Prayers...a question

[5knights3maidens]

How many of you have a prayer book? I'm thinking of doing this because so many prayers are asked for and I have prayers for myself, family, friends, etc. that I either forget some or fall asleep (when I pray before bed) :001_smile:

[Beach Mom]

I have one, although I go through periods of not writing in it as often as I should. I find it so encouraging to look back and see how prayers were answered.

 

I will admit at times like now, when page after page has prayers of praying for DH to find employment, I find it not as encouraging :glare:. But, all in all, I find it to be a good thing. It does help me remember to pray for those I have committed to pray for.

[TN Mama]

I used to have a prayer journal and I was so good about using it. I got up early in the morning and had prayer time before anyone else was awake. It was quite a peaceful time in my life, really.

 

Anyway, I was just thinking about the prayer journal a few minutes ago... seeing all those asking for prayer made me think I need to get it back out.

[hillfarm]

I keep my prayer journal in a very pedestrian blue, 3-ring binder. I am sure there are more inspiring options out there. I have it divided into the following sections;

 

1. I have one or two items of current inspiration to catch my eye and get me in the right frame of mind. Photos, poems, whatever.

 

2. I begin my prayer time by jotting down at least 1 sentence of praise to God.

 

3. In this section, I write down the things that I am currently most thankful for. I have a permanent list here that reminds me to include thanks for salvation, health, family, our church and pastor, nature, and the privilege of prayer.

 

4. This part starts getting personal - I write down the things which I have recently done and for which I am repentant. Not so many behaviors, but lots of questionable attitudes.:blink:

 

5. Then I get to the requests section where I list what I am asking God to do. I keep my intercessory prayer list here, with the names of others for whom I am praying.

 

6. In this section I list points of application, where I am working to apply God's word or direction in my life, and thoughts regarding how to improve.

 

7. Here I list any Scripture verses that have really resonated with me recently or that I feel the need to cling to.

 

8. This section is for answered prayers and miracles. This is where I go when I need a lift.:001_smile:

 

9. Meditations and topics upon which I wish to ponder go here. I don't always have time to think things through during my normal busy day, so this is a nice place to spend a little time exploring them with God.

 

10. This is where I note some of the results of my mediations or other messages that I feel God has put on my heart. Then I wrap it all up with a short prayer that God would make me receptive to all messages that He wishes to send me.

 

Of course, I am not perfect in my observances and would like to be able to spend more time with my journal daily. But this notebook system allows me to continue to add pages as needed and to easily look back to see where I was a year or 5 years ago. It is not formal or daunting and looks much like a workbook, which I intend it to be. I have definitely noticed that my days go so much better when hemmed in on both ends and sprinkled throughout with prayer. HTH

[Punks in Ontario]

While I'm not keeping my journal up right now, I keep mine in two sections. One section is for my actual prayers. This includes praise, repentance, and prayers based on Bible readings.

 

The other section is for what I need to be praying for. It's split into 3 sections. 1. for friends/family etc. immediate needs. I use this daily and change/update it about once a month. 2. for myself and ongoing family requests. This would include character type prayers, school, spiritual type items. 3. is a 5 day rotation of political prayers, missions, church, unsaved relatives, and neighbours. Since I may leave this section sometimes due to time constraints I keep a paper clip on the next day's prayer spot so I don't systematically leave out one day's rotation.

 

I don't record the second section most of the time. Too much writing.