Prayer Journals

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”- Psalm 77:11-12, NIV

In Joshua 4, God gave the Israelites a special set of instructions. He told them to take 12 stones, one for each tribe, and set them in a specific place. Read Joshua 4:21-24 with me:

Then Joshua explained again the purpose of the stones: “In the future,” he said, “when your children ask you why these stones are here and what they mean, you are to tell them that these stones are a reminder of this amazing miracle—that the nation of Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground! Tell them how the Lord our God dried up the river right before our eyes and then kept it dry until we were all across! It is the same thing the Lord did forty years ago at the Red Sea! He did this so that all the nations of the earth will realize that Jehovah is the mighty God, and so that all of you will worship Him forever.” (The Living Bible)

As followers of Jesus Christ, we should keep “stones” for the same reason the Israelites did: to remember what God has done. It would be difficult for us to collect a stone each time we encountered God. My solution: Prayer Journals.

Studies show that writing down information helps us to remember it. Human nature makes us forgetful even of God’s works. This is where prayer journals come in handy. Use them to consistently write:

Prayers
God’s answer to your prayers
Testimonies
Scriptures
Revelations
Lessons learned
Dreams, visions, and happenings
Words of wisdom and knowledge
Prophecies
God’s promises
Warnings from God
Instructions from the Holy Spirit
Dates that God’s Word is fulfilled
and more…

Writing is the first step. Next, you must reflect on previous entries. Over the course of time, your prayer journals will reveal a beautiful story of God’s movement in your life and the lives of people you have interceded for. You will see how He protected you, why you experienced certain hardships, and when His Word manifested. Talk about a faith booster!

Prayer journals measure your growth. They show how God is shifting your desires away from your flesh to those of the Holy Spirit. You will be able to celebrate your progress and extend grace to yourself rather than be defeated.

Prayer journals also preach to you. In them, you will find scriptures for strength, instructions to persevere, and warnings that stop faulty decision making. The words you wrote months or years ago will continue to speak to you.

I know this because I started keeping prayer journals in college. At first, I would casually jot down scriptures and prayers. I became more intentional about using them once I realized their effectiveness. Ten years and several journals later, I have an account of how God answered my prayers, transformed my heart, and is fulfilling His promises to me.

God is doing so much for you in this season! It is important that you document your journey with prayer journals. They will remind you of God’s hand in your past, present, and future. You will always have a reason to praise God and testify of His goodness.

Join me in prayer: Lord, You are mighty! I thank you for all the amazing things you have done for me. I want to worship You forever. Build within me the discipline to write about You so that I will remember Your works and testify of Your miracles. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

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