chatter that invades during prayer
- engage with Scripture in a meaningful way
- create a daily habit of intentionally connecting with God
- look back and reflect on past prayers
20 Prayer Journaling Ideas
1. Gratitude journaling
This is the simple practice of writing down what you are thankful for. Even when times are tough, we can always find something to be grateful for. If you're having trouble, ask the Holy Spirit to help you see where God's goodness in your life is evident.
2. Scripture journaling
Reading the Bible should always be a part of your quiet time with God. An easy way to incorporate prayer journaling into your personal devotional time is to journal about the Scripture you've read. Ask God what it means, tell Him where you are confused or what doesn't make sense to you. Talk to God, through your writing, about what you're reading in His Word.
3. Record answered prayers
What has God already answered in your life? Praise Him for that, and thank Him for being a listener and provider, even if the answer wasn't what you wanted.
4. List out current supplications
Talk to God about the concerns you have right now - for people, situations, relationships.
5. Remembrance journaling
Take time to think through ways God has shown you His goodness, sovereignty, and love. Write those down as an act of praise. Remember what He has done for you, your family, or your community.
6. Write Letters to God
Pour out your heart. and write a letter to Him. Include whatever is on your mind. It could be a love letter, a letter of sorrow or grief, or a letter stuffed with questions. Jesus tells us to cast our cares onto Him. So do that.
7. Art Journaling
If you love to draw, use the pen and page to draw out your prayers to God. You don't need words to worship and communicate with the Lord!
8. Submit goals and dreams to God
Talk to God about your personal aspirations and dreams. Give them to Him as an offering, and submit to His will. Listen as you write, and record what you sense He is telling you through His Spirit.
9. Practice prayer journaling outside
This prayer journaling idea is simple, but don't miss the profound opportunity we have to communicate with the Lord in the midst of His creation. Being in nature reminds us of who He is, and who we are in Him.
Psalm 8:1, 3-4
“O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens… When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers — the moon and the stars you set in place — what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?”
10. Use prayer prompts
You've got your notebook and pen, but the words aren't coming. You're stuck; as if a black piece of construction paper is wrapped around your mind.
You're not alone!
Try using some prayer journaling prompts to help you get started.
11. Implement daily prayer categories
Assign each day of the week to a specific group of people or prayer category, and spend 10 minutes writing prayers to God in your prayer journal accordingly. For example:
Sunday: the world-wide Church, and your local church community
Monday: your family
Tuesday: those you know who are not Believers
Wednesday: friends
Thursday: your husband/your marriage
Friday: your personal supplications
Saturday: praise
12. Pray to worship music
When we don't have the words, listening to Biblical worship music can remind us of God's character. Write prayers to God in your journal that correspond to the songs you're listening to.
READ >>> 50 Encouraging Bible Verses For Moms
13. Listen and record
Praying is the avenue by which we communicate with God. And communication goes two ways. So ask God to speak to you. Then sit in silence, quieting your mind, and listen. The Holy Spirit is inside of you. Trust that. Then write down what you sense His Spirit saying to you.
14. Give Him your worries
Write down everything that is burdening you or those you love. Tell Him what is heavy on your heart.
1 Peter 5:7 says:
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you
15. Praise and adoration journaling
Spend your time praising Him! Read through some Psalms, and echo those adorations back to Him.
How do you start using these prayer journaling ideas?
Getting started with prayer journaling is easy. All you need is a notebook or journal and a pen. Start by setting aside a few minutes each day to write down your thoughts, prayers, and reflections. You can start with simple prompts like "What am I grateful for today?" or "What did I learn about God's character in the Bible today?".
As with any new habit you're venturing to form, start small. Overwhelm is real, and there is no need to get overly ambitious. Here are a few quick tips:
- Be consistent with time and place (add it into your normal quiet time routine, or start one if you aren't currently in that rhythm!)
- Start small (just a few minutes)
- Grab a notebook and pen (any plain one will do!)
- Ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you
- Write a letter to God
How do you organize a prayer journal?
The benefit of having an organized prayer journal is you can easily go back, look at old prayers, record answered prayers, and document His goodness and faithfulness. You can purchase prayer journals that will help you do this. Or DIY it by simply dating each page as you write, and dog-earing pages you know you'll want to go back to.
You could also organize your prayer journal by category, leaving a few blank pages between each category. Each day you can write and document in the section of your notebook that corresponds appropriately. Here are some example categories:
- gratitude
- requests for friends
- requests for family
- dreams and aspirations
- world events
- salvation
Leave spaces to record answers to those prayers later on.
You can also get cute and organized with some tabs for your prayer journal!
Tools to help you implement these prayer journaling ideas
You don't need much - a pen and plain notebook will do!! But incase you want to get a bit fancier (or want some simple recommendations) for your new practice of prayer, here are some helpful tools:
- Prayer journal
- a great pen
- highlighters
- my favorite notebook
- Bible (this is the one I use)
- Tabs
- Sticky notes
My Experience Prayer Journaling
My own prayer journaling practice is simple and straightforward. I've tried fancy prayer journals before and while they are great, I tend to go back to a simple notebook and pen.
During my morning quiet time, I write letters and prayers to God. Sometimes I finish the writing, and sometimes in the middle of writing I close my eyes and continue my prayer in silent communication with Him.
I have found, in the simple habit of writing down thoughts, concerns, and worries, God uses my own pen and page to clarify or direct me to Truth. It's often while I'm writing that He will bring a Scripture to my mind, or remind me of something I already know to be true.
He pulls that knotted yarn free, and offers peace and truth to my jumbled and sometimes anxious thoughts.
Prayer journaling should be helpful in connecting you with God. It should not be something else to add to your quiet time to-do list. So make it something you will stick with, and something that fits your personality.
In Conclusion
If you haven't tried journaling your prayers, choose one of these prayer journaling ideas and get started! You won't regret trying it, and my guess is you won't want to stop. Writing to God will help you stay focused during prayer, remember what He has done, and can help clarify your own thoughts and what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you.
God wants to commune with you, and these prayer journaling ideas are a few ways to help you do that!
I'm rooting for you,
