Happy Day my friends!
A couple of my buds asked me about my prayer journal so I thought I’d talk about journaling my prayers today! I’m guessing there are lots of people who do this and that everyone has their own unique way of expression, but in case you’re curious, here’s my process…
I’ve been journaling since I was a teenager. My first journals are written on legal pads. Not pretty, but effective! From the time I became a follower of Jesus, I’ve talked to Him. I hope that doesn’t sound strange to you, I don’t think of myself as an uber-religious person and my “prayer-life” has certainly had it’s ebbs and flows, but talking to the Father is something I’ve always done, so journaling my conversations with God came natural.
After I got weary of my stacks of yellow legal pads, I started getting hardback journals to pen my prayers. In years past, I’ve used 2 journals a year, these days I use only 1.
Starting a blank journal on January 1st is one of my favorite things…
And that first page is important to me. Like my obsession with reading the first line in a novel.
Anyhoo, I sometimes wait a couple of months before writing on the inside cover until I know for sure what I want to write. In years past, I’ve done everything from taping a sketch of flowers or a sweet Valentine from one of my babies to writing a quote that’s particularly important to me or even just writing my own ‘quote’.
Occasionally I doodle or sketch (I hate to even use the word sketch) in my journals. I don’t know why except that sometimes I would rather sketch than write my prayers.
In the mornings during my quiet time, I always have my prayer journal along with my Bible and whatever book I’m studying at the time. I don’t always write in my journal, but if a scripture pierces my heart…
“You are my refuge and my shield, I put my hope in your word..” (Psalm 119:114)
… or a quote from a book freezes time…
“How do we live fully so we are fully ready to die?” (Ann VosKamp)
I write it down.
When I’m overwhelmed with burden for someone or feeling the weight of some situation in my life, I pour out my heart to the Father, on the pages of my journal.
“…a whirlwind of burden settles in the pit of my stomach. Save ( ) from himself, watch over him, protect him until the time your spirit can gently bring him back to you…”
When joy is bubbling up from deep inside I sing praises on my pages.
“…somehow in the night you bathed my exposed nerves…now upon waking, I’m awash in peace…how do you do that? My heart sings praise…
Some pages of my journal read like a letter:
“Good Morning Father, I sense ugly in me this rainy morning, here snuggled on the sofa with all the pups, I sense something ugly in me. Please forgive me …cleanse me.”
And there are always prayers about my one-word for the year…
“I’m learning to believe Father…help my unbelief.”
Some days when my ‘worry-list’ is long, I just put the list, line by line in that journal and humbly hand that list to the God who made me. What a faith builder to go back to the list months later and put a check mark by those worries that are no longer an issue.
The best thing about these journals is how they have helped my faith. Going back through the year month by month and seeing God’s hand at work in my small life. And when I really need a faith builder, I sit down with a stack of them and look back through the years…what was God up to in January 1996? January 2000? January 2004?
I start looking for a new journal at the close of every year. I found my 2012 journal in October!
If you’ve never kept a prayer journal, January would be a great time to start. Just be careful not to burden yourself with expectations. Write from your heart as little or as much as you want.
Anybody out there keep a prayer journal and care to share their process?
~Love to you my sweet friends~
I love that you sketch in yours and start a new one each year! Such good ideas. I want to start changing up my color of pens (big for me!). Maybe have each color symbolize how I’m praying–who I’m praying for.
Sometimes I pull out an old journal and go back in time–see what God’s brought me through. Sometimes I just write a name. Words don’t seem to be enough.
Love this post, Robin.
This post is amazing! I have never thought of journaling my prayers, but you have opened my eyes and heart to a new way of faith building. I like the idea of revisiting your prayers later to see what God has brought you through !
Thank you for being such an inspiration to me and so many others. I believe God is using you with your blog to reach people for Him. You are truly a blessing to me!
Brenda
Sparkle, You are such an encourager! It’s one of your many many gifts…
love u
Thank you so very much. I used to journal my prayers. I would even do sketches when I felt so much joy in God that I had to express it through my heart and no words. I am in my late 40’s and I quit my job as a paralegal to go back to school to finish my degree in psychology. My husband Ken and I walked out on faith to do this and prayer has been huge in our life. Now its just not the prayer to God. but praying and listening to His Voice. After I got married I quit writing and using a prayer journal. I think its time to get back in the habit of journaling my prayers. Your insight and inspiration is a true God send. Thank you so much for sharing. Lisa
Lisa,I’m so amazed by your faith to go back to school…way to go Sweetie!
