I promised you last week that for the rest of 2010 I will be filling my space here with some suggestions and tips for possible New Year’s resolutions, so I will keep my word and begin this morning. I have to begin with a disclaimer: what works for me may not work for you, God designed us all a little different; so the most important thing to carry with you into 2011 is knowing that you can adjust and tweak my suggestions to fit you until you find a comfortable routine.
This week we will begin with one of the most useful tools that I have found in my spiritual journey: A Prayer Journal. Here is my problem: I want to pray, but it is hard to find time, I have tried to pray in bed at night before I went to sleep but most of the time I ended up asleep. When I tried to sit somewhere and pray, my mind ended up wandering and I spent very little time in prayer and really couldn’t remember most of what I prayed for. Then a good friend of mine introduced me to using a prayer journal. Now initially I fought the concept because if felt like a diary, but once I gave it a chance I realized how valuable it was to have a tangible record of my prayers.
So here are some tips on using a prayer journal.
- A prayer journal can be any type of notebook or pad of paper. Personally I try to choose books that will stand the test of time, because I hope these books will become family treasures that will last until Jesus comes back. I want my kids to know how I prayed for them, not just that I prayed for them, and perhaps these journals can guide them through some struggle that I have been through long after I have gone. You can buy a notebook for $1 or a leather journal for hundreds, but that is up to you. I get mine from the office supply section of Wal-Mart.
- Set aside some time, preferably in the morning, if possible to read your Bible and write your letter to God every day. Jesus set aside time for God in his life here on earth, He went to quiet places and prayed; the Psalms also encourage us to seek God in the morning. If you make your prayer time the first thing you do every day, you don’t have to worry about something coming up that will take that time. In my life I discovered that there is always something else to do at night: playing, cleaning, preparing for tomorrow, sleeping. So I just get up and get it done, and honestly, I makes the day better to start it with God.
- At the top of my page I write the date, the day of the week and what passages I read that morning. Sometimes if a particular verse sticks out to me I will write it out completely so I can see it again later. Don’t worry about how short or long your prayer is, sometimes a few words can be more powerful than a book full of words. So don’t think that there is a minimum number of words required or certain amount of space that you have to take up. Make the format work for you because this is your journal.
- Find a quiet place. Lock yourself in the bathroom, in your closet, in the garden, or go hide in the neighbors car, you have to try to get rid of as many distractions as you can so you can concentrate on God.
- Write a letter to God from your heart. God does not want us to repeat, “God is great…” or the Lord’s Prayer to Him every day. Be honest with God, tell Him how you feel, what you are grateful for, confess your sins, and make your requests. Just be open and real, God knows who we are and He does not need a show from us. Even though other people might read these prayers, treat your book like it is a top secret document that only you and God will ever see.
- Don’t get discouraged when you miss a day, a week or a month. God does not love you any more when you are faithful to your prayer time or less when you miss it. Our Christian walk is a series of failures as we try to be more like Christ every day, some of my prayer journals have huge gaps in them and those gaps are a testimony today that God loves me in spite of me and even though I struggle to be faithful to Him, He is always faithful to me. So when you miss, when the snooze button wins the battle in the morning don’t get discouraged and give up, just get back up and try again. Victory tastes better after you have tasted defeat.
- Don’t forget to go back and read your old prayers. I am repeatedly amazed at how God answers my prayers. I have had prayers answered as I have written them and some prayers that took some time, but I am so glad that I have a record of God’s hand in my life and when I start to doubt all I have to do is go back and read. What usually happens when I go back and read is I discover that I need to write a thank you note on my next page.
- Don’t read your spouse’s prayers; you probably don’t want to know what they are saying about you anyway. Wait until they are gone, then you won’t be too mad that they prayed for 20 years for God to make you a better kisser or for your feet to stop killing the houseplants. Keep your eyes on your own prayer journal.
For me a prayer journal is so many things: a tangible record of my prayers, a family treasure, a visual reminder to pray, a visual reminder of my faithfulness (or lack of faithfulness) to God, and a tool that has done wonders for my prayer life. If your goal for 2011 is to spend more time in prayer I hope you will consider starting a prayer journal. If you need help or encouragement please let me know or find someone else here at church who is also journaling their prayers. Because, more than likely, our struggles are much the same and together we can all get better.
If using a prayer journal has peaked your curiosity and you want me to pray for you, please shoot me an email: josh@bbcsbc.com
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