So my spiritual life goal this year has been to be more intentional with prayer. So I am—finally!—starting to achieve that goal with a prayer journal. I thought I would share a little about mine if it may so inspire you to create your own.

Some people like to use binders with labeled tabs; others like to use a spiral-bound notebook or a pretty journal. For me, I type faster than I write, spend more time on the computer, and like to be able to copy and paste. So I chose to make an electronic prayer journal.

Now I used a software called Scrivener, which is writing software that helps people organize their books into chapters, scenes, etc. I wanted to be able to better see the individual files. However, you could do the same in Microsoft Word with individual documents within one folder. Or you could have these as binder tabs or sections within your notebook or journal. And, of course, there are SO many ways to create a prayer journal. This is just one.

The sections of my prayer journal are as follows:

• Scriptures: This section is for Scriptures that speak to me or to what I am going through. Courage and God’s love are two big themes in my life right now.
• Morning Proclamations: I got this idea from Pastor Craig Groeschel and a visiting pastor to a local church. Basically, this involves speaking truth over your life each morning. I want to begin by reading the Armor of God passage (Ephesians 6:10-18) and then moving on to some truth statements I have written over my life and relationships. For example, “I am brave. I have a sound mind. I am capable. I am worthy. I am worthy of Justin’s love. I am worthy of love. I am caring. I am loving. I am fun and full of joy and peace. I am beautiful.”
• Me: This section is for specific prayers over my life.
• My Relationship: This section is for specific prayers for my romantic partner and our relationship.
• Family: This section is for specific prayers for my family members.
• Friends: This section is for specific prayers for my friends, neighbors, and others.
• Prayer Journal: This is a place for free-form journaling to Jesus, a place I can be free with my heart and also write down anything I feel Him speaking to me. I do date each section, though.
• Triggers & Weak Spots: As time goes on, I am becoming more aware of how the enemy works in my life, those triggers and weak spots he uses to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10)—aka, discourage and steal my joy or keep me from enjoying the gifts God has given me or from achieving the peace that comes from time with Jesus or walking in my calling. So I’m keeping tabs on these things and also trying to come up with action steps for when they do arise.
• Blessings: This is a place to list blessings and praises. Fun!!! And it’s good to look back on during hard days.
• Lessons & Words: Here I write specific lessons the Holy Spirit has taught me or a Word I believe the Lord has given me. One of my recents is that “I can walk through enemy lines to get to Jesus in prayer and hear from him.” (Read my previous post if you want to know what that means.)
• Relationship Tips: Since I write about relationships and care about the health of my own, I have this section to list wisdom I am learning.
• Research: This is a place to store websites and books or to copy information (with attribution!) that speaks to my heart.

Answered Prayers: I plan to highlight answered prayers and include the date and maybe even a little note of how God answered the prayer. If you have a paper notebook, you might lightly cross out the prayer in pencil or highlight like me. I wouldn’t erase it, though. Part of the awesome reward of keeping a prayer journal is seeing evidence of God working in our lives and the lives of those we love.

This is a work in progress, and I am only just beginning my journal. But I am hopeful that this is the beginning of a more intentional, fruitful prayer life!!!

May I also suggest the following:

• Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer: This is the book that everyone and their mother has been telling me about, so I finally purchased a copy. It’s AWESOME!!! It has inspired me to be more specific in my prayers and to be more discerning as to areas I feel the enemy is at work in to steal, kill, and destroy. Prayer is not only our connection to Jesus but also our most powerful weapon against the plans of the evil one.
• This was just a great blog post about prayer journaling I came across that I wanted to share.

Have a wonderful week!!!

And P.S., if you keep a prayer journal, we would love to hear your ideas for one and what Jesus has taught you or shown you through prayer. Feel free to share in the comments! 🙂