Prayer Journaling

Prayer journaling, for me, is inspirational!

Why? First of all, prayer is not just about us pouring out our requests to God, but also about God pouring His will into us—what He is doing and accomplishing.

Can you imagine the disciples “telling” Jesus where they were going next on their missionarg journey, how they were going to get there, and who they were going to heal? I

nstead, we find the disciples following Jesus and listening to His instructions.

Yes, at times they questioned Him. “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and You are going there again?” (John 11:8). But then they listened and followed.

Many times I’ve knelt with my Bible open and my prayer journal in hand, not knowing how or what to pray. But in those times of silence, the Lord directed me even as Romans 8:26 says. In those times, the Holy Spirit brings to mind prayer requests that have direction and insight that I would not have thought of. The joy of being led by God’s Spirit and recording His requests is dynamic and didactic when we kneel with Bible and journal in hand. It’s two-way communication with the Father.

On the paper you see only words, but in lives you see change as the dynamic Spirit of God the Father moves on behalf of His children and kingdom. 

Prayers of My Heart prayer journal

                                                             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. 

Friends,

There is no greater joy than knowing God and serving Him. If you’ve heard me speak or teach you know a significant time in my life was when God directed my heart to understand that there is nothing in and of my old self that He can use. All that is good and glorious pours from HIS Holy nature. Since that time, my prayer and life mission has been to increasingly know God and the power of His resurrection. (Phil 3:7-8)

Whether you recently received your journal or have been journaling for years, I’d like to encourage you to use the first column in the Week at a Glance section for the Lord. Yes, title the first column “Lord.” Then, each day when you pray, select a different attribute for which to praise Him. For those of you who also ordered the 200 A-Z Names, Attributes, and Titles of God, you may be checking the boxes beside each attribute on which you focus. Others of you may simply be prayerfully focusing on different attributes of God for which you praise Him. I have already added 20 more attributes to the 200! The list keeps growing and it is such a delight to increasingly know and love my Lord!

Here’s how to do it. This morning, when I rose, I went to my study and knelt as I always do. Truly, as Isaiah 39:15b says, “In quietness and trust is your strength.” I find that beginning each day in quietness before God is the key to walking by His Spirit the rest of the day. In addition to beginning each day on my knees, God’s Word is the powerful sword that clears the clutter from my mind and sharpens me to His Words and ways. Lately I’ve been reading through Isaiah. Today, I read Isaiah 30. And, guess what? I added to my list of 200 Names, 3 more names. It’s so much fun! I pray you have your Bible open beside your journal every day. I pray as God reveals Himself to you through the Word, that becomes a springboard from which you broaden your prayers for others and yourself.

The 3 names I added and you can add?
Isaiah 30:20 Teacher. Yes…can you believe I left “Teacher” off the 200 Names list? What was I thinking???
Isaiah 30:29 Rock of Israel. We already have “Rock,” but I like the addition of “of Israel.”
Isaiah 30:30 Voice of Authority. Oh, friends, if we ever need to be reminded of this attritubute of God, it is now. HE is the Voice of Authority. When other voices in our heads tell us to turn to the right or left, we need to remember God is our Teacher. We need to heed HIS VOICE of AUTHORITY in all areas of our lives.

Consider Isaiah 30:20-21 in conjunction with verse 30 as the springboard for your prayers today. “Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.”

Although these verses are a reference to the glories of the Millennium, they hold true for believers today. God speaks to us the way, the right and left, through the Bible and through the voice of His Holy Spirit. The question is, are we listening?

Today, dear one, focus your prayers by beginning your prayer time praising God as your Teacher, Rock, and Voice of Authority. Then repent. Yes, too often we forget this part. However, it’s an important part of P.R.A.Y. (praise, repent, ask, yield) We need to repent where we’ve fallen away from the image of the One who created us and called us into conformity with Him.

“Father, forgive me. You are my Teacher, yet I’ve ignored your teaching in this area: ______. You are the Rock of Israel and my Rock, yet I’ve chosen to totter in this sin, _____________.
You are the Voice of Authority, yet I’ve listened to other voices that have lured me from pure devotion to You. Forgive me.”

Yes, friends. Let us praise God each morning for who He is. But let us not forget to repent where we have sinned. Praising God should not only direct our hearts to the glory of who God is, but should also serve as a reminder of ways in which He wants to conform us to His beloved Son.

Rejoice with me today, loved one. We have a Teacher. We have a Rock. We have a Voice of Authority. And, as you rejoice, remember to pray for others that they will learn from the Teacher, stand on the Rock, and heed the Voice of Authority.

Love,
Debbie