“I’ll pray for you.” How many times have we said that to a brother or sister in Christ and forgotten to actually pray for them? It’s not intentional. But life is hectic. We get busy. It can be very easy to forget to pray for the people and situations as we had intended.

A few years ago I was attending a clergy retreat with Archbishop Foley Beach (who also happens to be the Bishop of my diocese, The Anglican Diocese of the South) when this topic was raised. You can imagine the number of prayer requests that the Archbishop must get in a given week! So he shared with us how he keeps up with them all by using a prayer journal.

Let me quickly add that I am the worst journal writer ever. I have quite a few nice journals that have 2-3 pages of entries and no more. I simply do not have the temperament or the patience for the traditional method of journaling –which is usually to write out your prayers in a narrative style. It’s like writing a letter to God. For me, it just has never worked. I’m more verbal. I’m task oriented. Frankly, in my journals, it just felt inauthentic. I was trying to write out my prayers as if I were Thomas Cranmer. Clearly I am not.

So what I’m sharing with you today is similar to what the Archbishop shared with us at that clergy retreat. It’s a method of journaling that is streamlined and not narrative based, but still allows for plenty of flexibility. Most of all, it has helped me keep up with and track prayers over time, which is a great exercise in seeing the faithfulness of God at work in your life.

I use a simple leather bound journal which was a gift from a parishioner. I divide my prayers into “Thanksgivings,” “Family,” “Church,” “Special Needs,” “To Come to Faith,” and “Leaders”. Experiment and find what categories work for you. I give each category its own page and write the category name. I date the first page. This is because I start over in this process each month. So about a month after I do this, I start again with blank pages and category names. This allows me to update the list, let things drop off that have been answered (or move them to “Thanksgivings”) and allows ongoing new prayers to be added.

I begin by writing out things I wish to pray for in each category. Depending on what’s happening, let’s say that takes up half of a page for each category. That leaves half of a page empty so I can add impromptu prayer requests throughout the month. So if Bill asks me to pray for his upcoming surgery, I’d add him to the “Special Needs” section. If something amazing happens, I’ll add it to the “Thanksgiving” section. But for now, I just list out what’s on my mind to get the journal started and leave plenty of room for additions. These are just bullet points, not formal written-out prayers. My journal says things like, “Bill- surgery in 2 weeks,” or “Laura- concerns about her kids and stress at work.” In praying for the parish, I pray for things like, “A hunger and thirst for your Word,” “Budget is running behind,” or “Guidance on responding to X” (whatever X may be). Simplicity and usability is key.

Over the course of the month, more needs always arise. Someone asks for prayer. Something happens in our family. I simply add those things to the appropriate category. If I am out somewhere and someone asks for prayer, I just make a note in my phone or on a sticky note and put it in my journal to add later. As I see prayers answered, I put a check by the item which has been answered. If it is an ongoing need and remains unanswered at the end of the month, I will add it to the appropriate list when I make next month’s pages.

How does this work if you pray the Daily Office? My normal routine is to pray Morning Prayer and, at the end of Morning Prayer, to pray through my journal. Once I finish going through the journal, I say the closing sentence from Morning Prayer.

Like everyone, distractions are sometimes a challenge. I find that the Daily Office, since it is read and prayed, helps keep distracting thoughts minimal. The journal also likewise helps me focus. Often my distractions come to me in the form of things I need to do. But instead of trying to push them away, I keep a notepad nearby and write down the reminder. I do need to call Joe. That reminder may well be from the Lord, so I jot it down and keep on praying. That way I don’t have to worry I’ll forget a legitimate “to-do” item.

So, that’s how I do it. It’s just a way that I found that works for me. Some folks have told me it works for them as well, so I thought I’d share!

At the end of the day, HOW you pray is less important than THAT you pray.