Prayer Journal Sections: 8 Powerful Pieces Of A Life-Changing Prayer Journal!
Last Updated on 08/03/2022 by Nicky
Can I be honest with you and say that I don’t pray like I should. I pray every single day without fail but even still I feel like I don’t spend nearly enough time with the Lord.
And I know why…it’s because I haven’t used my prayer journal in a while. That’s when I feel the most connected to God and that’s why I feel so off in my relationship with Him.
I don’t know if you have a prayer journal or not but I can tell that your interested so I’m going to share with you what a prayer journal is, how you can benefit from using one, where to find a prayer journal, and the sections your prayer journal should have.
Oh yeah, and this post contains affiliate links to great products that will help you in your health journey. I will get a commission if you decide to buy from these links. Please let me know if you have any questions.
–What Is A Prayer Journal?
You might be wondering what a prayer journal is but the truth is, you’ve probably already started one at least some time in your life. Have you ever opened the pages of a journal, tears pouring down your face, as you write down your worries, fears, and hurts in a plea to God? If so you, you know exactly what a prayer journal is.
If you’ve ever used a journal just to write your thoughts and ideas then take it one step further and ask God to be with you as you write.
He is there anyway of course but by inviting him into your journaiing session, you show him that he is your God and that you not only need his presence but you want it.
There might be days when you just scribble furiously on the pages of your prayer journal with no rhyme or reason. But you might want a little more structure to your journal or even one that isn’t on paper.
That’s where the prayer journal sections come in which I will discuss in more detail later. But first let me explain why prayer journaling is so powerful.
– Why You Should Have A Prayer Journal
Do you remember all of the prayers you’ve ever said? Hmmm, probably not. In fact, I know you don’t. But if you have a prayer journal you can! Yeah, okay but why does that even matter? Raise your hand if you’ve ever worried about anything or had anxiety about a thing or two (I better see everyone’s hands in the air :)).
Of course, you’ve had that sick feeling in your stomach over something that had not yet happened. Everyone has. You may not believe it but using a prayer journal just might be the cure for anxiety.
How?
Well, think about it. We have short memories. We go through one stomach-churning situation, God brings us through it, we thank him, and then we forget about it. Then the next crisis pops up and instead of saying “hey God walked me through the last crisis. He’ll walk me through this one too”, we freak out.
And the worry cycle starts all over again. But what if we had a concrete reminder of God’s goodness and answered prayers, like a prayer journal? We could open that notebook (or app) and reflect on all the times God had delivered us out of a storm!
The written word is so powerful and it keeps our porous, overloaded brains from having to remember every thought, fact, worry, care, idea, or prayer that we’ve ever had. What an amazing gift writing is and it has the power to totally recharge your prayer life.
– Where To Get A Prayer Journal Or DIY One
If you have a mead 3-ring notebook then you can easily turn that into a prayer journal. They really don’t have to be fancy by any means. However, I’ve used to following 2 types of prayer journals and they are my favorites:
1) Digital prayer journal: I have a prayer journal in Trello that I created and use. It’s also a Bible study journal so that means I can keep all of my prayers and Bible study notes in one place. You can check out the digital prayer and Bible study journal here.
2) The other option that I use is prayer and Bible study printables. I’m old school and I still love to write with a pen in my hand. These prayer journaling sessions are when I’m the most raw and honest with God. It’s something about writing that just makes what you’re trying to say more personal and authentic.
Plus, on a shallow note, printables are pretty and colorful so that’s a bonus too. Hey, I’m a girl, what can I say? Here’s a link to the one that I created that you can check out.
Once you find the printables you want, you download them and print them out at home.
Then just punch holes in them and add them to a binder. So simple to get started!
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-8 Must-Have Sections In Your Prayer Journal
Once you know what kind of prayer journal you want, it’s time to decide what you want in your journal. Here are some ideas to try:
Prayer Journal Prompts For Inspiration
Sometimes you draw a blank and you don’t have a clue what to write. I’ve been there many many times…more than I want to admit. That’s why journaling prompts are the best option for this situation. Prompts are open-ended or thought-provoking questions that inspire you to write.
Or they might be fill-in-the-blank or what-if statements. There are so many different kinds. But wait “If I don’t know what to write then, how am I going to write journaling prompts?” Very good point. Fortunately, there are plenty of free journaling prompts online so you don’t have to come up with them yourself.
I have quite a few on my blog that you can print out and put them in your prayer binder. Or you could copy and paste them into whatever app you choose to use as your prayer journal. Want some examples of prayer journal prompts?
Check out this post to learn more: Passionate Prayer Journaling Prompts
– Prayers Over Life Struggles, Challenges, & Pain
Unfortunately for many of us, this part of our prayer journal needs to have a lot of pages. I wish we didn’t need to include this section but we know it’s necessary. Life is beautiful and it’s a blessing but it can also tear you up inside.
Whether you just got a heartbreaking visit from a police officer or you’re watching your bills pile up wondering how in the world you’re going to pay them all, you can lay all of that pain and fear onto the pages of your journal.
Write all of your hurts down so that your heart doesn’t have to bear the burden alone. And if you feel hopeless be sure to keep reading because the last section of the journal is the best!
– Prayers For Loved Ones
Sometimes the pain that we feel isn’t because of something that is directly happening to us but to someone else. Do you have a sick child or spouse? Is your heartbreaking because of a trial someone else is going through? Petition God on their behalf.
Ask him to heal them physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, or whatever kind of healing this person needs. Call them by name.
Be specific about what it is that you think they need. Another thing that I like to do is to date my prayer entries. That way you can see what has changed since you first started praying and how much time has passed.
– Dreams & Goals
I’m big on setting goals but sometimes I set them so big that the only way they have a fighting chance of ever being accomplished is if I ask God for help. I love looking at past prayer or goal journal entries. Yes, there are many that I didn’t quite get around to finishing.
