5 Ways To Keep A Prayer Journal

ByRachel Wojo

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Ways to Keep A Prayer Journal

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by: I’m always glad to share prayer info and today’s post on ways to keep a prayer journal is no different. There is no right or wrong way to keep a prayer journal; it’s all about documenting your ideas and thoughts to God personally or on behalf of others. There are various seasons of prayer and times when some methods worked for me, and others didn’t. Enjoy these prayer ideas and grab on to the one that works for you in this season of life. Prayer journaling is all about recording your prayers, prayer requests, and prayer answers. You can record any or all three, whatever works for you. I hope you find an idea that sparks a new passion in your prayer life!

Before you begin

Before you begin prayer journaling, gather your supplies. I like to keep a basket or small box with all my supplies in one place, including any Bible studies I’m working on or pens I like to use. Sometimes I designate a “prayer chair,” and other times, I have just kept the supplies together and sat wherever space was available, whether the dining room table, kitchen counter, bean bag chair, or couch. Using the same designated place each day can strengthen your prayer time because it helps you build a daily habit.

1. Write your thoughts to God in a blank journal or notebook.

All types of blank journals can be found in retail stores. The Dollar Store or drug store is a great place to find an inexpensive blank journal. When you use a blank journal, it is helpful to have a guide for your questions. At the ch@t conference, I provided this prayer pattern that makes it easy to focus your thoughts in prayer.

Many people ask the questions: “What do you write in a prayer journal?” Many Christian find their daily scripture reading or Bible promises can be a great launching point for their prayer journal experience. You can also easily write down your blessings, maybe on a separate page. The act of writing can be a beautiful way to worship!

2. Print your own prayer journal.

Here are a few of the FREE downloads I found for prayer journaling if you want to print and organize your own binder or notebook. These four types of prayer journals are each a little different, and some provide prompts.

Daily Dwelling created some lovely prayer lists and encourages you to divide your binder into prayer journal sections with headings, using tabs to keep them separated.

Mother’s Niche has a wonderful printable sheet to use as a prayer guide for journaling. It’s a great way to track daily prayers.

WomensMinistry.net offers an entire booklet guide to prayer journaling. I truly enjoyed all the information they packed into one small booklet and found it helpful as a guide to begin thinking more intentionally in prayer.

Ch@t prayer journal pages provide an excellent easy guide to use daily. Choose from bookmarks to use with your own journal or print and use the journal pages!

3. Use your phone reminders.

If you want to pray for someone at a particular time each day, then using phone reminders is a great way to do that. Also, if you want to remember to pray for someone who has surgery on Thursday at 1 pm, phone reminders are a brilliant way to remember that request. This is a great way to integrate prayer into everyday life and provide guidance to accompany your prayer intentions.

4. Echo Prayer App


This app is the best digital prayer journaling app I could find. For me, prayer journaling means tracking prayer requests and answers, as well as writing prayers. The Echo Prayer App provides a way to record prayer requests and also offers a way to share your prayers with others.  Available here.

5. Use a spreadsheet on your computer.

This is a great option for office executives if used as part of a morning quiet time routine. You could also track praise or answered prayers and easily create various categories for your prayer requests or praises. You could add a column for a focus verse from God’s word.

No matter the method you choose, give yourself grace and I know you’ll find prayer journaling to add focus in a powerful way! I’d love to hear your thoughts on keeping a prayer journal!

Would you mind sharing what methods you’ve found to work well in maintaining a prayer journal?

ADDENDUM: This post sparked quite the virtual conversations and in order to continue to promote personal quiet time, the ch@t printable bookmark mentioned above was made available as a free download.

6. BONUS

If you are not a writer and feel like writing down your prayer ideas and thoughts is more than you can focus on right now, then you’ll love these 31 Days of Prayers for the Heart Prayer cards. Each day leads you through a prayer for your heart and provides the words when you struggle to find your own. Enjoy free shipping when your order is over $30!


FIVE STARS Amazing!

Savannah on Dec 07, 2021

These cards are spot on when I just can’t find the words. They are beautiful as well! Thank you so much for this!

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prayer cards

26 Comments

  1. Megan JOY says:

    Thank you for this article. I am obsessed with anything and everything prayer-related (Biblical prayer). The method I use is this awesome website http://www.echoprayer.com. You can set reminders, edit prayers, record answers to prayers, and so much more. It is also super easy to use. I have found it to be a key component to my rich and satisfying prayer life.

  2. For personal prayers (family and friends) I use a journal! I’m on the ‘prayer’ team at my church and for Good Morning Girls online Bible study — When I pray over requests through them, I journal in word and keep track that way. Thank you for sharing the added resources!

