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If you’re just joining us, today is Day 23 in a series of 30 days of prayer journaling prompts.  You can find Day 1 here and a summary of all 30 days will be here as we go along.

We are only a few days from the end of this series.  One thing we haven’t covered is Bible studies.  There are tons of Bible Studies out there, but today I thought I’d share with you some of my favorites.  These are all some of the best small group Bible studies I have had the privilege of participating in over the many years I have been doing Bible studies.

Best Small Group Bible Studies 

The Disciple’s Cross (Masterlife 1)– I studied this back in high school and I still remember how much of an impact it had on me.  I recommend this highly for anyone from a new Christian to a mature Christian.

Experiencing God: How to Live the Full Adventure of Knowing and Doing the Will of God – This is another one that I studied in my youth days.  At that time I actually studied the youth version, but I have done it multiple times because I led the same study for my youth group when I served in ministry.

Esther: It’s Tough Being a Woman –  I studied this just a few years ago with a group of ladies at church.  Esther has been one of my favorite books of the Bible for years and this study confirmed this even more for me.  This is truly an inspiring study.

The Purpose Driven Life  – If you are ever searching for purpose in life this is the #1 book I recommend reading.  It is one that you will want to read again and again.

Disciple’s Prayer Life: Walking in Fellowship with God (Member Book) – This one is much like the Disciple’s Cross.  It leaves a lasting impact.  You will never think of prayer the same again.

Frazzled Female: Finding Peace in the Midst of Daily Life (Member Book) –  I did this study with a group of friends when I was in the trenches of the toddler and baby days as a mom.  It was definitely the perfect match for what I was experiencing in life.

Whether you choose to do a study such as one of these book studies or if you choose to just study God’s word alone I believe you will benefit from using a prayer journal as this series attempts to persuade you to do.

Now, here is today’s prayer journaling prompt:

Today’s Prayer Journaling Prompt

Write about what COURAGE means to you.  Was there a time in your life where you had to do something that took a lot of courage? Describe this experience.

Through the process of prayer journaling, it is my hope that we begin to improve our prayer lives.  This is Day 20 in a series of 30 posts about becoming an avid prayer journaler.  You can find all the days in this series here.

Most of us likely starting praying at a young age. Some of the first prayers you likely learned were possibly the Blessing at a meal.

“God is great, God is good, let him thank us for this food, by his hands we are fed, thank you Lord for daily bread. Amen”

Or you might have learned a nighttime prayer such as:

“Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, and if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen”

My husband and I taught our children to pray at a very young age by using some of these prayers.

Then there is the Model or Disciples prayer found in both the books of Matthew and Luke in the Bible. This is also known as the Lord’s Prayer.

Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

So, when you’re not sure what to pray think of these humble beginnings and how it doesn’t have to be complicated to be heard by God. The Lord wants to hear from us no matter what we have to say. Use your prayer journal to call on him, to praise him, to ask for his grace, to ask for his blessings, to intercede for others, to thank him, and so much more!

Today’s Prayer Journaling Prompt:  Write about your “ideal day”. What would you spend it doing? Describe it specifically.

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We will continue today with another interview of a prayer journaler who will share their story with us today.  Today is Day 17 of the 30 Days of Prayer Journaling Prompts series.  You can find a summary of all the posts on this page.

Today’s prayer journaler is Cattie Price.  She shares with us how writing in a prayer journal can be freeing.

Cattie Price is a writer and speaker with a passion for social justice and waking others to God’s scandalous love for humanity.

We asked Cattie these questions about Writing in a Prayer Journal

When did you begin using a prayer journal?

I have been journaling in one form or another since I can remember – probably since I learned to write! My mom still has an entire bookcase full of my journals from elementary school through high school. I don’t usually separate my prayers into a separate journal, but the ones from middle school onward are mostly prayers.

How long have you been a prayer journaler?

I met Jesus around middle school, so my journaling became more about pouring out my heart to God around then. In high school, our relationship grew deeper and so did my prayers. My journals have been like a conversation back and forth between us. It has been a blessing to be able to keep track of answered prayers and just thoughts and feelings I’ve had along the journey – whether positive or negative.

What is your favorite thing about prayer journaling?

There is something powerful about pouring out your heart and authentic feelings before the Lord, even if it’s not always pretty. Sometimes my prayers have been thankful, sometimes angry, sometimes hopeful, sometimes heartbroken. What they have always been is honest.

It helps to get out things on paper that nobody is going to see but me and Jesus. It has been so valuable to have a record of my inner life with Christ to look back on. I can see the places in my life in which He carried me through things, see where He was so close even when I felt abandoned and lost. That has probably been the most precious thing to me about writing out my prayers.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to begin using a prayer journal but doesn’t know where to start?

I would say that if you’re waiting to start until you have better handwriting/art skills and can make it perfect, don’t! It will be perfect if it is honest and authentic. All He wants is your heart – it doesn’t have to be dressed up nice. One of my favorite journals to use is a mini Moleskine because it fits in my bag, but I used to use a plain old 10 cent spiral notebook. It looked ratty on the outside from being shoved into my backpack eleventy thousand times, but it was beautiful to Jesus because it was how I prayed without ceasing.

