On Beyond Evangelical, the author, Frank Viola made a post recently about goal setting and how to include those in your prayer life.
I am very familiar with prayer requests. They are a regular part of my daily prayers and they are also a regular part of my church experience in both Sunday School and Worship Service. The idea of the prayer request is that you not only petition God for your request but you also voice your request to other believers and ask that they pray for your request as well.
This is a Biblical practice. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:14-16)
Frank Viola’s idea and practice is to take this one step further. He actually has a journal that he uses to write down his dreams, his goals and his prayer requests and while he is more goal oriented that I am at the present, his idea has a lot of merit.
I now have purchased a small, black journal that I have begun to write down specific prayer requests and also specific praises as God has answered prayers I made before I got the journal.
Right now it is just the first page on which I am working and there are just 6 prayer requests and 2 praises listed. I am starting small but I am already excited about what God is going to do with this humble beginning.
I know that by being specific in my journal and in my prayer requests that I can watch, over time, how God is answering my prayers and also how He is moving and working in me. Perhaps some of the things I have written down are not as important as I think they are. Perhaps I need to be faithful and patient in my current circumstances before God is ready to show me other things. Perhaps the answers will come shortly or in many years down the road.
The point of this experiment is not the ultimate answer or answers although that is a great benefit. The point of this experiment is that I be watchful, continuing in prayer and expecting God to show up and be amazing. And most of all, that I be ready and waiting for His provision.
Do any of you keep prayer journals or a written record of your prayer life? I would love to hear about it if you would not mind sharing. Your comments, questions and thoughtful responses are always appreciated.