And I agree with you that listening to what He’s saying is so important. Learning to hear Him is a process, at least it is for me, but I’m realizing that He’s always speaking I simply have to quiet the noise and listen. love to you my friend
I love hearing how others journal or what they do during their “quiet time.” I used to have a prayer journal but honestly it was just a list and felt rigid so I don’t ever use it. I have a composition notebook that I write at least one verse that has stood out to me that day and my thoughts. I need to incorporate the prayer journaling into it though. I also have a composition notebook for my One Thousand Gifts and write in it in the mornings as well. Robin, you have such a way with words and write so beautifully. I think you could write a book. 😉
Gina, I love the idea of writing a verse that stands out to you…when I write verses in my journal I’m always encouraged to read back over them. (I do have a separate book for counting gifts, it’s smaller and sometimes I take it with me, I’m on my 2nd one of those!)
love to you my encouraging friend~
Wow, two Gina’s in a row! 🙂
After reading yesterday’s post I was thinking I would try to stick with this all year. I have journaled prayers before but very sporadically. Thanks for the explanation and ideas this morning! I am also thinking about doing One Little Word. Do you keep a separate journal or anything for that? I’m not sure how it works…thanks!
Gina, I don’t do a separate journal for my one-word, I tried doing 2 journals one year but ended up totally neglecting one of them! Now, I just put any and everything into my prayer journal, if I have thoughts about my one-word I want to run it by the good Lord anyway…xo
Please let me know what your word is for 2012!!!
xo
Robin,
Thanks.
Here’s my one word: Love.
I’m thinking it is such a little word that encompasses soooo much and I’m sure I have A TON to learn about it!
Gina…there truly isn’t a better word. You’ve boiled life down to it’s essence with that choice. I look forward to hearing what God shows you…xo
Thanks, Robin for sharing this awesome idea! I have wanted to start journaling but just haven’t taken that step to begin…you thoughts and examples have inspired me to purchase a journal and be ready for the start of 2012. I much need to focus and express all my feelings and have a way to make sure my prayers are heard. Happy Holidays!
Hey Terri my dear old friend! I’m so excited for you to start your journal. I love picking one out too, I hope you can find just the right one. I pray you’ll be able to find time to journal your prayers and that God will encourage you as the months pass and He leads you and answers your prayers…love to you
Anytime I come to your blog, The Holy Spirit always speaks to me. I appreciate you taking your time to share this. I got sick back in ’06 and that’s when my faith grew and so did my prayer life/relationship with God. My journal basically consist of my prayers to God for everything needed in my life and those around me. I’ve kind of gotten of it, just being selffish and not spending as much time as I should speaking with my Heavenly Father. This has urged me to go out and get a cutesy journal and get back to our Lord (:
Kate, you’ll never know how much it means to me for you to say that the Holy Spirit speaks to you when you drop in. That’s an answer to my prayer… I pray that you’ll find the ‘just-right’ journal and start new in January…xo
THANK YOU!!! I went through an old journal just this morning. I have never done a prayer journal but am going to start one now, thanks to you. I am a terrible artist so won’t be sketching:) I love theidea of going back and checking off prayers answered! YOur are SUCH an inspiration to me. XOXO
Pinky, I’m so excited for you to start your journal! Prayers for you to be encouraged through the months …and honey I’m no artist either!!! I mostly scribble! xo
Robin,
I am constantly and uterly amazed by you. You have such a way of conveying your thoughts and emotions into print. I believe you would do well in writing a book. I know so many people have been blessed and encouraged by your words. Wishing you all the blessings in 2012 that your heart can hold!
Faith…my friend you’ve given me a gift today with your encouraging words. thank you. xo
You have such a nice collection there! I have journals which I use for study, prayer, ideas, answers to prayer….whatever. I don’t have a new one for each year–I just fill them and then continue to the next whenever. I use markers at the top of the page to tell what it is about if it is a study or if it deals with a particular subject. I sometimes put written prayers from others that express what I like in the back of the journal as well as a place for ideas.
Kim…I love your process! Using markers at the top of the page to tell what book or study you’re doing is a great idea! And I love saving written prayers from others in the journal…what a blessing to read them over and over…xo
Robin, thank you for this post…and many others! Whenever I drop in I am encouraged to keep moving forward from whatever place I’m in. I tried a prayer journal several years ago, but stopped. I think it’s time to treat myself to a new journal and start up again.
The Single Moms group I hosted and co-led in my home kept a prayer journal. Every week it was passed around for prayer requests and we all got an e-mail with the requests (unless asked to keep it for leaders’ eyes only). Answers to prayer were also recorded. Three years later it has been an encouragement for several in the group (which gets together a couple of times a year now) to go back and see what the Lord has done!
Guerrina…what a brilliant idea to keep a group prayer journal! I love it! xo
Robin, thank you for sharing your journaling thoughts with us. I agree with the other commenters, your blog helps me keep my focus and is a blessing in my life.
I’ve felt for quite a long time that I should step back from facebook and I just did that this morning (deactivated my account). I’m praying for the strength to keep away from the site for awhile and spend my time focusing on God’s word and works in my life. One of the things I’ve felt I need (and want) to do is to keep a journal.
Thank you, again, for sharing your faith, your thoughts, your struggles and your love of God!
Teresa
Teresa, I pray your time away from facebook would prove fruitful and that God would lead you (and me) into a deeper relationship with Him in the new year…love to you my friend
I know I am late to the party…just catching up…thank you for sharing this. I am very inconsistant with journaling but just this morning used mine and found it very helpful to capture what God is saying to me today…I need just one though for the year, I think I have two or three going at once…typical…blessings and I appreciate your gifts!