Years
ago, I experienced problems during my prayer time. When I prayed at night, I
fell asleep. When I prayed early in the morning, I could not stay focused. My mind
drifted to the tasks ahead of me.
I
resolved this by starting a prayer journal. While some hand write their prayers,
I type mine in a journal. Either way works to maintain focus and attention on God.
Recently,
I read an article by author Dillon Burroughs called, “How Handwriting Scripture
Improves My Prayers.” His article reminded me of several things I noticed now
that I journal my thoughts as I read scripture. After a time, my prayers and
reflections on the passage blended together.
Although
I have never met Burroughs, an avid blogger about handwriting scripture, we both
concluded there are three benefits to writing prayers and scriptural phrases rather
than skimming a prayer list and a passage in the Word.
Typing
(me) or handwriting (Burroughs) forces us to slow down. Rather than beg or
shout at our Lord to hurry and fix something, we took time to connect with God.
Sometimes we need a quick prayer to resolve an issue, but prayer time should
not be a panic.
Journaling
causes us to be more specific in our prayers. Before typing or writing our
prayers, our petitions were vague and unfocused. For example, as I prayed through a list of missionaries, I rarely got past, "Be with John and Carol in Argentina."
However, if I type, John 14:14, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do
it.” This verse reminds me of challenges several of the individuals on my list
have. So, I pray specifically for that missionary and the problem they face. I
finish by praising God for the answer I know is coming.
Journaling
makes our prayers more accurate. Our old prayer lives focused on what made life
more convenient and comfortable. When we journaled scripture about Saul chasing
David, Moses leading the Israelites, or Paul penning Philippians from prison,
it brought about perspective. Our lives must center on bringing God the glory,
not our own.
