Prayer Journals: Templates, Ideas, and How To Start A Prayer Diary

Your prayers are something to be kept between you and God, but there are many ways to communicate with the Lord. You don’t have to be kneeling by your bed for your prayers to be heard. A prayer journal is a great way to communicate with God and foster a stronger relationship with your faith.

What is a prayer journal?

A prayer journal is a way to talk to God. It is a place to write down your prayers and see how they change over time: what prayers have been answered and which ones haven’t. Prayer journals are places to reflect on your beliefs, your challenges, your doubts and how God can help you work through them all.

A prayer diary is reflective journal that can help you practice your faith, for you can write about prayers, but also lessons you have learned, personal discoveries, questions you have and answers you have found thanks to God.

Why write a prayer journal?

Think of a prayer journal as a dairy for the thoughts and feelings you wish to share with God. Writing them down in one place is very beneficial when practicing your faith and will promote a sincerer and regular relationship with God. Here are some important reasons to write your prayers in a journal:

It keeps your prayers organized.

Prayer journaling helps keep your prayers in the same place. Your entries may be consistent, or they may change every day, but it is nice to have a place where you can keep track of them and note changes and trends. A prayer diary can help you create a written journey of your faith and feelings; a journey you are able to revisit and expand upon.

It keeps your prayers private.

By creating an online prayer journal with Penzu, your prayers are kept personal and private. You are the only person that can access the journal, keeping your conversation with God confidential. By not having to worry about the security of your words, your prayers will become even more honest and candid; therefore, making your relationship with God more honest and candid.

You will pray more.

If you get into the habit of writing a journal entry every day, you will get into the habit of praying every day, if you don’t already. By writing them down, you will commit your prayers to memory and will be more likely to have an ongoing conversation with God, as opposed to just talking with him sporadically.

11 Prayer Journal Ideas To Help You Get Started

Sometimes it’s tough to get started. If you’re having trouble deciding what to write about, read on. These prayer journal ideas and prompts will get you off to a great start, helping you get closer to God, your faith and the world around you.

1. Family

A great topic to write about is your family. Write about your parents, you grandparents, your siblings or cousins. Your journal is the perfect place to pray for their good fortune.

2. Friends

Friends are often considered the family you get to choose, so write down the prayers you have for them. Pray for your friend getting that new job they want. Pray for your friend’s health and the health of their family. Pray for your best friend’s happiness. Pray for the wellness of those people you chose to be important to you.

3. God

Write a letter to God about how much you love, appreciate and admire His work.

4. Community

Pray for your community and the people involved. Whether it be leaders, business owners or local officials, address what changes you think would help your community and pray that God helps these leaders find the strength to promote these positive changes.

5. The World

Pray for strangers around the world that need love. Our world is filled with problems, but prayer can help save those you may have never met, but need the most help.

6. Enemies

Some say it is harder to love than to hate, so pray for those who aren’t necessarily at the top of your list of favorite people.

7. Prayer Walk

Take a walk outside and right down a prayer for all of the things you see in nature that you are thankful for.

8. Problem Solve

Are you having a problem? Discuss what you are struggling with and how you think you can fix it. Pray for the things within your control that you are grateful for and how they can help you overcome this issue.

9. Prayer Confession

You can use your digital diary as a way to confess your sins to God, if you are comfortable doing so. Continue to write about why they were wrong and pray to make the right choices and decisions in the future. Pray to learn from your mistakes.

10. The Prayer of Others

Copy down a prayer someone else has written into your journal. You can elaborate on it and discuss how the prayer relates to you and those around you.

11. Be Blessed

Write down the things you are most thankful for. What has God blessed you with? It is important to remember all the gifts God has given you.

Your prayers can be about anything you want, these are just merely journal writing ideas to inspire you and get you going in the right direction. Your journal is personal and private, so let your prayers be as free-flowing as your thoughts.

Prayer Journal Template: 6 Components of a Structured Entry

A prayer diary is a personal and private journal that helps you communicate with God, but if you are unsure how to write a journal entry, this template is a good way to begin.

1. Start with the date.

You always want to date your entries, so you can see when your prayers are answered and how they evolve over time. Usually, you will add a date to the top right edge of the page.

2. Find inspiration.

If you are having trouble starting your entry, maybe write down a favorite quote or passage that inspires you.

3. Choose a topic.

Before you begin writing, decide what you are going to write about. Look to the quote or passage your picked to guide your prayer. Is this a prayer about someone you love? Something you hope to accomplish? Something you want to change? Something you are grateful for? By deciding on a subject for your prayer, your entry will be more focused.

4. Create a title.

The title doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but should relate to what you are writing about. The title will not only keep your writing on track, it will also make it easier to find the entry when looking for it later on.

5. Write in paragraphs.

Break up your thoughts into more specific paragraphs, like:

What is your prayer?

Try to write down your prayer in one to two sentences.

Why are you praying about this?

Elaborate on why this is important to you.

Who does this prayer affect?

Discuss who else, if anyone, is involved.

By breaking your prayer down, you can keep the different aspects organized and more detailed.

6. Express gratitude.

Always try to conclude your entry with things in your life you are thankful for.

Write down these headings before you start your entry and they will act as a helpful guide when navigating your prayer journal. Now let’s discuss how you can get started with your prayer journaling.

To start a prayer journal:

1. Create your prayer journal for free.

To begin your free online journaling, you will want to create a free account with Penzu and download bible journal app so you can have the option to write on both a computer and mobile device.

2. Take time to write your first prayer diary entry.

It doesn’t matter what your first entry is about, just that you write one. Write about what you prayed about that day or something you have been meaning to pray about. Getting started is the hardest part, so just go for it.

3. Feel free to write about more than prayers in your diary.

Your journal doesn’t need to be just about your prayers. This journal is a way to communicate with God, so feel free to write about other ways your life relates to your faith. By writing about how the two connect, you will be able to find more answers, possibilities and opportunities to apply your faith to everyday life.

4. Try to write in your journal every single day.

It is helpful to make a habit out of writing in your journal. Even if your prayers have not changed, it is important to discuss them every day and see how they progress.

5. Reflect on your past prayers on a regular basis to learn and deepen your relationship with God.

Go back and read through your journal. See how your conversation with God has changed, what prayers were answered and how you helped God answer them. By reading your past entries, you can learn more about yourself, your path and God’s plan for you.

Using Penzu for your prayer journal

Penzu makes keeping a prayer journal easier than ever. It is free, secure and convenient. It offers a prayer journal app, so your faith can come with you anywhere your tablet or mobile phone goes. All you need to do is sign-up to begin writing, discussing and learning from your prayers.