Or try the notepad app on your phone or computer, if that works better for you. It doesn’t matter to God. What matters to Him is that you want to spend time with Him, whispering to Him your innermost thoughts and hopes, drinking in His presence, and listening to His voice. Maybe just start by telling Him about your day! It’s okay to start with the easy stuff.

As you grow comfortable with writing out your prayers, you might find that the deeper things will come out organically, and that’s when journaling your prayers can become really freeing. When something heavy is weighing on you and you sit down and put it in writing, something powerful happens and it becomes easier to leave it in His hands. My advice: just start. Start anywhere, and see what He will do with it. I think you might be surprised at how He will kindly and mightily move in your prayer life.

Today’s Prayer Journaling Prompt:  Write about your most treasured possession. Describe it and maybe tell about how you obtained it. What makes it important and what lengths would you go to in order to keep it?

 

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I’m thrilled to have found so many other avid prayer journalers to share their stories with you as we take these 30 days to help you become an avid prayer journaler in this 30 Days of Prayer Journaling Prompts Series.  Today is Day 16 in this series and you can find a summary of all the posts here.

Today I would like to introduce you to prayer journaler, Ally King. Ally shares with us how she thinks prayer journaling is like a wonderful stone of remembrance that we learn about in Scripture.

Ally blogs at The Modern Mary. She loves to read, write, pray, study the Bible, doodle, and watch TV—sometimes all at the same time! She has a passion for helping and encouraging other women to find their identity in Christ through focused prayer and prayer journaling. Ally is on a journey to be more like Mary and less like Martha—to keep life simple! She stays busy by leading Bible study, blogging, and driving her 3 young sons to baseball practice. Ally has been married to her husband, Ryan, for 14 years and they currently reside in Central Indiana.

When did you begin using a prayer journal?

I began using a prayer journal before I even knew what it was called. As a teenager, before I came to know the Lord, I would spend all of my free time writing in my journal–pouring my thoughts, feelings, and worries onto the pages. I received healing and resolution that can only be attributed to the Lord. I fully believe that is how Christ came to meet me right where I was at the time.

How long have you been prayer journaling?

Close to 20 years–oh my, that makes me feel OLD!

What is your favorite thing about prayer journaling?

My favorite thing about keeping a prayer journal is how I now have a written record of God’s miracles and mercies in my life. In the book of Joshua, the Israelites were instructed to take stones and build a monument in the place where God performed a miracle–as a memorial to God’s faithfulness. Every time the people saw the stones, they would be reminded of the glory and goodness of God. This is how I view my prayer journal–like a stone of remembrance.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to begin using a prayer journal but doesn’t know where to start?

Keep it simple!! With all of the adorable printables and journals out there, it is tempting to over-complicate the process of prayer journaling. But I’m telling you this--just write. My favorite verse about prayer journaling is Psalm 102:18 that says, “Let this be recorded for future generations so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord.” Pour your heart out and allow the Lord to use your words for His glory.

AMEN and AMEN. I love love love how Ally calls her prayer journal a stone of remembrance.  Want to begin your stone of remembrance, but don’t know where to start.  Join the 7 Day Journaling Ecourse:  

Today’s Prayer Journaling Prompt: Write about your favorite place. What makes this place special to you and how do you feel when you are in this place?

 

We are nearly halfway through our series of 30 Day Prayer Journaling Prompts.  If you’re just joining us today is Day 15 in a series of 30 days of prayer journaling prompts.  You can find Day 1 here and a summary of all 30 days will be here as we go along.

It is my prayer that this series has been a blessing to you if you have been here all along or will be if you’re just joining us.  I have been amazed by the many people who have started following my blog since I began this series.  It is truly a topic that I am passionate about and excited to share with you!

Today, I thought I would share with you some of the benefits of prayer journaling that I have discovered from my many years of the practice. 

Benefits of Prayer Journaling

Prayer journaling is therapeutic.  – I have said this many times before in this series.  Prayer journaling is almost the equivalent of going to a counselor.  I have been to counseling multiple times in my life and writing out my prayers to God is almost equal to that.  The reason being it allows me to get my worries and concerns out of my head.  This is why writing a prayer journal in a conversational form is what I recommend doing rather than list making.

Prayer journaling helps you to discern God’s work in your life.  – The process of being able to go back and read of how God has worked and moved in your life allows you  to discern what it is God is doing.  This helps you to see God at work in your life.

Prayer journaling increases your faith.  –  Due to the fact that you do see God’s hand in your life often dozens of times over the years, you are able to develop a deeper faith and a greater belief that God is who he is and will do what he says he will do.  This is a priceless benefit to journaling.

I hope you’ll find this to be the case for you as well.  Today’s Prayer Journaling Prompt:

Journal about something you do or enjoy that most other people do not know about.  Is it something you keep private for a reason?

