How to keep a prayer diary

[JennyG]

Just read this on nwink's thread "how to warm a cold heart":

Keep a prayer journal, pray aggressively, watch and then make note of how He answers those prayers.
There is a deacon at Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) here who has a shelf full of such journals. (by Wayne)

It must sound a stupid question, but how exactly do you keep a prayer diary? It's something I've had a shot at every now and then, but never managed to keep it up for long. Do you write out the prayers the way you pray them, or just note each one down, "prayed for such and such..."?
I do keep a notebook to write down the names of people I'm praying for - the main difficulty there is that the list inevitably gets longer and longer, but I can't bring myself to delete any.
I'm wondering how other people manage?
Thank you!

 

[Zach]

I'm glad you asked this because I too just started one after being convicted that I do not pray for others as often as I pray for myself. I'm interested in reading the responses.

 

[Rufus]

I had several "notes" on my cellphone of people, places, and causes to pray for, I recently deleted all of them because I wasn't using them much anymore. From what I've learned from that I recommend you write down people, places, and causes that you will be needed to pray for continually otherwise you'll find stuff you no longer feel a need for (particularly when praying for yourself).

 

[baron]

I just write down the persons name and request then pray. I know of people who use notebooks and list names, request, dates, answer to prayers. When prayers are answered they cross them off list unless there are more request. This tends to be a little messy for me.

Paul E. Miller in his book A Praying Life uses he uses 3x5 index cards. He puts their name, request, a scripture verse for person, regarding their situation. You can put the cards in a pile when prayer has been answered. Also you can carry the cards on you and pray when ever you find a few free minutes. You can divide the cards into days of the week. Every day you are praying for a diffrent person, church, missionary, etc. I have a hard time coming up with a diffrent scripture verse for each person and their situation.

I remember John MacArthur saying once that you should pray more for others than yourself. Then others will be praying for you.

 

[JennyG]

Thanks, guys.
I don't think I could cope with the index-card method though - I'm not that organised.

I too just started one after being convicted that I do not pray for others as often as I pray for myself.

I remember John MacArthur saying once that you should pray more for others than yourself.

so does that mean a prayer journal is mostly useful with a view to how you pray for others? I've been looking at it the other way round I think. I always have my shopping-list of people and causes (some written down and some in my head), but if I get in the habit of thinking I'm done when I've worked through that, I'm convicted that I'm not spending any time just lifting up my own heart in praise or confession.

I wonder if anyone puts that kind of prayer in a prayer journal - and if so, how do you go about it?

 

[Mindaboo]

I keep two prayer journals. I keep a personal prayer journal where I write out my prayers/confessions of sin. I also use those journals to write out quotes, songs, and special events. I list a persons birthday, anniversary, or anything else that might happen on that day. My personal journal is mainly my thoughts, struggles, notes on passages I've read etc. I also keep a prayer journal with my kids. We have a list of unbelievers, college students, pastors, friends, elders, deacons, those suffering, moms expecting, etc. I have the list and we just work through four or so each day and just keep rotating them out. I generally pray for everyone on our list in about a weeks time. I don't pray for everyone everyday. It's too overwhelming. My youngest two girls keep a list of people to pray for as well. It's always good for us to see who we're praying for and how the Lord answers those prayers. We are then able to praise God for answering those things we've asked specifically for.

When I do write out my personal prayers I usually pick a Psalm or some passage of Scripture to use as a guide. I have probably ten or more journals with our families trials and answers to prayer written out.

I've also had a calendar with a family from our church listed for each day. That doesn't work as well as the notebook does for us.

I also keep a sermon journal. I take notes every week during the sermon, and whenever a child is baptized or someone joins the church I write that in for that day too. It gives me a church history I can look back on. I kind of like having that.

 

[JM]

The church I attend sends out emails and places prayer needs in the bulleten. Robert Murray M'Cheyne would pray for everyone in his congragation during the early morning hours so I decided to pray through the church member directory often. Some of my sweetest devotional times were spent using the church directory.