Prayer Journal: Making Prayer Meaningful
I firmly believe that prayer is a mother’s best friend. As a first time mom, it’s been neat to feel how much God is a part of my child’s life. There is a certain peace that I feel that tells me that as long as I am doing my best and asking for God’s help, he will make up for the areas that I lack. I love having him as a partner in parenting. A prayer journal can help with this.
What is a Prayer Journal?
When I was in college I started something called a “prayer journal” for a summer. I wanted to make my prayers more sincere and focused, so I set up a prayer journal format/template and started journaling before I would pray every night to kind of bring my mind to the right place. Something incredible happened from this experience: I noticed my prayers were being answered far more than I realized. Too often I think we pray for little things, God answers them, but we forget that we prayed for it in the first place and as a result we withhold our thanks.
Now that I am a mom I have had prayer on my mind again. How many times has God answered my little prayers and I have forgotten? I thought it would be neat to start again with a prayer journal but continue it throughout motherhood. Maybe one day I will compile the sections that pertain to each child and give it to them when they are older. How cool would it be to know about every prayer your mother said pertaining to you? What if you saw the following entry in your mother’s prayer journal:
At home with the kids? Instantly access any of these printable activity bundles to keep them learning!
“Please bless _____ that she will find some friends. We just moved into a new neighborhood and I can tell that she longs for a good friend.” A few days later….. “Thank you for helping my daughter find _____. I can tell they have a lot in common and will make great friends for each other.”
Or, “Please bless ______ that he will feel better. It breaks my heart to see him so sick.”
Miracles and answered prayers happen so often but we naturally forget them as time passes (or at least I do). It would be cool to look back on all the blessings received from the Lord, as well as prayers that didn’t get answered the way we wanted them to and how the blessings were found after time had passed.
Prayer Journal Template
This is the format that my prayer journal takes (It’s printable if you click on it):
In the first part of my prayer journal, I try to list as many things as possible that I am grateful for. I once heard, “If tomorrow you only had what you thanked God for yesterday, would you have much?” I love that thought. Gratitude is a powerful life tool. Second, I try to notice specific answers to prayer, or different things that show the hand of God in my life that day. This could be as simple as helping me to be positive to a particular situation, helping me remember an appointment, or as big as healing me of sickness. Whatever it is I try to be on the lookout for what God has done for me. Next is people to pray for. This is fun because it also gets me in the habit of thinking throughout the day who could use a prayer. Sometimes it ends up being someone I don’t even know from a news article I read that day, or someone I just met. Next is short term requests. This would be things that I am wanting help with this day, week, and sometimes month (example: help me have enough energy to accomplish what I need done tomorrow). Long term requests are typically a month or longer (example: help me pay off my debts). Another section that would be good to add in my prayer journal would be “My Part in Receiving Answers to my Prayer,” to help me remember to do my part!
Go here to learn more about how to pray and what prayer can do for your life.
What are some things you do to make your prayers more meaningful?
How has prayer helped you as a mother?
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Caitlin says
Thank you so much for these beautiful thoughts!! Making my prayers more meaningful has been on my mind a lot lately and these are wonderful ideas!
Jami says
I love this Kristina!! I always find that when I pray with my children, especially when I am saying the prayer during family prayer, I try to think and ponder harder on what I want to say in the prayer so that my kids can 1) understand who needs help in the family 2) more fully realize that Mom has a testimony of prayer 3) learn that their prayers can be answered and 4) learn that being thankful is a big part of prayer. It’s great when one of the kids says the prayer the next night and they repeat some of the things I said the previous night. It always makes me glad they are listening and then it helps me want to improve my prayers too!! Prayer Rocks!
Sonya says
I love the prayer template page, thank you so much for sharing it!!!
Karen says
LOVE your prayer journal template!! I’ve printed the first one and started filling it in! You’re a great example for sharing the gospel!! Thanks!!
Tina M says
Yay Karen! I’m so glad you liked it!
Sherry March says
Wonderful explanation! And your free printable is perfect! Thank you for sharing.
motheringfromscratch says
This totally caught my eye on Pinterest! This is a great template for our crazy mommy lives. Thank you so much for putting it in such a beautiful visual format. God bless. Following you now on FB and Twitter.
Amy says
I love your printable! Is there a way that I could maybe make it so that I can print two on a page?
Trish says
Such a great idea! I need to do this.
Linda says
when my husband passed away at 45 (married 25 yrs) of a sudden heart attack in my harms it was a time to really do some prayer journaling. what i did was this…dated my prayers and wrote them in blue ink. when my prayer requests were answered i went back and wrote the date and a message in red ink…..it was gooooood for me and so i thought to share with you all. i also wrote a lot of poetry back then that i still love to read once and a while!
Loralee says
Thank you for sharing your template. :0)
[email protected] says
I have been thinking about prayer journaling online for awhile and had been contemplating a way for it to be more organized so that I could look back and see what God had been doing in my life. This was perfect! Thanks so much for the free template!
Harriett says
This is so wonderful!! I was just wondering if you could post it as a Word document as well as a pdf. I don’t have a PDF converter subscription and would love to use MSWord to fill in daily thoughts and prayers. I’ll check back to see if you are able to do that.
Vang says
Thank you for sharing it. I couldn’t wait to print and share with my mom and sister’s they will love it 🙂
Alan Williams says
If you think this is only for women, you aren’t thinking straight. Men aren’t stepping up to the plate so to speak, and this is for every Christian. Notice how the Bible resembles a journal?
Hannah says
This was such a blessing to find on Pinterest today. I will be making lots of copies of the prayer journal. THANK YOU!
Marie says
This is a wonderful article and template. I am looking forward to printing the sheet and sending it to my prayer group. You should look into publishing this into a journal. I’d be happy to purchase several for gifts.
Lynn Johnsoon says
thank you so much for sharing. I am using your ideas with children this month at church on Wednesday evenings at our church NC on prayer journal.
Tina M says
So good to hear! Makes me so happy!
Francy says
Tina M, six years later I found your template, I was thinking how can I Have a prayer journal? I found yours! I love it. How is your Health? How about the Lime decease? I tell you the Lord healing me of Reumathoide Arthritis, I’m pain free, illness free since August 2016. I confess the word of God everyday, I fight my battle against the enemy and Jesus gave me the victory. Remember Isaiah 53:8
Tina M says
Thanks Francy! I’m doing much better. The Lord has been good to me
Jeanne Patterson says
Hi! I love this and Jwould like to use it with my children. Is there any way I may have an editable copy? I would like to have a section which they can reflect on how they have served others. (I know that is the hand of God in their life, but they are still young and I wanted to directly point out their responses to his prompts) Thank you!
Shirley says
Hi I love your your prayer paper! I’m unable to print please help…. Thank you so much! God Bless
totteanna sowels says
I love it. It will help me with my prayers