Hi lovelies!
*HAPPY SNOW DAY TO ALL MY NASHVILLE PEEPS!*
I chatted about this in my last post – the post documenting my nighttime routine, the fact that I have been prayer journaling each night before bed, and I thought it might be interesting to give a little insight into HOW I do that!
I’ve been doing this for much of the last 6 months, probably (maybe a little longer)…in attempts to be very structured with how I go about my prayer time. I do think unkempt & earnest prayers are good, but I also like intentionally setting my time up in a way that guides me to pray well on a more day-to-day basis…which is why I really wanted to find a way to do it that worked well with the way that I function (miss type A over here–hello!).
So, if you’re looking for a helpful guided way to pray/prayer journal, this is how I do it:
I literally just fill out each of these prompts based on the day I just experienced. I do this right before I go to bed so I can work through and include everything that I experienced in the day and hope more for the days to come. I then pray through everything I write down, starting with thanks, and moving into what I am praying for that day and finishing with prayers that God has answered and lessons I am learning through my walk…and finishing just with thankfulness for the personal connection we get to experience with God and reminding myself of how special that really is.
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If you’re looking to shake up your prayer-time and this sounds at all interesting/maybe something you might want to try, I have compiled a little list of tips for starting your own successful prayer journal below:
- Ask God for guidance. We talked about this in church last weekend actually. Just because it’s something you want to do; you can only get so far on your own accord. Rethink it…instead of asking God to come alongside of something you’ve already started (which I still think is okay to do) but maybe instead let the prompting for this come from God….before you even think it or start it. That’s how you know for a fact that this will be successful. (And then continue to pray for your success with this as well, as you keep going through the process)! It may be helpful to even now say a little prayer, asking God if starting a prayer journal is something that would be beneficial for you and if the following list I created would be helpful for you on that journey!
- Begin with thanks. I like to do this when I pray anyway. It puts my heart in a good place I think, regardless of the day I’ve had. Journal everything you’re thankful for from that day…and just that season of life. It’s great to get yourself into a good head space to approach God with gratitude, rather than just bombarding Him with your wants.
- Be specific in your prayers. Getting it down on paper, is much like speaking something to someone….it can definitely be scary (I would say most of the time it is) but getting it ALL out there is SO important for your spiritual and mental health.
- Find a way to highlight or specifically mark previous prayers & how God, in His timing, has answered them…even if it isn’t the answer you maybe were hoping for. Or just have a little section that says “this is where I write all of the prayers that God has answered for me and He is SO good!” I have chosen the second of those options for my current journaling but in the past, I just went back to previous entries and highlighted each prayer and put a date next to it, where God answered. It’s so neat to go back and see that. If you don’t do anything else, promise me you’ll do this!
- Find one time during the day, every day, to devote to this. It’s like with anything–consistency is key! Once it’s a part of your routine, you won’t forget it. For the first few weeks I set a reminder in my phone so I won’t forget…which I might also recommend for you to do! Just until you’re in the habit of doing it consistently 🙂
- Prayer journal with someone else! Accountability is always, always, always a good thing to have, with anything you’re trying to accomplish. Find a trusted friend, a family member, or your significant other and ask them to check up on you regularly about how you’re keeping up with this project. It’ll help keep you motivated and hopefully excited to continue!
- Find a way that works for YOU. Finally, just because I do it one way doesn’t mean that’s going to be the way that works best for you. Try out some of these things listed above (and maybe a few others you come across in your research) and establish what routine works best for your personality/availability 🙂
Alright friends, that’s all for now.
Happy journaling!
XOXO
-Bri
A Small Slice of Bri 