But there are a ton that I did finish and I know that wouldn’t have happened without God’s help!
When you see how God helped you with one goal then it gives you the confidence to set even bigger goals. If you have dreams that you keep putting on the back burner, you need to add a goals section to your prayer journal STAT
– Confessions
I’m going to say a dirty word that is frowned upon even in Christian circles. Sin. Yeah, I know…it’s passe right? Instead of sin, we say we made a mistake. That does make me feel better but let’s be real.
We sin daily. And I’ll be honest with you, I don’t even always notice my sins or care about them. Sin grieves the hurt of God and when we say it like that sin sounds like the horrible thing that it is.
But so often we can brush sin off and not acknowledge it. The human flesh that we live in makes sin a constant struggle. A journal is a non-judgemental place to go when we are struggling with sin (a habitual, secret sin) and we need to ask God for grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
Doing this on a regular basis (in addition to getting help from other sources) is a powerful way to break the spiritual bonds that this sin has over you.
– Prayers For Understanding
Is it only me that reads certain parts of the Bible and says “ummm, what”. There are stories, commands, and events in the Bible that I just don’t get. And what do I mean by “get”?
Well, it can mean I don’t understand it or I don’t necessarily like it (like the Lot’s daughter story). Not only that but, there are many things that go on in the world that I don’t understand.
What I do know is that just because I don’t understand something doesn’t mean there isn’t an explanation for it. I trust God and know that his ways are best but that doesn’t keep me from wondering why things happen the way they do.
For all the parts of life that don’t make any sense to you, drop all of that in this part of your prayer journal.
– Prayers For World/Lost/Hurt
I believe that watching the news either makes you numb to all the evil and pain that happens in the world or it breaks your heart. All I know for sure is that the level of hurt in the world is off the Richter scale.
The number of people who don’t know Christ is mind-boggling. The acts of evil that people are committing shake me to my core. And Christians are being martyred daily.
We need to be in prayer for the lost, hurting, and immoral. They are wrestling with spiritual forces that they don’t understand or even know exist.
You can use your prayer journal to pray for hurting people in general and to pray for specific people that God has laid on your heart.
– Gratitude & Praise Prayers
Remember when we talked about how we can break the toxic cycle of anxiety and worry through prayer journaling?
Where this is the part of your journal that will make it happen! This is where you write down just how much God has done for you and then you thank him profusely for his blessings.
We’ve talked about putting some heavy stuff in our prayer journal! It’s been a lot just writing it. But this section is where joy and hope come to our rescue.
When God answers your prayers and he’s carried you through a scary time in your life, let your journal know! Write in detail about how he comforted you. Jot down stories that will remind you of how he walked beside you and picked you up when you couldn’t walk anymore.
These are your stories of gratitude and victory. While you’re fresh in that moment, record those stories so that you can reflect on them when new troubles arise.
– Makeover Your Prayer Life With A Journal
I hope these ideas have inspired you to fire up your prayer life and reconnect with God again in a whole new way!
You can use a prayer journal to express yourself to Christ in new and exciting ways. If you don’t have a prayer journal already you can take a look at this bloom and grow prayer and Bible study journal. Or grab a notebook from your office closet. Whatever you choose, I believe you will be eternally blessed by your decision!
– Renew Your Spirit Spiritual Health Bundle!
We know something just feels off when we haven’t spent quality time with the Lord in prayer.
And yet, we can still find time to do everything else in the world except pray. Nothing is more important than having a relationship with Jesus Christ but let’s face it.
Shoving Him into a corner of our lives is super easy to do (I’m totally talking about myself when I say this…far more than I would like to admit).
We know we need to spend quiet time with God in Bible study and prayer.
But it can be a struggle to find the time, keep your Bible study notes organized, or even know where to begin once you do find the time.
That’s why I want to share with you my prayer and Bible journaling bundle. You can download the printable
Here’s what you get with the Renew Your Spirit Bible Study Mini Bundle:
Bloom & Grow Mini Journal: Use this printable journal to write down and memorize your favorite verses, to write down journaling prompts, jot down Bible study questions for further research, and pour your heart out to the Lord on the quiet time reflections page.
Trello Bible Study Journal: If you’re about that digital life, then the Trello Bible Study Journal is probably right up your alley!
Now you can keep your Bible study notes & ponderings super organized!
And even better than that?
With this digital journal, you can do a Bible study wherever you have internet access!
Finding time to do your study just got so much easier!
With this mini version of the journal, you’ll gain access to the first 3 sections (Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus) of the digital journal completely free!
Each section comes with sections to write Bible study, devotional, and sermon notes…plus so much more! And even better, there is a checklist for every chapter of each book that you can mark off as you go through your Bible reading adventure.
You must use the free app Trello to use this digital journal but it’s super easy to use!
And this app syncs across all devices so if you make a change to the journal using the mobile app, it’ll also make the change on your laptop too!
Just enter your email address below to get the link for the Bloom & Grow Bible Journal and the Trello Digital Bible Study Journal sent to your inbox!
If has helped you, please share it on social media!
Want more faith-based content? Check out these Christ-centered HAYC Posts:
19 Healing Journaling Prompts To Help You Overcome Trauma & Heartache
8 Simple Bible Journaling Ideas To Deepen Your Devotional Time & Walk With Christ!
30 Christian Journaling Prompts To Elevate Your Faith & Get Closer To God!
35 Powerful Grief Journaling Prompts To Help You Overcome A Searing, Painful Loss!
5 Awesome Benefits Of A Prayer Journal & How To Start One (Free Printables Included)
Overcoming A Spirit Of Fear: 31 Life-Changing Scriptures To Battle Anxiety
