Prayers of My Heart Week at a Glance

                                                             Friends, today I’m posting a different post because 
PRAYERS OF MY HEART” hit the #1 BEST SELLER in the category of PRAYER last week on Amazon. I’m THRILLED that YOU have a heart for prayer! Since the “Week at A Glance” section is unique, I want to share with you how I use it. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll LOVE opening your journal, seeing the names of those for whom you’re praying; and going under their name with your petitions and THANKSGIVING as you see God working in their lives!

1st   Open your journal and fill in the week. Read the Scripture at at the top of the page. Let the encouragement SINK INTO YOUR HEART and MIND. Beside the first row, jot down the date. (This isn’t really necessary. It’s just a habit I have.)  In the first column write “LORD.” (Again, this isn’t mandatory. I just love beginning my prayer time by focusing on an attribute of God.) Think through the other people for whom you regularly pray. After years of journaling, I now use initials. K is for my husband Keith. He’s in the 2nd column. T & A are for my son and his wife and kids. L & C are for my daughter Lauren, her husband and kids. FAM is for the rest of Keith’s and my families. Continuing on the right side of the journal under “Prayers for Others,” my columns look like this:

FR (for friends) MIN (for ministry) CH (church) US/US (for the USA & the Unsaved) BK (for books I’m writing/have written) SP ENG (for Speaking Engagements)

The boxes are SMALL. The point of this section is not pouring out your heart in INK. Do that in the “Meditations, Notes, & Prayers” section. The “Week at A Glance” is for you to record the “sound bite” of the prayer on your heart. For instance, I might have on my heart, “Oh, Lord, I’m grieved for our nation. All the killings, our own citizens turning against us; the moral decline. Lord, help us return to You. Convict us. Raise up the church to be a light in our country and world. Let it begin in us and our homes.” This is NOT where I record every word of that prayer. Rather, I pray those words, but in the BOX under US/US, I record, “RETURN TO YOU;” a sound bite of the prayer. 

Think of it as you do texting. ASAP – as soon as possible. BFF – best friends forever. It’s kind of cool because you may not want someone to pick up your journal and read every word so you can customize abbreviations that you use with God. For instance, (and this may seem a strange example, but unfortunately is one too many women deal with) if your husband beats you, you might record SBM (stop beating me). SBM could also stand for “see beauty more” in the world. So, if your husband, child, or you are “down” all the time, you might record SBM and it mean that in your journal. Inc Hunger could mean “increase humger for You;” meaning you are asking God to increase your appetite for spiritual things. You may at times, record the whole words. “GET JOB.” “HEAL.” “ANOINT.” Your journal is YOURS.

WORD of WARNING. Don’t get crazy about filling in every box every day every week. That’s the beauty of the column format. You may be interceding for someone and their prayer request be the same for weeks. If you’re a mom and trying to get your little one to sleep through the night, your journal may look like this:

EMMA

6/21   Sleep thr nite

6/22   Feel Your Peace

6/23   ”     ”       “

6/24   Patience w/her

6/25   Smooth bed time

Your columns may be for your most practical every day needs and/or for the most intense spiritual warfare on your heart; such as souls to come to faith in Jesus Christ. Mine is a combination of both. The US/US is where I list the names or initials of those for whom I’m praying to come to faith in Jesus. I record different prayers as God brings them to mind.

US/US  (for our nation and the unsaved)

Hunger for You

Convict of spir need

Use me in conversation

I’ll be sharing more about journaling, and am also happy to answer your questions. Simply post them below in the comments section. This is a NEW day of prayer, sweet friends! I’m honored to be sharing it with you.