Prayer journaling is an essential spiritual practice for me and has been since I was in my late teens. But it was only recently that I realized how much I need journaling to feel connected to God.
“On a scale from 1 to 10, I’d give us a 3.”
That was my answer when my life & leadership coach recently asked me how things were going in my spiritual life. And by “us” I meant God and me.
“Why so low?” she inquired.
I gave an easy answer: “I haven’t been to church in weeks.”
In March, I started a new job, and I have yet to get a handle on my schedule – hence the absence at church. But I knew that this had little to do with the low score.
When I signed up for life and leadership coaching, I promised myself I wouldn’t spend this money only to spend an hour every other week lying to myself and my coach. So, I got honest.
“But if I’m being real, that can’t be why my spiritual life is in shambles,” I told her. Alice Walker once wrote, “Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me.” And that’s exactly how I feel, I shared.
“So, what helps you feel close to God?” my coach asked.
“Prayer journaling,” I answered without delay.
As I struggled to adjust to my new life as editor of one of the last few remaining print publications in Birmingham, I not only neglected going to church but prayer journaling was pushed to the back burner too. This chat with my coach showed me that I had to fix this.
What Is Prayer Journaling?
Simply put, prayer journaling is the practice of writing your prayers instead of (or in addition to) speaking them. But as with any type of journaling, prayer journaling can be whatever you need it to be. It can include anything from gratitude lists and scripture reflections to honest conversations with God about your hopes, dreams and fears. It can be a list of questions. It can even be a list of complaints.
Prayer journaling is intentionally focused on your relationship with God, but I think it also explores your relationship with yourself. It creates a sacred space where you can be fully honest, present and reflective.
For me, prayer journaling is where my love for God and my love for writing collide. The church I attended in college introduced me to the practice, and I started carrying a prayer journal with me all the time and would stop to write in it whenever I needed a quick chat with God. My prayers became poetry and love letters to God, and suddenly I felt God everywhere and in everything, from a post-workout smoothie to the warmth of the sun on my skin. Once on New Year’s Eve, I felt God with me on the dance floor of a nightclub.
Benefits of Prayer Journaling
What’s the point of keeping a prayer journal? I remember a lot of people asking me this when I first started writing down my prayers. But as the years go by, I find more reasons to put my conversations with God on paper.
1. Deepens Your Spiritual Connection
Writing slows your thoughts down. When you journal your prayers, you’re more likely to be intentional with your words and fully present in the moment. This can help you feel more connected and rooted in your faith.
2. Brings Clarity and Peace
Sometimes your thoughts feel tangled. Prayer journaling helps you untangle them. As you write, you may discover insights, solutions, or simply a sense of calm you didn’t have before.
3. Helps You Stay Consistent
If you struggle with consistency in prayer, journaling can give you structure. Even five minutes a day can turn into a meaningful habit that you look forward to.
4. Creates a Record of Growth and Gratitude
One of the most powerful aspects of prayer journaling is being able to look back. You can see how your prayers have evolved, how your mindset has shifted, and even how specific prayers have been answered over time. You can see how much you’ve grown and see how much you have to be grateful for.
5. Encourages Honesty
When you write, it’s easier to be real. Prayer journaling invites you to show up as you are. There’s no pressure to sound holy and no worries about saying the right or wrong thing. Don’t worry about spelling and grammar either. (And this is coming from a former English teacher.) Remember, this is prayer, not performance.
How to Start a Prayer Journal
Starting a prayer journaling practice is simple. Just pick up a notebook and a pen and start writing down whatever you want to say to God. That’s it. If you want to stay consistent, however, I’d suggest that you create a ritual and routine.
Choose Your Journal
If you already keep a journal, you could write your prayers in that same notebook, but I like to designate a journal just for prayers. This might be just to give myself an excuse to buy another journal, but my prayer journal does feel sacred. Pick something that feels inviting, something that you’ll actually use.
Set Aside Time
There’s no right or wrong time to write in your prayer journal. As I mentioned, in college, I’d journal anytime, anyplace. But if you’re struggling with consistency, it’s good to set a specific time for prayer journaling. This could be in the morning, during your lunch break, or before bed. Just find a time that works for your schedule and energy. Currently, I mostly do my prayer journaling first thing in the morning before I go for my daily walk.
Start Small
Don’t put pressure on yourself to write pages and pages. Start with a few sentences. If you need a goal to aim for, try to work your way up to 15 minutes since research shows that journaling 15 minutes a day can improve your mental health.
Create a Simple Structure
If you’re not sure what to write, try this easy format I’ve been using since college. It’s called ACTS of Prayer.
- A is for Adoration: This is when I tell God how awesome I think She is.
- C is for Confession: I ask for forgiveness for any recent trash behavior and ask God to help me be more like Jesus and become the woman I was created to be.
- T is for Thanksgiving: I write about all the things I’m thankful for.
- S is for Supplication: I pray over my day, and I ask God to bless me and empower me to be a blessing to my loved ones.
After this, I usually read some Scripture and write some reflections on that as well.
A Prayer Journaling Challenge
While talking with my life and leadership coach, I decided to do a little solo prayer journaling challenge. But after giving it some thought, I decided I didn’t want to go it alone. After all, in the Good Book, Jesus does say, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20).
So let’s do this together!
Introducing God, Goals, & Glow Up: A 31-Day Prayer Journaling Experience. Each day – starting May 1, 2026 – I’m going to give you a scripture, a short reflection, and a writing prompt to help you with your prayer journaling. I’ve put a lot of work into this, so it’s not free, but it costs less than $1 a day. You can sign up here.