3 Reasons Why You Ignore Your Prayer List & How To Create One You’ll Love!
Last Updated on 01/01/2024 by Nicky
The Secret To Creating A Prayer List You’ll Actually Use
If you’ve ever put someone on your prayer list and then forgot to pray for them, this post is for you.
If you’re anything like me, creating a prayer list is easy. You come up with all the people and things you think you should be praying for, add them to the list, and then… never look at it again.
Maybe you feel guilty for not using it, or maybe you just don’t know how to make it work for you.
If that’s the case, then this post is for you! I’m going to share how to create a prayer list that you’ll actually use.
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 List
A prayer list is simply a list of people or things that you pray for regularly. Many people choose to keep a prayer list to help them remember to pray for certain individuals or topics on a regular basis.
You can use any format you like for your prayer journal, but it might be helpful to divide it into sections based on different categories (e.g., family, friends, co-workers, leaders, etc.).
In addition, you might want to consider adding a date to each entry so that you can keep track of when you last prayed for that particular family member or need.
I’ll explain more about this in the next section.
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– 3 Reasons Why You Don’t Use Your Prayer List
We have the best of intentions. “I’ll pray for you” and we mean it with all of our hearts (or do we?). We even scribble prayer requests down on a piece of paper. But the prayer doesn’t always happen like we planned.
Here are 3 reasons why we don’t use our prayer lists:
1) Life gets super busy & your prayer life suffers
Life is filled with busyness and distraction. As I’m sitting here writing this, I haven’t used my prayer journal or my Bible study journal.
Why? Because I’ve been busy writing, washing clothes, planning, etc. It’s probably like that with you sometimes too.
You get busy checking off items on your to-do list and before you know it, it’s 9:00 pm and you haven’t spent much time with the Lord.
You remember that you should set aside time to pray but you keep procrastinating until it’s time to go to bed and you promise you’ll do it tomorrow. And your prayer list continues to collect digital dust on your phone or get crumpled in your purse.
2) You simply forget to pray
Sometimes it’s not a matter of life getting in the way, it’s a matter of you just forgetting to pray. You created a prayer list but you don’t know where it is or it’s not in a place where you’ll see it. Want some ideas on how to make time for prayer? Check out this post on 11 creative ways to make time for prayer!
3) You don’t pray because you’re running from God
Sometimes it’s not a matter of forgetting or being busy. You might be in a time of your life when you’re running from God.
You don’t want to pray at all let alone for someone else. Maybe you’re angry with God and struggling to forgive Him for something. Maybe you’re living a life that you don’t want to live and don’t want God in your business.
I’ve lived all of these scenarios. I still have moments when I feel this way so I get it and I’m not even here to scold you. We keep it real around here and I won’t tell you how to feel.
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-The Secret To How I Created A Prayer List I Love Using (Hint: I Use This Kind Of Prayer Journal)
One of the best ways to make sure you’re actually praying for all the people and items on your list is to create a prayer list that you’ll use. And that’s what I want to help you do today.
Here are 3 tips for creating a functional prayer list:
1. Choose where to write your prayers and where it will be most accessible:
While you can use a piece of paper that you can keep in your Bible or even the notes section of your phone, it’s always better to use a dedicated prayer journal. You can get it in digital or printable form.
For instance, I have two prayer journals. One is a printable prayer journal that I can write on. You can take a look at my prayer journal right here
I also have a digital prayer journal that I can use on my phone, computer, or any device which is where the real magic happens!
That way if there is a prayer request made at church, work, etc I can write it down in a central location and always be able to find it.
Want to learn about this Bible study journal later? Save it to one of your Bible journal Pinterest boards!
You can take a look at my digital prayer journal here.
With a prayer journal, you’ll be able to reflect intentionally and write out the perfect prayer points more easily. I also like that writing in a prayer journal is a creative way to spend time with the Lord!
You’re more self-aware and it’s easier to commit to your prayer list.
2) Use Dates On Your Prayer List
This is particularly helpful for people or situations that may take longer to change. An example is if you’re praying for something specific like surgery, a promotion at work, or an upcoming event.
When discouragement tries to set in, you can encourage yourself by looking through your previous prayer requests. Reflect on the date you started praying and when the answer came. It renews your strength to keep on trusting God for the miracles you desire to see.
3) Be Specific When Writing Prayer Request
Rather than just writing “people in need,” get specific about who you’re praying for. This could include adding people by name, those going through a particular trial or struggle, or even groups of people like “those who are lost and don’t know Christ.
Write as many supporting bible verses as you can remember in your prayer journal and the results you expect to see as you’re praying.
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– Prayer List Ideas For Other People
There’s so much to pray about. Here are prayer list ideas to inspire you.
People who are sick: You can include people who are suffering from physical ailments, mental health issues, or addiction.
People who are grieving: Include those who have recently lost a loved one, or anyone who is going through a tough time.
People who are struggling: This could be people who are going through a difficult life situation, such as a divorce or job loss. Or those who are battling personal demons, such as depression or anxiety.
People who are celebrating: Include people who have recently had a baby, gotten married, or accomplished something significant.
Those in the military: Remember those who are serving our country, both here and abroad. Ask for God’s protection, wisdom, and preservation.
People who are missionaries: Pray for those who are sharing the gospel around the world. Pray also for your leaders in the church.
People who are in prison: Remember those who are incarcerated, both here and abroad.
People with special needs: This could be people who have physical or mental disabilities or those who are elderly or homebound.
People in authority: Pray for those in positions of power, such as government officials, business leaders, and educators.
People who are persecuted: Pray for those who are being persecuted because of their faith, such as Christians in Muslim countries.
Unreached people groups: Pray for those who have not yet been exposed to the gospel, such as people in remote areas or unreached tribes.
– Prayer List Ideas For Yourself
Goals & Dreams: Don’t forget to ask God for direction and wisdom on what your goals should be.
Health: Ask God to bless you with good health and to help you make decisions that would lead to good health
Financial: Thank God for how He has blessed you financially and ask Him for help with any financial struggles you might currently have.
Mental Peace: Pray to God for mental peace and wisdom. Ask that He bind any weapons of the enemy against your mind and spirit.
How Will You Create Your Prayer List?
Prayer is a powerful tool that can help us connect with God and ask for His guidance and wisdom in our lives.
However, sometimes it can be difficult to know what to pray for or how to keep track of our prayers.
Creating a prayer list can be a helpful way to stay focused on our spiritual growth and remember those in need.
When creating a prayer list, it is important to consider what you expect to accomplish through prayers. Do you want to grow closer to God? Ask for His guidance in your life and family? Seek His wisdom in a particular situation?
Once you know your purpose for praying, you can start to brainstorm a list of things to pray for.
I’ve shared several prayer list helps that can turn your old list into answered prayer. Go over them again and start using your prayer journal.
– Free Gift For You: Renew Your Spirit Journaling 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 click here to access the Bloom & Grow Bible Journal and the Trello Digital Bible Study Journal!
If How To Create A Prayer List has helped you, please share it on social media!
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5 Awesome Benefits Of A Prayer Journal & How To Start One (Free Printables Included)
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