Prayer journals...
Ha ! Therein hangs a tale.
I think prayer journalling depends on the sort of person you are. I suspect that if you're someone who likes writing things down you'll take to it like a duck to water. Even if you don't I think it might be good to note down some of what you've lived over the last few months so you can remember what actually happened and so you can see it through fresh eyes later on. It helps me to keep a record of what did God actually say to me at the time.
However as for journals in general, and prayer journals in particular, I was not, and am still not, someone who sits still easily so I don't think I can be of much help. As soon as I stop I make stories in my head it's both a weakness and a strength. I've had to deal with strong feelings of condemnation because I've always functioned better in fits and starts. In some ways I've had to learn more discipline and in others I'm best harnessing what I've got, what I am, including my imagination but recognising it as such.
Prayer when I was well happened almost entirely on the hoof, washing up, especially driving or walking, any odd moments.
Colin took up a lot of my emotional 'space' being such an exciting, intelligent but emotional person. And we church planted and reached out and had lodgers. If I waited to have personal space it just didn't happen. And when ever I've stopped I've slept. Part too busy lifestyle, husband who didn't sleep much, maybe health wobblies even way back. I didn't have time for TV either. It helps me to attatch prayer to a concrete thing so if I see someone, pass their house, think of them, I really try to pray there and then. If someone asks for prayer or I want to pray for them I've no guarantee of availability later so i only pray there and then and anything else is extra.
But then there's carrying things and people in my heart. I don't have words to explain it except perhaps the Romans 8 groan but an old bloke in our mission told us he sort of builds an altar in his heart in worship then lays it all out before God and just sort of holds it all up to him in the way a small child will bring something to a parent to take the lid off it, get the knots out of the laces or whatever. Sometimes God will do it for him, sometimes he'll send someone to do it, sometimes he expects us to get a book out of the library and jolly well learn lol
I find when I try to note down about things I want to pray about I'm too much of a Tigger and end up praying for the whole world in one session then I'll find the nice, nearly new book a year or two later and feel guilty. I'm better praying over the missionary letter when I get it rather than put it in a pile. Also if I write things down I end up trying to fix things for people in my head and tho it may mean I brainstorm some interesting ideas it doesn't involve enough listening to be particularly powerful as prayer.
I do a little journalling but it's more to do with thinking things through, and I do like studying and I need to write down the summary of what I've learned or it may be lost. I have little discoveries books that I use like my embroidery ideas book and sketch book and new french words book, the act of writing down helps fix the thought. That's sort of what the blog does for me too.
One thing I really like about journalling is that it makes a more focused space for reflection in what ever area, and in the secret journal where I write down if I've had disturbing dreams I can say the thoughts that seem too negative then evacuate them by handing them over, I always become positive again after. Some of the need for that one was fuelled by simple loneliness and I've barely written in it recently. Also having had some tough times relationship wise I don't like leaving myself too much thinking space because I end up asking unanswerable questions like why, or why me. Not helpful. More edifying to say 'here Lord' and listen to the radio lol
Someone I admire has a prayer diary and puts photos of people in it. Someone else reads a bit of the bible, studies it, meditates on it and prays using a page a day diary. He's been a christian over 40 years, that's a lot of diaries. Someone else bought himself a modern language bible and reads it like a novel. Someone spends a whole hour in prayer and meditation before leading worship on a Sunday, a couple of other mums like me could only get to a prayer meeting if we took our toddlers with us so we met in a front room and took it in turns to close our eyes and the others kept one each on the kids, happy days. We moved into our new flat in france keen to start evangelising and God made it clear we were not to, but start by praying in the stairs in front of each flat and he had his prayer journal. We were on the 7th floor - Col did it going up and down, I used the lift going up. By the end of 3 years we'd been in at least one flat on every floor as a guest and been able to share good news in most of the homes.
What I'm saying is what do you think God's saying to you ? Or maybe it's even what do you think you might find the most helpful for you, knowing who you are and how you work best ?
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