What’s a prayer journal? Can it assist your prayer life? Sure! Study in regards to the energy of writing down your prayers to God.
When you’re questioning precisely what a prayer journal is, and the way it not solely works however helps you in your prayer life, you then’re in the suitable place.
A prayer journal is a instrument that you need to use, within the type of a pocket book or diary that serves as a spot so that you can write down your prayers to God.
In a method, you may image a prayer journal to be the equal of a spoken prayer however in written phrases, virtually like a letter to God.
There are lots of other ways through which you may make use of a prayer journal that will help you develop in your prayer life.
Maybe essentially the most stunning a part of conserving a prayer journal is with the ability to look again in any respect the belongings you prayed for and the way God has labored in your life and answered these prayers in several methods.
As folks, we are sometimes fast to overlook God’s goodness, and what He has carried us via. A prayer journal serves as a continuing reminder of the place you as soon as have been and God’s trustworthy character, and steadfast love in these troubled occasions.
The Israelites needed to study this themselves, in Deuteronomy 8:2, “And also you shall bear in mind the entire method that the Lord your God has led you these forty years within the wilderness, that he would possibly humble you, testing you to know what was in your coronary heart, whether or not you’ll preserve his commandments or not.”
The Advantages of Prayer Journaling & How It Can Assist Your Prayer Life
1. Targeted Prayer
It’s really easy to float off if you end up praying, whether or not that’s early within the morning or late at night time, generally we will discover ourselves not as engaged in prayer. This may be attributable to tiredness, distractions, or a mode the place we merely repeat the identical factor day after day.
When you find yourself writing down your prayers, it requires you to be extra current, and intentional within the phrases that you’re selecting to write down. It means that you can assume, and never rush via your prayer as a way to go on to the following factor.
2. Intentional Prayer
As a result of prayer journaling usually includes prompts, this lets you be extra intentional along with your time in prayer.
Relying on the type of prompts that you simply select to include, this will problem you to consider the issues which you can give God thanks for, the methods through which you might have seen Him work, and the totally different traits of God that you’re studying about.
Not solely that, however it additionally extends to prayer for others, as you may embrace issues like individuals who it’s essential ask God that will help you forgive, those that are dealing with powerful occasions, or who usually are not believers.
There is a chance for intentional prayer in the case of prayer journaling.
3. Serves as an affidavit
Typically we expect that testimonies are solely wanted to indicate others the work that God has accomplished, however many occasions we’re in want of a reminder of who God is, and has been all through totally different seasons of our lives.
One of many methods we will preserve monitor of that’s via prayer journaling. We are able to see how God modified our hearts and the methods through which He labored.
It’s so straightforward to overlook, and thru prayer journaling, not solely does it function an ideal reminder to ourselves, however additionally it is one thing that we will carry up in dialog to others, as an affidavit of God’s grace.
The best way to Begin Prayer Journaling
It may be straightforward to overthink prayer journaling, however it’s very easy to get began. Bear in mind, that is your time of prayer, and also you get to speak to your Heavenly Father, so make it personable, as a result of it’s all about your relationship with Him.
There are some things that make prayer journaling quite a bit simpler. The primary is to discover a place the place you may write every day. It’s good to develop the behavior, and discovering a constant place is commonly a good way to construct consistency.
Secondly, attempt to discover a time that you simply dedicate to praying. It’s not all the time straightforward to discover a constant time, particularly when life is usually a little unpredictable, however looking for a time when you realize you should have some uninterrupted time makes a world of a distinction.
Three, tackle your prayer to God, begin with His title, and keep in mind that that is the place you may discuss to Him. There aren’t any guidelines on how lengthy or brief your prayer must be, merely write about what involves thoughts, and share what’s going on. You possibly can ask God for steerage the place you want it, forgiveness the place you might have sinned, and for His continued power and safety.
The Kinds of Prayer Journals to Select From
Earlier than you get into prayer journaling, it’s best to know that there are just a few kinds of prayer journals which you can select from.
