Why Every Praying Grandparent Needs a Prayer Journal (and How to Start One)

I am new to using a prayer journal. However, I have kept a personal diary on my laptop for many years. Mostly it’s for thinking through situations and recording things I’d like to do. It’s interesting to see how situations have been resolved and how my perspective has changed. Using a prayer journal is like this, except the topic is my grandkids instead of me.

Reasons you might use a prayer journal:

• It’s a visual reminder to pray for your grandchildren consistently
• It helps you stay organized as the number of your grandchildren increases
• You can record answers to prayers which will surely increase your faith
•  It becomes a record of what you’ve prayed over time
•  You get closer to God. Make yourself a partner with the Lord as you pray His will for your grandchildren.
•  You get closer to your grandkids. Ask your grandchildren what they would like prayer for. It’s a good way to learn what is important to them and an excellent way to show that you care.

Since I believe in the power of prayer and I’m committed to praying for my grandchildren, I have high hopes for this prayer journal experience. A prayer journal can be a place to record your grandson’s recovery from an ear infection or your granddaughter’s safe return from camp. Even more, it can be an intentional tool to bring your grandchild into God’s kingdom and realize God’s good and perfect will in their lives. There is room for the daily and the eternal there in your humble notebook.

Journal types

Online.

One benefit to an online prayer journal is the space considerations. No binder taking up room on the nightstand. Not to mention it gives you the ability to write as much as you want into the privacy of your laptop. And be honest. If you have bad handwriting, online might be the way to go.

Prayer Binder with Sections.

This is what I’m going to use. I bought a 3 ring binder (8 ½” x 11” ) and some notebook paper. I have dividers with each of my grandkid’s names on them plus sections in the back for Bible verses, written out prayers, and a My Legacy section.

Archive binder.

As my prayer binder gets full, I will probably need an archive binder. That way I can keep current prayers in my working binder and everything else in the history binder.

Prayer journal.

This could be a beautiful heirloom to pass on to your grandchild someday – a hardcover journal filled with your prayers.

Here is a fancy journal you can buy and have your grandchild’s name put on it.

Just a thought: Cursive handwriting seems to be going the way of the dinosaur. So, if you want to make sure future generations can read what you write, printing is probably the safest choice.

Journal Printables

There are many, many helpful printable sheets designed to make your prayer binder your own. You can download binder covers, sheets to write your prayers on, printed prayers, scripture pages, and journal pages. Search “prayer journal printables” on Pinterest or Etsy and you will find a bounty of choices.  Most are sheets you can download; some for a small fee, some for free.

Here are some nice free ones from Kingdom Bloggers. (You can give her a tip, if you want.)

This one from Scriptural Grace has a prayer bundle for sale that is everything you could ever want. She has a digital version and a download version. There are also some free sheets you can download if you scroll down into the blog post a little bit.

These pages from Undoubted Grace are seriously free. They are decorated with eucalyptus leaves, which I love.

Journal Sections

Here are some optional categories you can use to organize your prayer journal.

• Cover page (if you’re using a binder)
• Thanksgiving page. First inside page giving thanks to God for Who He is and what He has done for you. This could be a prayer you write out or a gratitude list.
• Section for each child. This is going to be the main part of your journal where you write out prayer requests and seek God’s wisdom for your grandchild. Maybe you want a picture of them here. You can leave space by each prayer to record the answer or do a summary sheet like this:                       
• Prayers by  day. You  could divide your prayers into Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc. If you have certain things you know you want to pray about regularly, this may be the way to go. Or you can have both!
• Bible verses. Here are Bible verses about Grandparents and Bible verses about Grandchildren to get you started.
• Song lyrics. If this is meaningful to you.
• Written prayers. Prayers you write out.
• Printed prayers.  Prayers others have written.
• Gratitude. If you didn’t include this before, you can have a section for things you are grateful for. Or you could add a gratitude page in with each grandchild’s section.
• My legacy. Your reflections on the kind of legacy you want to leave. The things you want your grandkids to know.
• Future generations. Why stop at grandchildren? You can cover your family in prayer generations in to the future. Prayer pages (SOAP, ACTS)

I started with some basic sections but might add more later.

Prayer Prompts

Ok. You’re ready with your laptop on or your pen in hand. You may even have some prayer requests already. But just in case you need a little help, here are 8 prayer prompts to get you started.

• Grandchild’s relationship with God.
• Family and home life.
• Their friendships.
• Their character.
• School and learning.
• Physical and emotional well- being.
• Their safety and protection.
• Their future.    

My prayer journal isn’t fancy but that isn’t the point, is it? It is an effective way to stay intentional in praying for your grandchildren. Your prayers matter! They matter to God and they matter for your family’s future. Our Lord hears every word, and your faithful intercession is a priceless gift to the next generation.

Related Posts:

Blessing Words for Happy Birthdays, Beautiful Baptisms and Everyday Events

Guard Their Steps: Praying for your Grandchildren’s Safety and Protection