How to Start a Prayer Journal (and Actually Keep It)
A prayer journal slows your mind down, keeps you focused, and leaves a written record of God's faithfulness you can read for years.
Why write your prayers?
"Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables" (Habakkuk 2:2). Writing does three things for prayer. It keeps a wandering mind on track. It makes you specific. And it creates a record, so that months later you can turn back the pages and see exactly how God answered.
What you need
- A notebook, or our free printable 7-day prayer journal.
- A pen you like writing with.
- Your Bible, or the verse of the day.
- Ten quiet minutes.
A simple page layout
Use the same layout every day so you never stare at a blank page:
- Date at the top.
- Scripture. Copy out one verse by hand.
- Adore: one or two lines of praise.
- Confess: anything that needs to be made right.
- Thank: three specific things.
- Ask: your needs and others', by name.
- Listen: what you sense God is saying through His Word.
The most important column: leave space next to each request to write the date and how God answered. That's the part you'll treasure later.
Prompts for when you're stuck
- Lord, today I'm worried about...
- Something I've been avoiding telling You is...
- I saw Your goodness yesterday when...
- Someone I need to forgive is...
- Help me be faithful today in...
- The verse I read today makes me think...
How to keep it going
- Same time, same place. Leave the journal where you'll see it.
- Short is fine. Three honest lines count.
- Review monthly. At the end of the month, read back and mark the answers. It will build your faith.
- Use a tracker. The 31-day tracker in the Prayer Toolkit helps you see your streak.
Ready to try it? Read about our prayer journals, or download the free 7-day journal and start tomorrow morning.
Questions people ask
What do I write in a prayer journal?
The date, a verse, and your prayer: praise, confession, thanks and requests. Add a line for what you sense God saying, and leave room to write answers later.
Do I need a special journal?
No. Any notebook works. Some people like a printed journal with prompts so they don't face a blank page; our free 7-day prayer journal is a good way to try it.
How is a prayer journal different from a diary?
A diary records what happened. A prayer journal is written to God: what you're bringing to Him and what He is doing.