It’s time for another day of the 30 Days of Prayer Journaling Prompts Series.  Today is Day 14 of this series.  You can find a summary of all the days in this series here.

We are going to be hearing the stories of two more journalers today, Hannah and Myriah.  Just like the last two days, I am asking them questions about their prayer journaling journey to encourage you on yours.  They share how prayer journaling is pouring your heart out to God.

First, we will hear from Hannah. . . 

Hi! I am Hannah,  just a Jesus loving girl, blogging and YouTubing to encourage others to be the person God has created them to be.  You can find me online at http://www.thedifferentgirl.com/

When did you begin using a prayer journal?  

February 2017 which means I’ve been journaling just over a year.

What is your favorite thing about prayer journaling?

Being able to process my thoughts and give them over to God.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to begin using a prayer journal but doesn’t know where to start?

Just start where you are at, it doesn’t have to be a perfect process. Start in the messy hard parts and talk with your friend, Jesus.

Next, I want to let Myriah introduce herself. . . 

Hi, I’m Myriah, a thirty-something wife and mama living with my little family on the mission field in Budapest, Hungary. I love cooking and hosting friends in our little apartment. I love spending my days with my wonderful little toddler girl, she is the answer to 10 million prayers and brings me such joy! I also super enjoy writing and have been blogging for 9 years!  You can read more of my posts at www.planstoprosperus.com

When did you begin using a prayer journal?  

When we were in the thick of suffering through infertility and beginning to walk the road to adoption.  

How long have you been a prayer journaler?

for about 5 years

What is your favorite thing about prayer journaling?

I love that passage in Joshua 4 when the Israelites took stones out of the Jordan river and set them up on the bank of the river as a memorial of what God had done for them. I love my prayer journal, or should I say journals because I have filled several by now, because they are like stones from the Jordan for me. I love to look back through them and see things I had poured out on the page to God and then think about how He has been faithful and done so much in the way of answering these prayers!

What advice would you give to someone who wants to begin using a prayer journal but doesn’t know where to start?

Your journal doesn’t have to be fancy, your wording doesn’t have to be formal, you can use pencil or pen or even markers if you want…the important thing is to just write, pour out your heart to the Lord. Write to Him in conversation form, make lists, write names of people, write words, read your Bible when you are journaling and praying and write scripture in the journal. Then the most important advice I have is to go back and read your prayers after a month’s time and see how God has answered them. THANK HIM! Write your thankfulness!!

Now for Today’s Prayer Journaling Prompt:

Today, write about how it feels to lose.  Write out a time when you lost.  How did it feel?

This is Day 13 of the 30 Days of Prayer Journaling Prompts Series.  As promised yesterday I am sharing other people’s prayer journaling stories.  Today I would like to introduce you to a couple more prayer journalers, Susan Nelson and Allison Marie.

 

Hi, I’m Sue Nelson and I am passionate about helping Christian women live a Proverbs 31 life in today’s world. When I learned to view my husband and home as my ministry and how to manage my home using the Bible as my road map and years of study, trial and error as my compass, I was happier, more successful and my home was dramatically improved. God has laid it on my heart to serve women to grow in Christ, improve their marriages and manage their homes stress-free. I provide tools and resources for the Christian woman to grow in their faith, deepen their relationship with their husbands and manage their home. I’m married to the most wonderful and loved man in the world and am a mom to 4, grandmom to 4. My 3 dogs, 5 cats, and 20 something chickens round out our crew in North Central Missouri.

Just like with Kristin yesterday I asked Susan some questions about her prayer journaling journey.

When did you begin prayer journaling?

About three years ago.

How long have you been prayer journaling?

On and off for years but consistently for 3 years.

What is your favorite thing about prayer journaling?

Looking back and seeing how God has answered prayer.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to begin using a prayer journal but doesn’t know where to start?

Just write from your heart as you were writing to a friend. Pour it all out and let God do the rest.

Now we will hear from Allison Marie.

Hi there! I’m Allison Marie, an 18-year-old Christian blogger with a heart for other girls. I love exploring new towns, trying out new restaurants, hanging out with my friends and family, and studying the Bible. I am on a mission to glorify God with my lifestyle!

When did you begin prayer journaling?

I started using my prayer journal about 6 months ago.

How long have you been prayer journaling?

About 6 months ago, I bought a prayer Journal from the Daily Grace Co, and it was a game changer for me!

What is your favorite thing about prayer journaling?

I just love the intimacy I have with Jesus. I feel that the biggest difference between journaling my prayers and actually saying them is my focus. When I journal my prayers, I focus even more which leads to greater intimacy with my Savior. It is such a sweet time! I also love looking back and seeing how faithful God was with circumstances I was facing.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to begin using a prayer journal but doesn’t know where to start?

Just get started! You don’t have to have the perfect journal or even the perfect time. Show up and just write from your heart.

I am grateful that Susan and Allison Marie were willing to share their journeys with us.  If you have yet to begin prayer journaling I pray that you will begin doing so.  You might want to try my  7 Day Journaling Ecourse to get you started.