Have you ever wondered what keeping a prayer journal will do for your faith? In this short devotional, we’ll explore how prayer journaling can change your life and strengthen your relationship with God in a personal and lasting way.
What Is a Prayer Journal?
A prayer journal is a simple way to record your conversations with God. Whether it’s writing out your prayers, keeping track of your quiet time and Bible verses that speak to your heart, or reflecting on how God’s hand is moving in your life, keeping a prayer journal helps you draw closer to Him one entry at a time.
A few years ago I started keeping a prayer journal. A lot has happened in my life since then. Truthfully, it’s been quite a rollercoaster ride. Through all the ups and downs, I’ve offered up many prayers to God and received countless answers in return. So much happens that it’s easy to lose track of all the ways God has answered me. That’s why I’m so glad I started keeping a prayer journal. When I feel discouraged or wonder if I’ll never hear God’s voice again, I can flip back through my journal entries and see the grace of God written across the pages as He answered my prayers and kept me moving forward in life.
It’s such a practical way to stay connected with the Lord, build your faith day by day, and remember that even in the quiet seasons, God is still speaking… sometimes in ways you can only recognize when you take the time to look back and see His hand was guiding you all along.
What Are the Benefits of Keeping a Prayer Journal?
One of the biggest benefits of keeping a prayer journal is the reminder that God really is listening. When you’re in a difficult time and your prayers feel like they’re hitting the ceiling, it helps to look back and see how He’s already been faithful.
I don’t journal every day, and I like to keep it simple. But when God has something important to say to me or I have a deep need to talk to Him, I get out my journal and make an entry. Whether I feel good or bad, I pour my heart out to God on paper. Sometimes I’ll write out a prayer directly to God just as I would say it to Him. And sometimes it’s just my feelings about the day or situation I’m in. (Hey, sometimes it’s silly doodles of flowers, cuz I’m girly like that!)
No matter what I write or have to say about my crazy life, the best part of my prayer journal is keeping track of what God says back to me. His answers always give me peace and comfort in the moment. But I also know I’ll be able to look back over them in the future and find strength in His words again.
Keeping a prayer journal helps you see the grace of God in both the big moments and the quiet ones. Whether through daily journaling or sporadic writing, it becomes a record of every answered prayer and a reminder that He’s always at work, even when you don’t see it right away. That’s the kind of encouragement that will truly change your life… one entry at a time.
How Does Prayer Journaling Change Your Life?
Just like me, I’m sure you’re on your own rollercoaster ride of nonstop action. And I promised you in the title of this post that a prayer journal would change your life. So I’d like to share with you three things that have caused spiritual growth in my life since I began keeping a prayer journal, in the hope that it will do the same in yours too. Each of them builds a little bit on the next. And before you know it, your life, in particular, your prayer life will be changed!
Here are three powerful ways that the practice of prayer journaling has transformed my life, and how it can change yours too:
1. I Realized God Really Does Listen When We Pray
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
Jeremiah 29:12
This passage of scripture is all about the old adage, “Seeing is believing. So, when we see God’s answers to our prayers written down in black and white, we start to understand that God really listens when we pray. As I said before, it is incredible to look back at my previous journal entries and see the way God has faithfully answered the cries of my heart., especially when I was desperate for an answer and couldn’t wait to hear from God, He listened and He answered.
At different times in life, it can feel like your prayers are unheard, but your journal becomes proof that your Heavenly Father has been there all along. Each answered prayer is a reminder of God’s presence walking with you through every season. And the more you see His faithfulness, the more confident you become, bringing your heartfelt cries to Him.
2. Thankfulness Filled My Heart
But in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6
How is it possible to go through difficulties and at the same time pray with thanksgiving? The answer is simple… as the pages of our journals begin to fill up, thankfulness is a natural reaction to so many answered prayers. That gratitude builds up inside and covers all of the dark places we try so hard to hide. It grows and takes root until our hearts are filled to the brim with thankfulness for everything God has done.
One of my favorite things about prayer journaling is how it creates a personal gratitude list without really trying. Then, on the hard days, flipping through past entries reminds me of all the amazing things God has done in my life. The more I take my prayer requests to God and see His answers taking shape, the easier gratitude comes.
3. My Relationship with God Grew Closer the More I Prayed
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
Psalm 145:18
Isn’t it amazing to know that God wants to talk to us? And He wants to have a real and meaningful relationship with us?
Closeness with God is what I crave more than anything, and it’s what I’ve found through my prayer life. The more time I spend with God, the better my relationship with Him becomes. If you’re like me and longing for closeness with God, it’s just a prayer away. The more you call upon Him, the nearer He is to you. All you have to do is start the conversation… He’ll do the rest.
The more time you spend with God, the more you’ll see His love shaping your own heart. It doesn’t take much time, just a willingness to be real and present with Him. That simple act of showing up will draw you into a deeper, more personal relationship with your Heavenly Father, one prayer at a time.