The wonderful thing about prayer journaling is that it is extremely customizable, which suggests which you can make it as private as potential, and may select between varied totally different sorts of journals.
You will need to notice, although it’s enjoyable to be artistic along with your prayer journal, the principle level of it’s communion with God. The rationale that is vital to say is as a result of it’s straightforward to get caught in mundane particulars.
When you aren’t in a position to afford a very fancy journal, you don’t have to permit that to cease you from beginning. When you have free items of paper, an previous pocket book from college, or a plain guide to write down in, you might have all it’s essential get began.
Don’t enable a scarcity of glitter pens, or cute equipment to cease you from rising your relationship with God via prayer. That’s finally what He appears to be like at, our hearts and our phrases to Him, not the handwriting that they have been written in.
So, with out additional ado, listed below are just some kinds of journals which might be frequent.
1. Hardback or paperback notebooks
These are most likely the commonest solution to begin a prayer journal. When you have a pocket book with lined pages or perhaps a bullet journal, you may simply begin writing out your prayers in it. You possibly can even add your individual creative concepts afterward if you want to create a scrapbook type of prayer journal.
2. Prepared-made Prayer Journals
You may also discover a big choice of pre-made prayer journals, particularly designed that will help you preserve a prayer journal. These journals usually have prompts written within them to offer you concepts on what to hope for, and may usually be accompanied by a verse of the day, a problem, or some kind of encouragement or inspiration.
3. Printable Prayer Journals
Much like ready-made prayer journals, there is a gigantic quantity of printable content material on the web proper now, together with many prayer journals to select from. You possibly can simply discover printable prayer journals from web sites like Etsy which let you see the type of pages which might be contained within the prayer journal and as soon as you buy it, you may print out as many as you need and mix them right into a prayer journal folder or binder.
4. Digital Prayer Journals
Know-how has grown immensely over time. If you’re not somebody who wants a bodily pen and paper and also you get pleasure from writing on an iPad or system, then a digital prayer journal could also be match for you. These are additionally available on-line and could be downloaded onto your system. Many iPad customers get pleasure from journaling on their gadgets with a stylus which supplies the identical phantasm as writing in a traditional pocket book. The upside is that there’s a lot of alternative for personalization, and to simply erase something if wanted.
Concepts for Day by day Prayer Journal Entries
When you’re not precisely certain what to write down about in your prayer journal, you may learn the article on prayer journal prompts right here, to offer you some extra in-depth concepts.
However simply to begin you off, there are some things which you can incorporate into your prayer journal, such because the ACTS prayer technique. This merely serves as a information or define to your prayer.
ACTS is the abbreviation for adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. Here’s a brief clarification of every of these factors.
Adoration – There isn’t a one like our God. He deserves all the respect and glory, and it’s a privilege that we get to glorify Him for who He’s. After we come to God in prayer via adoration, we’re acknowledging who He’s, and taking a stance of humility as we reward Him for all He’s and Has accomplished.
Confession – An vital a part of our prayer life is that it serves as a method for us to admit our sins to God, and to express regret. God calls us to take action, as an alternative of being detached to our sin, a real brokenness over our sin grows us in Christlikeness, and in humility in direction of God, growing our gratitude for His grace.
Thanksgiving – It may be straightforward to get slowed down with the troubles of life that we overlook how a lot we now have to be thankful for. If we now have air in our lungs right this moment, it is sufficient to give God thanks, but additionally helps us domesticate hearts of gratitude slightly than discontentment.
Supplication – Lastly, we will carry our prayer requests to God in prayer. We are able to ask Him for steerage in a sure scenario, to fulfill the wants of others, or to hope for any scenario that’s going down in your life, the lives of others, or on this planet round you.
That’s the primary groundwork for getting began on a prayer journal, it is extremely easy, and doesn’t need to be sophisticated in any respect! The very best factor to do is get began, and you will notice the fruit of a rising and constant prayer time with God.
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