How to Make a Prayer Journal with Free Printables
Creating a homemade prayer journal is a great way to help you cultivate the habit of prayer in your daily life. Use these free PDF prayer journal printables to easily get started.
I’ll admit it – a consistent prayer life is something that I have had to work on diligently all of my life.
I have had to be intentional about carving out specific times during the day that are dedicated to prayer and Bible study. If I’m not intentional with my time, these spiritual disciplines easily fall through the cracks of my busy days. And I don’t want that.
I need time in prayer – praising, thanking, and bringing my needs and the needs of others before Him.
And I want that for you, too.
“Rejoice always! Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything, for this God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I’ve put together some free DIY Prayer Journal Printables that you’ll find in this blog post. My hope is that these printables give you a great starting point in your prayer journal!
You can find the printables, and some other resources, at the end of this post, or by clicking the link in the table on contents below.
(Affiliate disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate this means that I Will earn a small commission if you choose to purchase through my links. This is at no extra cost to you!)
Contents
- What is Prayer Journaling?
- How to Make a Prayer Journal
- Setting up sections in Journal
- Prayer Prompts
- Access the FREE Printables for Your Journal
- Customizing your Prayer Journal
- What to do with your Prayer Journal Pages?
- Resources on Prayer
What is Prayer Journaling?
The purpose of a prayer journal is to help us focus during our times of prayer. It is a tool we can use to be more intentional with our time in prayer.
I’ve found that as I write my prayers out in my own prayer journal, I am more focused. My mind isn’t wandering, distracted by random thoughts of all I need to do. And while I don’t write out all of my prayers anymore, there are seasons of life that I need more structure and discipline.
It is also a way to record prayer requests and God’s faithfulness in answering prayers.
When a family member or friend asks for prayers because of a hard time, you can add it to your list. When an event happens (or maybe something you want to happen, isn’t happening) you can add it to your prayer list.
This intentional recording is a great way to keep track of all of the needs of others.
How to Make a Prayer Journal
A prayer journal can be created and customized several different ways. Here are some ideas on what you can set your prayer journal up in:
- Use the free printable prayer journal template in this post. You can print them and place in a 3-ring binder or appropriately sized planner.
- Use a bullet journal. This gives you the option to customize your pages by adding headings.
- Use a plain notebook as your “Prayer Notebook” by adding headings and custom sections to the blank pages.
If you’re not able to print the pages that I’ve created below, you can still use them as a guide for hand creating your own journal pages.
There really isn’t a wrong way to set it up. The main thing is to have one centralized binder, journal, or notebook with paper and pens that you can grab each day.
Prayer Journal Sections
The first thing you will want to do after deciding on your binder or journal, is to set up different sections.
Daily Prayer Journal Pages
This section is to be used in your daily prayer time.
Start your daily prayers by going to God’s Word. Read a passage of scripture and record it, or part of it, at the top of your page. Use this list of prayer prompts I put together to help you get started if needed.
In the Reflection section, write out anything that stood out to you during your scripture reading. Confess any sin that was revealed to you.
Next, in the Praise and Thanksgiving section, praise God for who He is. Give thanks to God for what He has done for you or in the lives of others.
And finally, bring your requests before the Lord. This is where you can pray over your own needs and the needs of those around you.
(Need help praying over the scriptures? This book has been amazing for teaching me how to take any section of scripture and turn it in to a prayer.)
Prayer Request Pages
Beyond the daily pages, you will also want to keep a section of prayer requests.
This can be a big “master prayer list” of all prayer requests you’ve received. You can add to it as you receive the requests.
In the printable I’ve created, there is a spot for the name of the person or circumstance that needs prayer, a spot for the specific request and a notes section.
In the notes section, you can keep track of the last date you prayed for this as well as keep track of any praise reports (answer prayers).
Try to visit this list daily to bring the needs of others before the Lord.
Prayer Request Cards
This section can be used a couple of ways. You can keep it just for personal use, like the Prayer Request page I just described but with more space to write out the details.
You can also cut these cards in to individual pieces and use them in your Bible study or Church settings.
“Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18
Day of the Week Prayers
Some people choose to dedicate each day of the week to a specific category or person. After your daily prayers, you could turn to this section and pray more in depth for the category of that day. This is an easy way to regularly pray deep prayers for those you find most important.
It may look something like this:
- Monday : Spouse
- Tuesday : Children
- Wednesday : Friend or Family Member in Need
- Thursday : Local Church
- Friday : Global Church
- Saturday : World or Cultural Issues
- Sunday : Praise and Thanksgiving
The printable I created below just has the days of the week with a box for each day. Within that box you can write the category at the top and then list out prompts or things you want to pray over that specific situation or person.
So for the box for your children, it may look like:
Tuesday : Childs Name – Obedience, their health, a desire to serve God, etc.
Another way to set this section up is by dedicating a full page to each person. Start by writing the name of the person or item you would like to pray for at the top of the page. You can then either write out your prayers or just write out a list of specific things you want to pray for that person for.
Journal Prompts
You may also find joy in a less structured prayer page and just desire to have some prompts to get you started, and then you can pour out your prayers in a longer format.
If this is you, you will probably find it helpful to have a list of journal prompts to keep in your binder.
I have created a separate post with a helpful list of prompts that you can check out here.
And of course, I included a printable for you on that post as well 🙂
Free Printables!
Here are the journal templates that I’ve created just for you to use.
Click here to open your free PDF printables!
These printables have been designed to print on standard US size paper of 8.5″ X 11″.
These printables are the sole property of Humbly Rooted Home and should only be used for personal use. They may not be sold or redistributed commercially.
Customize Your Prayer Journal
Customize your prayer journal by using (or creating) a pretty cover. You can also include tabs for each of the sections in your journal.
Another easy way to add personal touches to your prayer journal notebook is by using washi tape or decorative paper.
Obviously, a decorated journal isn’t the main goal here – but there is also nothing wrong with spending a little time making something beautiful!
Here are some journaling accessories you can check out to help customize:
What to do with your prayer journal pages?
I recommend selecting some of the pages from your prayer journal to save for your children or grandchildren. This is a wonderful to share your faith with future generations of your family.
Your loved ones can see your devotion to seeking time with the Lord. They can read records of God’s faithfulness. And they will hopefully be encouraged to be disciplined in their prayers, not just in difficult times, but in every moment of life.
Once I run out of room in my journal or notebook, I will hand select the special written prayers I would like to keep to pass on, and place them in a keepsake box for now.
Prayer Resources
Here are some recommendations on books that I have found to be a huge help in my prayer life.
Spiritual Disciplines for The Christian Life
(This book covers more than just prayer and is all around a great read.)
(Learn how to pray through any Bible verse)
More posts you may like from Humbly Rooted Home:
Top 10 Prayer Journals for Christian Women (Free Printable!)
The Best Bible Studies for New Believers – Christian Women (humblyrootedhome.com)
The Best Christian Podcasts to Study the Bible for Women – Humbly Rooted Home