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What Are the Different Ways God Answers Prayer?
It’s interesting to see the many different ways God has of answering prayer.
God uses His own word to speak to us. So it’s no wonder that the pages of my prayer journal are filled with scripture after scripture. Each one of them holds a special meaning to me, so I make sure to write out not only the verse but also why God gave me that particular scripture in response to my prayer.
Recently I read through some of my old entries and found a verse from Romans 15:5 “Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus.” What really sticks out to me in this verse are the words perseverance and encouragement. I’m positive that God spoke these words into my heart because I had asked Him for those two exact things the day before. But if I hadn’t recorded that response from God in my journal, along with my thoughts and prayers, I wouldn’t be able to look back on it now and remember just how good God is in answering my prayers.
Sometimes God will speak to us through a thought or just one word. When He speaks to us in this way, there’s no doubt that the one word or thought is directly from Him. I have pages and pages of notes God has given to me in a sudden burst of inspiration. A single thought or word that He has shared to inspire and encourage my heart. Heck, once it was a number. That one was interesting!
God speaks to us through other people. How many times have I been minding my own business and God has said something to me through another person? More times than I can count. It could come from hearing the pastor preach a sermon that gets right to the heart of the matter, having a conversation with a close friend who openly shares her own circumstances with me, or even sitting in traffic listening to a song on the radio. However, God speaks to me I try to write about it in my journal. I don’t want to forget what He said, and I don’t want His words to fall away unnoticed just because I get busy in this crazy mess we call life.
Seeing God’s Hand Through Prayer Journaling
Keeping a prayer journal is a great way to recognize God’s hand in your everyday life. As you look back over each page, you’ll begin to see how God’s work was gently unfolding, even when you didn’t realize it at the time. The Holy Spirit often speaks in quiet whispers, through Scripture, reflection, and the moments we write down in faith. And those small, seemingly ordinary entries become clear evidence of His power, presence, and perfect timing. When you keep a prayer journal with an open heart, you’re creating a space to remember how deeply loved, seen, and led you truly are.
The Power of Keeping a Prayer Journal
I hope that this Bible Study has given you a few ideas of where to start with your prayer journal. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. Some people fill their journals with pictures and artwork or maybe stickers that have meaning to them. (Who doesn’t love a cute sticker?) Others just want to write down their feelings, thoughts, or answered prayers. Whatever you choose to put in your journal, the real power within its pages is knowing that God is listening when you pray and that He is answering you. It may sound simple, but that’s how a prayer journal will change your life! I’ll be praying for you to see answered prayers filling up your pages soon!
A Beautiful Starting Point for Your Prayer Journey
Staring at a blank journal can be a little intimidating. So, if you’re ready to start your own prayer journal, I have something special just for you…
The Jesus Name Above All Names Prayer Journal for Women was created to be a meaningful and beautiful starting point for your time with God. Inside, you’ll find thoughtfully designed journal pages to help you reflect on God’s Word, write out your prayer requests, and respond to the Holy Spirit’s gentle promptings each day.
Reflecting on the names of Jesus is a wonderful way to draw closer to Him… one prayer, one scripture, and one quiet moment at a time.
Whether you’re brand new to prayer journaling or just need a fresh place to begin, this printable prayer journal will guide your heart and keep your focus on the Name Above Every Name.
Let this be your starting point to a deeper, more personal walk with God.
👉 Click the button below to get your copy today!
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Connie. I love the ideas you gave for your prayer journal, especially writing down how and what God is communicating to you. When doing bible study with other ladies, I always keep a journal full of prayer requests of us all, and then record the answers and praise reports from earlier prayers. This has taught me so much. One that God answers a lot of prayers. And it does make you thankful. And often the prayer was answered in a way we didn’t expect, and yet was just so perfect. We serve an awesome God.
Hi Theresa! Yes, we serve an awesome God! I’m so glad to hear about your prayer journal and the praise reports you keep. It is truly amazing to see God’s hand at work in our lives. Many blessings to you. 🙂
Funny how we tend to forget the times God came through until we see our own documentation. We need those reminders!
Hi Sarah! I agree it’s easy to forget God’s goodness sometimes, but always so great to be reminded. Thanks for stopping by today and God bless you!
You’re speaking my language here! I’ve been keeping a prayer journal for about twenty years now. Every New Years I start a new one and review the old one. It helps me to see God’s active hand in my life and moves me toward gratitude. I must admit over the past two years I’ve been a bit lazy in it but I did just recently begin to be more purposeful with it. Thanks for the affirmation and encouragement in this wonderful practice!
Hi Amy, I’m so glad to hear how a prayer journal has allowed you to see God’s hand in your life. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your heart. God bless!
I’m leaving you a link to Dani at Paulette’s Papers, she does journals and now has a blog link up if you are interested. Blogging and a Prayer Wall keep me busy, but i have a lot of those Christian coloring books.http://paulettespapers.com/?p=16284
Thanks Rebecca. I’ll check it out.