No matter where you are on your faith journey, journaling your prayers will help you grow. Keeping a prayer journal allows you to nurture your faith and cultivate a deeper relationship with God. By documenting your prayers you’ll have a record of all the things you’ve asked God for and you’ll be able to see what He has done in response! This beginners guide to prayer journaling will get you started.

It may sound intimidating at first, but starting a prayer journal is actually quite easy! All you need is a pen and some paper. A simple notebook will work or you can get an actual prayer journal to use (see some great examples below!). Of course you can get as creative as you’d like with it, but the basics are simple as 1-2-3.

Choose Your Prayer Journal

Sometimes we get caught up in the simplest things, like choosing a journal. My tips would be to choose whatever type of notebook or journal makes you feel inspired and excited. Whether that’s a blank notebook or one with inspiring quotes or artwork, make sure it’s something that feels personal and special to you. The more you connect with the journal itself, the more apt you are to keep using it. You can always start with a regular notebook and then transfer your prayers into a more structured journal if you prefer. The point is – just get started!

If you’d like to use more structured book, here’s a couple of examples of journals I’ve designed, which are available on Amazon. You don’t have to get these particular ones, but they will give you an idea of what is available. You can click on them to see the different layout of pages.

Start Writing

After you’ve selected what you’ll use for your prayer journal, the next step is to simply to start writing. Don’t worry if what comes out isn’t perfect; just let the words flow from your heart onto the page.

Here’s a few tips to help and get you started:

• To get the most out of prayer journaling try to be consistent. Try to make time for it every day (or as often as possible) by setting aside 10-15 minutes each morning before starting your day or just before bedtime—whatever works best for your schedule!
• Write out your prayers, thoughts, struggles—whatever comes naturally from within. Even if it feels awkward at first, keep at it; the more often you do it, the easier it will become over time.
• Don’t feel like everything needs to make sense; just let go and allow yourself to be open and honest about what’s going on in your life right now. Be vulnerable in your writing—it will help foster deeper connections with God as He meets you where you are in each moment of life.
• Write down simple prayers of thanksgiving or gratitude. This could be anything from thanking God for the blessings in your life, or just expressing your appreciation for the beauty of nature. Sometimes when I’ve drawn a blank I have thanked God for the coffee in my cup! 🙂
• Start a list of people or things that you want to pray for. You can add new items as they come up, and use this list as an ongoing source of inspiration when you’re in need of something to pray about.
• Take note of questions or observations that arise during prayer time, and jot them down so that you can reflect on them further later on.

If you’re feeling unsure about where to start, rely on the prompts in your prayer journal or use these prompts (I’ll add some ideas in another post soon). Your first prayer recorded could also be something like this…

Dear God, thank you for allowing me to start this prayer journal. Please guide me and help me with the confidence to start writing out my prayers. Give me the insight to record the answers I receive. Create in me the passion to seek you in all things. My desire is to grow closer to you in this process and for this journal to serve as a testament to what You have accomplished. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Going Deeper

Once you have some ideas on where to start, now it’s time to go a little deeper and start writing out your prayers in more detail. Depending on how much time you have available, this could be anything from a few sentences up to several pages; there’s no right or wrong answer here. The key thing is to focus on being honest and open with yourself while writing out your thoughts and feelings — this will help ensure that each entry is meaningful and authentic.

Reflection

Reflection is one of the most important parts of prayer journaling. Taking some time after each entry not only helps us gain insight into our own spiritual path but also provides us with an opportunity for growth – both in our relationship with God and within ourselves as individuals. Consider asking yourself questions such as “What did I learn today?” or “What themes did I notice?” These reflections can often lead us into deeper conversations with ourselves about our relationship with God – conversations which can be invaluable along our faith journey.

Using a prayer journal doesn’t have to be complicated — all it takes is pen and paper. Just focus yourself for a few minutes to write out your thoughts and prayers. You can be as creative or non-creative as you’d like! By reflecting on this journal you’ll be able to see answered prayers and areas of spiritual growth.

Prayer journaling is a powerful tool for cultivating and growing intimacy with God. With this beginner’s guide in hand, hopefully starting your own prayer journal is no longer scary but rather an exciting opportunity filled with joy and peace.