  3. Jane Grayson says:

    Hi. I found Gina Garland’s you tube video about putting together and using a prayer journal really helpful. If you email her if you think her ideas will work for you, she sends you a pdf booklet (free).
    This is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPqnhlAX35M

    Love Jane, Manchester UK

    2. Thank you Jane! I will check it out now.

    3. Jane – I watched her video on youtube and it’s great! This is totally a God thing, as a few months ago I bought a small binder, blank paper, divider’s and folders for the binder, and I haven’t used it for anything. Until now! I will be working on it this weekend. Am still trying to find her phamplet, I saw it on one site but you have to subscribe to a web site called Scrib…will keep looking for a freebie!

      Bless you and thank you again for sharing this!!!

      Rachelle

    4. I too wanted to thank you for sharing this! I watched the video and knew this is what I needed to do!

  4. I still don’t get the idea/concept of a prayer journal. We’re supposed to write our prayers and thrn remember later if they were answered?

    1. Great question- Rachelle! I think you can look at it the way you have written it. Or in my case, I’ve used it just to keep lists of prayer requests to remember to pray for them. Or at times, I’ve written out my prayers to God just to stay focused during prayer time (when I worked night shift in college I did this to stay awake during prayer time!) I think they are good to see your consistency and faithfulness in prayer- that alone can be a good thing. So I don’t think there is a “right way”- prayer journals are simply tools to help you be more consistent in your prayer life, no matter how you use them.

      1. Thanks Rachel. I will give it a shot.

  5. I have a regular notebook binder w/paper and dividers for every day of the week. Missionary Monday, The List Tuesday.~everything from pregnancy, military, school, homeschool, work, engagements, weddings) Weak Wednesday (terminally ill are listed on the actual divider, and others are written on notebook paper as they come along) Thankful Thursday (one page for my husband first, and then things I am thankful for next, Friend and Family Friday, Sermon Saturday(all those I know who are preparing messages) and Salvation Sunday. It has worked for me for at least 7 years. I open it up on the table after devotions, and update any req., or write answers. I like to share with people which particular day I pray for them specifically 🙂

  6. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for this post. I’ve run out of ideas on how to feel like my prayer life is more successful. Will be trying a few of these methods!

  7. I use different things….I do have journal from Lisa Whelch that helps me to focus during times of being unfocused. I am currently reading “Draw the Circle the 40 day Prayer Challenge” by Mark Batterson which has really encouraged me in my prayer life and spurred me on how to pray for my church family which I have been writing in letter form to my Heavenly Father. I believe in praying Scripture, so I recently have begun to read one chapter a day from the Gospel of Matthew during Jesus’ ministry. I journal what He tells us to do and then journal pray for that to become a part of my life as well as others.

  8. Thanks for some great resources Rachel…I think the phone reminders is a great idea. I want to get in the habit of praying while I clean but I get so sidetracked and forgetful! I may not have a good hour to sit down but I can schedule in several shorter prayer times throughout my day. Thank you!

  9. One way that I have found to pray for my husband and kids is to keep a picture of each of them in my Bible.
    On the back I write specific things that I am praying for each of them.
    I ask God for specific verses to pray for them, and write them on the back as well.
    At the beginning of each year, I change the picture.

  10. I have pictures of each person I pray for divided by day. For example, on Mondays I have certain folks pictures. I pray for all of those people every Monday. I have this for each day of the week. I have post it notes that I put in my journal for those things or people that will be temporary in my life. I have a list of folks that I have on EVERY day of the week with their pictures in the front of the journal. I also have pages at the end of the weekly pages where I record answers. The back of the journal and front of the journal are verses that I pray for people.

    1. I really love the idea, especially using pictures. I’d actually like to do a digital version of your idea. 🙂

  11. Thanks for the shout out! Great post 🙂

  12. Honestly, I keep trying different methods and not one of them “sticks” very long! I finally gave up trying to journal… maybe I’ll try out some of your suggestions though. I’d love to find something that works for this season of life!

  13. Wow thanks for the links to print you own – love that!

  14. So which method is the one you’ve come to use? I keep an ongoing list of request in the back whatever current Bible study journal I am using. I want to make intentional prayer a part of my morning quiet time. Most days I read and study and by the time I get around to praying, the kids are up or I need to be done and get the day started.

  15. I just started keeping a prayer journal and it’s helped me so much to organize my prayers and to remember to pray for certain things. Before I just felt all over the place when I prayed. I actually bought one off of Etsy and absolutely love it. It came from integritygraphics.etsy.com
    I would highly recommend them.

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