What is a Prayer Journal and why do Christians keep Prayer Journals?
A prayer journal is a personal record or diary where you document your prayers, reflections, and experiences in your spiritual journey. It serves as a dedicated space for communication with God, allowing you to express your thoughts, concerns, and requests using the written word. The contents of a prayer journal can vary widely based on personal preferences and spiritual practices but commonly include a section dedicated to expressing gratitude for blessings received, both big and small.
Keeping any type of journal can be hard work, no matter how much we want to do so. Prompts can make it easy to start, and continue, to keep a journal.
Journaling about our blessings, even in the face of challenges, promotes a positive mindset and attitude, fostering resilience and trust in God’s plan for our lives. It enables us to examine our spiritual journey, highlighting areas of growth, lessons learned, and moments of connection with God. Gratitude journaling can be a tool for spiritual growth, deepening the understanding of our faith and fostering a closer relationship with God.
Using structured gratitude journaling prompts creates a regular and intentional gratitude practice, allowing us to develop a habit of recognising and appreciating God’s goodness in different areas of our lives.
For example, the first prompt below encourages us to identify a specific blessing and to express our gratitude through prayer, by presenting requests to God with thanksgiving as we are advised to do in Philippians 4:6.
I have created the list below for my retreat participants to use during writing meditation sessions. I suggest you read through the list and then respond to the prompt that inspires you most, at this moment in time.
1. Prompt: Reflect on a recent blessing and how it has impacted your faith.
– Bible Verse: Philippians 4:6 (NIV) – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”*
– Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for the blessings in my life. Help me to find something to be grateful for in each and every circumstance. Amen.
2. Prompt: Consider the people in your life you are thankful for and why you are grateful for their presence in your life.
– Bible Verse: 1 Thessalonians 1:2 (NIV) – “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.”
– Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am grateful for the people you’ve placed in my life. Help me to I cherish and honour these relationships. Amen.
3. Prompt: Reflect on a time when God unexpectedly provided for you.
– Bible Verse: Psalm 34:10 (NIV) – “The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”
– Prayer: Lord, thank you for your provision. Help me trust in your abundance, even in challenging times. Amen.
4. Prompt: Journal about the beauty of creation and how it reflects God’s glory.
– Bible Verse: Psalm 19:1 (NIV) – “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
– Prayer: Creator God, thank you for the beauty of your creation. May I always find joy in the wonders of your handiwork. Amen.
5. Prompt: Express gratitude for God’s forgiveness and generosity in your life.
– Bible Verse: Ephesians 1:7 (NIV) – “In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”
– Prayer: Gracious Savior, thank you for your forgiveness and unending grace. Help me live in the freedom of your redemption. Amen.
6. Prompt: Journal about a specific answered prayer and the impact it had on your faith.
– Bible Verse: 1 John 5:14 (NIV) – “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
– Prayer: Loving Father, thank you for answering my prayers. Increase my faith as I trust in your perfect will. Amen.
7. Prompt: Reflect on the role gratitude plays in fostering a positive mindset.
– Bible Verse: Colossians 3:15 (NIV) – “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
– Prayer: Prince of Peace, help me cultivate a heart of gratitude that brings forth your peace. Amen.
8. Prompt: Consider a trial you’ve faced and journal about the lessons learned and gratitude gained.
– Bible Verse: James 1:2-3 (NIV) – “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
– Prayer: Sovereign God, thank you for using trials to strengthen my faith. Grant me perseverance and wisdom. Amen.
9. **Prompt: Journal about the impact of thanksgiving on your relationship with God.**
– Bible Verse: Psalm 100:4 (NIV) – “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
– Prayer: Heavenly Father, may my thanksgiving draw me closer to your presence. Let my gratitude be a sweet fragrance before you. Amen.
10. Prompt: Reflect on the ways God has shown His love to you and express your gratitude.
– Bible Verse: 1 John 4:16 (NIV) – “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and anyone who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in them.”
– Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for your unending love. May I dwell in your love and extend it to others. Amen.
11. Prompt: Journal about the small daily blessings you often overlook.
– Bible Verse: James 1:17 (NIV) – “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
– Prayer: Abba Father, open my eyes to the abundance of your daily blessings. Cultivate in me a heart of gratitude for the seemingly small gifts. Amen.
12. Prompt: Consider the ways you can be a blessing to others and express gratitude through acts of kindness.
– Bible Verse: 2 Corinthians 9:11 (NIV) – “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
– Prayer: Generous God, empower me to be a blessing to others as a reflection of your abundant grace. Amen.
13. Prompt: Journal about the role of gratitude in overcoming anxiety and finding peace.
– Bible Verse: Philippians 4:7 (NIV) – “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
– Prayer: Prince of Peace, thank you for the promise of peace through gratitude. Guard my heart and mind as I choose thanksgiving over anxiety. Amen.
14. Prompt: Reflect on the impact of gratitude on your relationships with family and friends.
– Bible Verse: Proverbs 17:17 (NIV) – “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”
– Prayer: Loving Father, thank you for the gift of relationships. May my gratitude deepen the bonds of love with my family and friends. Amen.
15. Prompt: Journal about the role of gratitude in your journey of spiritual growth.
– Bible Verse: Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV) – “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
– Prayer: Faithful God, thank you for the journey of spiritual growth. May gratitude be the soil in which my faith is rooted and strengthened. Amen.
16. Prompt: Consider the ways you can express gratitude for your body, recognizing it as a temple of the Holy Spirit.
– Bible Verse: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) – “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received as a gift from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”
– Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am grateful for the gift of my body. May my actions and choices honour you, recognizing it as a temple of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
17. Prompt: Reflect on the role of gratitude in times of adversity and how it can transform your perspective.
– Bible Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV) – “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
– Prayer: Gracious God, teach me to give thanks in all circumstances. Transform my perspective through gratitude, even in times of adversity. Amen.
18. Prompt: Journal about the ways gratitude can enhance your worship and connection with God.
– Bible Verse: Psalm 95:2-3 (NIV) – “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.”
– Prayer: Worthy God, may my worship be adorned with gratitude. Help me come before you with a thankful heart. Amen.
19. Prompt: Consider the impact of gratitude on your attitude toward challenges and uncertainties.
– Bible Verse: Romans 8:28 (NIV) – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
– Prayer: Sovereign Lord, thank you for working all things for my good. Grant me faith and gratitude in the face of challenges and uncertainties. Amen.
20. Prompt: Reflect on the ultimate gift of salvation through Jesus Christ and express gratitude for God’s redeeming love.
– Bible Verse: Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
– Prayer: Redeeming God, I am grateful for the gift of salvation through your grace. May my life be a testimony of your redeeming love. Amen.
Prayer journals serve as a valuable tool for deepening our relationship with God, fostering self-reflection, and providing a tangible record of our spiritual growth.
If you have found this list of prompts useful, please subscribe to my Savoir Vivre Vignettes Mailing list, or even better, come and attend a Christian Mindfulness and Meditation Retreat with Horses here in the south of France!
©MargarethaMontagu
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