Journaling Your Prayers
March 2015
Hello Friends! I pray all is well with each of you! Last month, God laid it on my heart to share with you something that has set my prayer life on fire. That something, if you would, is my prayer journal/notebook. My sophomore year of college, God used a minister who I greatly respect to encourage me to start a prayer journal. At first, I used a regular spiral notebook from Walmart and just wrote to the Lord, but now I have a different "method" and I tell you what, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! If led to, I pray that you would start one too and watch how God shows up and shows out not only in the secret place, but also in your life!
1. Get A Binder
I got a mini binder (5 1/2 X 8 1/2) from Staples, but any size binder will do.
1. Get A Binder
I got a mini binder (5 1/2 X 8 1/2) from Staples, but any size binder will do.
2. Divide Binder Into Sections
For my prayer journal/notebook, I have five sections: Scriptures, Petitions, Prayer Requests, On My Heart, and Answered Prayers. You can divide yours into as many sections as you feel led to. God may lead you to have 10 different sections, each section representing a different aspect of your life or a different family member. However God leads you to do it; do it. The goal is for you to PRAY!
For my prayer journal/notebook, I have five sections: Scriptures, Petitions, Prayer Requests, On My Heart, and Answered Prayers. You can divide yours into as many sections as you feel led to. God may lead you to have 10 different sections, each section representing a different aspect of your life or a different family member. However God leads you to do it; do it. The goal is for you to PRAY!
3. First Section: Scriptures/Praying The Word
This is one of my favorite sections in my notebook! I believe in praying the Word of God over not only my life, but also the circumstance(s) that may surround me. Here's an example of my Psalms 91 prayer:
"I will live in the shelter of the Most High and I will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Lord, You are my refuge and place of safety. You are my God and I will trust You! Thank You for rescuing me from every trap and protecting me from deadly disease. Thank you for covering me with your feathers and sheltering me with your wings. Your faithful promises are my armor and protection. I will not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. I will not dread the disease that stalks in the darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at my side, though ten thousand are dying around me, these evils shall not touch me nor my family! Because I make the Lord my refuge and the Most High my shelter, no evil will conquer me, no plague will come near my home! For He has ordered His angels to protect me wherever I go. They hold me up with their hands so I don't even hurt my foot on a stone! I will trample upon lions and cobras; I will crush fierce lions and serpents under my feet! The Lord will rescue me because I love Him! He will protect me because I trust in His name. I will call on Him and he will answer, He will be and is with me in trouble! He will, has, and is rescuing me and honoring me! With long life shall He satisfy me and my family and show us His salvation in Jesus' name, Amen!"
Another example -----> Deuteronomy 28:1-14 NLT Prayer:
"Lord, thank You for helping me to fully obey You. Thank You for setting me high above all the nations of the world.
Wherever I go and whatever I do, I will be blessed. Thank You God for conquering my enemies when they attack me. They may attack me from one direction, but they will scatter from me in seven. Thank You Lord for guaranteeing a blessing on everything I do and for filling my storehouses with grain. Thank You for blessing me in the land that You are giving me. As I obey You, Lord and walk in Your ways, thank You for establishing me as a holy person. I declare that all the nations of the world will see that I am a person claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of ALL that You do in, for, and through me.Thank You Lord for giving me prosperity in the land etc., Thank you for sending rain at the proper time from Your rich treasury in the heavens and for blessing all the work I do. I declare by faith that I will lend to many nations, but NEVER need to borrow from them. I will listen to the commands of God and obey Him! I declare that the Lord shall make me the head and not the tail and that I will ALWAYS be on top and never at the bottom. I will never turn away from Him and His Word, nor follow after other gods and worship them. In Jesus' name, Amen!"
Friend, there is so much power in the Word! As you have your quiet time with the Lord, you will read scriptures and they will seem to stay in your spirit and on your mind all day; pray those scriptures over your life! Also, if you are struggling with fear, depression, or need healing....whatever the issue is...the answer is in the Word. Find scriptures on faith, joy, healing, etc., and pray them over your life. Remember, His Word is alive and active and sharper than any two edged sword! It won't return void! So, wield the sword of the Spirit, raise your shield of faith, and PRAY!
4. Second Section: Petitions
In this section, I ask God in faith, believing that I will receive the things that I have need of at that moment. If I need an answer, direction, confirmation, encouragement, renewed joy or strength, and/or an open door.....etc., in this section I ask God for it and believe by faith that He will give me what I ask for or something immeasurably more!
5. Third Section: Prayer Requests
In this section I pray for people, family, peers, etc.
If God lays you on my heart during my prayer and/or quiet time, or if you send me a prayer request, I use this section to pray for you.
6. Fourth Section: On My Heart
This section is kind of like a diary. I use this section to talk to the Lord, like I would a friend. After all, prayer is you talking to God and God talking to you! If I'm having a rough day, I cast my cares onto Him and just pour my heart out to Him. I've learned that when we feel that we need someone to talk to, oftentimes, we need to talk to the Lord. Again, in this section I pour out and then allow Him to pour in and fill me back up again and He always does!
