A prayer journal should not just be a place to write down all your wants. A shopping list is a place where you write down all your wants.  If you just use your prayer journal as a place to write down all your wants you are missing out on what prayer really is. Prayer is a conversation between you and God. I recommend that in the midst of your prayer journal you have a section for praise and worship.

“Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.” Psalm 48:1

Create a place in your prayer journal to just worship God. Worship means to give him worth so in this section do that. Write about his character or his actions. Make it personal. Remember this is your prayer journal and for you only.

A Section for Praise and Worship

I am going to share just a bit of what I have in this section. I am sharing just to give you some examples of what you can include. Include what helps you to worship God. I would love to hear what you have included in this section.

One page is just a place where I have written, “Who God is . . .” and then I have just a list. A good exercise to do with that would be to write down verses for each of those. If there is one that is particularly meaningful you could write a full page just on that attribute, how God displays it to you, why it is so meaningful to you, etc.

 

I have just added these as I sit and worship God. As I reflect on who God is, I write it down. (I didn’t have my colorful sticky notes with me when I got to the end.)

I have some other pages in there that are just praising God.

Here is a page I will share with you. That yellow bit in the upper right is the sun. It fits with the verse I have written. Then I answered the question, “What has God done?” I just added to it as I pondered what God has done for me.

My desire is that this section of my prayer journal will be a place where I just record and remember God’s goodness to me and also to those around me. I can quickly forget who God is and so I need to reminded again and again. This should be a section in your book that you are excited to turn to each more. Delight in worshipping God. This will give you some insight into worship.

This is a journal in progress. It is not finished. In fact, I think this is a book that should always be in process. I am always adding to it.

Some other things that could be included in the section are as follows:

• Words to a hymn or praise song
• Verse mapping of specific verses relating to God
• Quotes about praise and worship
• Promises of God
• Various Psalms
• Poems that point to God – Prone to Wander or Valley of Vision are great resources for those

Books to Help you Know God

Here are some book suggestions that have helped me learn to know God and who he is better. These should help you to write more in your Praise and Worship section of your prayer journal.

Our God is Awesome by Tony Evans – I have had this on my shelf for years but it is a great one to just go back to again and again. It is a great book to read and know God more. It has to be good as I have kept it on my shelf through various moves.

Awe by Paul David Tripp – I read this a few years ago and it is one that I should read again.

Enjoying God by Tim Chester – My book group read this last year. It is a great read and it also was good to discuss it together. This was recommended similar to Knowing God by J.I. Packer but a bit easier to read.

A Heart for God by Sinclair Ferguson – From the back of the book, “A Heart for God is written out of the conviction that the world’s greatest need, and the contemporary church’s greatest lack, is the knowledge of God.” Doesn’t that sound like a book that needs to be read? I read the other year and have numerous notes in the book. It might be a good one to read again.

The Bible by God – Always good to read the book that the author wrote when you want to know the author. That gives such insight into the author.

Do you have a book to recommend? I think it would be good to read another book helping me to know God better.

This is part of a series where I share my prayer journal.

3 Things You Need to Include in Your Prayer Journal

A Section for Confession

This is the post that started it all 7 Books that Will Encourage you to Pray More.

I would love to hear what you have in your Praise and Worship section. Leave a comment sharing your ideas.