Benefits of a Prayer Journal

About three years ago, I was given a small green spiral notebook by a church member. It was given to me as a prayer journal, a booklet for jotting down cries and thanks to be lifted up in communication with God. To my shame, I did not get very far with that journal. I filled up 4 pages, and then never gave it another thought.

Last week, I thought about ways one could build themselves up spiritually. One way I thought was prayer.

Regarding prayer and the spiritual strength in it, christian author Ellen G. White writes in the book Prayer, “The character is softened, refined, and ennobled for the heavenly kingdom. The sure result of our intercourse and fellowship with our Lord will be to increase piety, purity, and fervor. There will be a growing intelligence in prayer. We are receiving a divine education, and this is illustrated in a life of diligence and zeal. “(Prayer, White)

I also thought about ways I could encourage others to always seek God in prayer. Remembering what I had started yet abandoned a few years ago, I decided to make a journey to Walmart. There I bought myself a blue notebook, which I christened Prayer Warrior Journal.

On the first page, below the three blank lines, I gave a short testimony about myself which reads,

“For me prayer is more than just making requests and giving thanks. It is my alone time with my good friend Jesus Christ. Miraculously, as I’m talking in private to Him, my stutter is almost absent. I feel comfortable with Him. May I always feel this way.

-David Anthony Harris”

On the following page, I thought it appropriate to put a scripture, and from one of my favorite books of the Bible, which is Psalms.

“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. “- Psalm 55:17 King James Version

Yes, that is the praying hands emoji that I drew above the scripture. Feel free to laugh.

I believe there are good benefits to having a prayer journal.

Reminder to pray Every now and then you encounter an individual who says they need you to pray for them or for someone else they know who is in need of it. Naturally, if not right away, you agree to pray for them. But what if you forget to? Even if you consider yourself a diehard believer, it’s easy for one simple request to slip your memory as you’re going about your daily life, which may include school; work; shopping; paying bills; cleaning your house; social media, television; reading; dates; cooking, laundry; ironing; mowing grass; making plans; etc. Just like a list of things to do, write it down.

Motivation to pray for others While I strive to pray daily, I strive also to not just give thanks and make requests for my own self. My duty as a Christian and human being is to care about others as I would myself. Who I can for, I think. I can pray for my coworkers, who struggle everyday just as much as I do. I can pray for my siblings, who can sometimes work my nerves, yet have their own trials and tribulations. I can pray for the beggars, who I see too often on a street corners looking for hope. I can pray for my current president, who I often question at times. Reading through the previous entries of requests and praises for others is motivating me to also take the initiative to verbally ask anyone if I can pray for them, if they look like they need it.

Eye Catching Reminders This may sound simple or overbearing, but visually seeing anything affiliated with God reminds me of God’s presence in this crazy, temporary place we all call home. From the chapel in my workplace to a bumper sticker on one’s car. Having a journal for prayer adds on to those visual reminders.

Reflection A prayer journal, just like the same as any other journal, can be your book of memories. Years from now, you can brush through the pages and look back on what you put down throughout those days now gone. Prayers for employment. Prayers for relationships. Prayers for those rough student days. Prayers for healing. Prayers strength and wisdom.

If those requests were fulfilled you can think back on when and how God made them happen, as well as when and how you were expecting them to happen. Perhaps you can just reflect about how God is able to do anything and everything that seems too humongous for us.

With the benefits being reminders to pray and live upright, a motivation to care for others, and book full of memories, I think a prayer journal is something everyone should have.

God Bless.