Besides going to church on Sundays and Bible studies, one way to grow in the Lord is prayer journaling. Over the last three years or so I have developed a format which works for me. I start each morning with coffee and my journal right after I feed the kitty. I usually use a composition book or a notebook which I buy cheap when they are on sale. I mostly use ourdailybread.org online from my phone for my daily Bible reading and topic of the day. I often find what I read is exactly what I need for the day. A good part of my journal is praying for the needs of others. I will get to that later.
I usually write at least a paragraph or two talking to God about my concerns. This part can be the most healing part of my journal as I try to focus on what God is trying to tell me. Journaling my thoughts enables me to separate the important stuff from the distractions of everyday life. I struggle with this as I am easily distracted.
Then I start praying for the needs of others. This helps me focus less on myself and more on the needs of others. I start with my immediate family and my grandchildren. Then I pray for my extended family and their children and grandchildren. Continuing on; I pray for my church family starting with my pastor and the leadership of my church. Then I move on to the people I work with and my friends. After my coworkers and friends I pray for my country including the government, military, police/fire/rescue, businesses and schools. I also pray for people who are seriously ill, victims of both crime and natural disaster, the homeless, shelters, and food pantries. In addition, I pray for people serving God including missionaries, pastors, persecuted Christians, and prolife groups. Finally, I pray for specific people. The important thing here is to pray for what and whom are important to you.
At the bottom of the page I commit my day to the Lord and ask Him to help me show His love to others. This helps me to be in a constant praying mode throughout the day. Often I find myself finding things and people to pray for during the day I had forgotten to pray for in the morning.
Everyone is different and what works for me may not work for another person. I am open to questions and suggestions.
Alice
Beaufiful