7. Fifth Section: Answered Prayers
I love this section because it's where I get to brag on all that God has done, is doing, and will do! It's like a praise report section. On days when I'm feeling a little discouraged, I look at this section and am reminded of how God has ALWAYS been faithful and either answered my prayers with exactly what I wanted or gave me something far better than I originally asked for. This section is a constant reminder to me that God answers prayers and that nothing, nothing is impossible with Him!
A minister once said, "The enemy hates it when we pray. Because when we pray, we get a word from the Lord, and a word from the Lord is a weapon." Friend, PRAYER is so vital in the life of a blood bought believer! It is the greatest weapon that we have! The Word tells us to pray without ceasing. Why? Because prayerless lives are powerless lives, while PRAYERFUL lives are POWERFUL lives! Every day I STILL sit in His presence (without writing anything), praying/talking with Him! But as I stated before, this "method" has truly set my prayer life on fire and if led, I pray that you will create one too!
This is one of my favorite sections in my notebook! I believe in praying the Word of God over not only my life, but also the circumstance(s) that may surround me. Here's an example of my Psalms 91 prayer:
"I will live in the shelter of the Most High and I will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Lord, You are my refuge and place of safety. You are my God and I will trust You! Thank You for rescuing me from every trap and protecting me from deadly disease. Thank you for covering me with your feathers and sheltering me with your wings. Your faithful promises are my armor and protection. I will not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. I will not dread the disease that stalks in the darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at my side, though ten thousand are dying around me, these evils shall not touch me nor my family! Because I make the Lord my refuge and the Most High my shelter, no evil will conquer me, no plague will come near my home! For He has ordered His angels to protect me wherever I go. They hold me up with their hands so I don't even hurt my foot on a stone! I will trample upon lions and cobras; I will crush fierce lions and serpents under my feet! The Lord will rescue me because I love Him! He will protect me because I trust in His name. I will call on Him and he will answer, He will be and is with me in trouble! He will, has, and is rescuing me and honoring me! With long life shall He satisfy me and my family and show us His salvation in Jesus' name, Amen!"
Another example -----> Deuteronomy 28:1-14 NLT Prayer:
"Lord, thank You for helping me to fully obey You. Thank You for setting me high above all the nations of the world.
Wherever I go and whatever I do, I will be blessed. Thank You God for conquering my enemies when they attack me. They may attack me from one direction, but they will scatter from me in seven. Thank You Lord for guaranteeing a blessing on everything I do and for filling my storehouses with grain. Thank You for blessing me in the land that You are giving me. As I obey You, Lord and walk in Your ways, thank You for establishing me as a holy person. I declare that all the nations of the world will see that I am a person claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of ALL that You do in, for, and through me.Thank You Lord for giving me prosperity in the land etc., Thank you for sending rain at the proper time from Your rich treasury in the heavens and for blessing all the work I do. I declare by faith that I will lend to many nations, but NEVER need to borrow from them. I will listen to the commands of God and obey Him! I declare that the Lord shall make me the head and not the tail and that I will ALWAYS be on top and never at the bottom. I will never turn away from Him and His Word, nor follow after other gods and worship them. In Jesus' name, Amen!"
Friend, there is so much power in the Word! As you have your quiet time with the Lord, you will read scriptures and they will seem to stay in your spirit and on your mind all day; pray those scriptures over your life! Also, if you are struggling with fear, depression, or need healing....whatever the issue is...the answer is in the Word. Find scriptures on faith, joy, healing, etc., and pray them over your life. Remember, His Word is alive and active and sharper than any two edged sword! It won't return void! So, wield the sword of the Spirit, raise your shield of faith, and PRAY!
4. Second Section: Petitions
In this section, I ask God in faith, believing that I will receive the things that I have need of at that moment. If I need an answer, direction, confirmation, encouragement, renewed joy or strength, and/or an open door.....etc., in this section I ask God for it and believe by faith that He will give me what I ask for or something immeasurably more!
5. Third Section: Prayer Requests
In this section I pray for people, family, peers, etc.
If God lays you on my heart during my prayer and/or quiet time, or if you send me a prayer request, I use this section to pray for you.
6. Fourth Section: On My Heart
This section is kind of like a diary. I use this section to talk to the Lord, like I would a friend. After all, prayer is you talking to God and God talking to you! If I'm having a rough day, I cast my cares onto Him and just pour my heart out to Him. I've learned that when we feel that we need someone to talk to, oftentimes, we need to talk to the Lord. Again, in this section I pour out and then allow Him to pour in and fill me back up again and He always does!
7. Fifth Section: Answered Prayers
I love this section because it's where I get to brag on all that God has done, is doing, and will do! It's like a praise report section. On days when I'm feeling a little discouraged, I look at this section and am reminded of how God has ALWAYS been faithful and either answered my prayers with exactly what I wanted or gave me something far better than I originally asked for. This section is a constant reminder to me that God answers prayers and that nothing, nothing is impossible with Him!
A minister once said, "The enemy hates it when we pray. Because when we pray, we get a word from the Lord, and a word from the Lord is a weapon." Friend, PRAYER is so vital in the life of a blood bought believer! It is the greatest weapon that we have! The Word tells us to pray without ceasing. Why? Because prayerless lives are powerless lives, while PRAYERFUL lives are POWERFUL lives! Every day I STILL sit in His presence (without writing anything), praying/talking with Him! But as I stated before, this "method" has truly set my prayer life on fire and if led, I pray that you will create one too!