Prayer Journal

[Dorine]

I do not have a prayer request at this time but I do have a question for everyone. How do you keep track of all those you are praying for? Do you keep a journal or a list of some sort and how do you pray for each one when the list becomes very long? Do you lump them together and one prayer covers them all,  do you pray for one at a time, or separate them in groups where one day you pray for some individually and another day you pray for them in groups? i.e. spiritual health, physical health, emotional health, personal requests, etc. I feel like my intercessory prayer life is out of hand. I believe in it, have been blessed by it myself and I am searching for ideas on how to get organized so that I am faithful to those I have promised to pray for. Thank you.

Actually this may not be the appropriate place to post this so it's fine with me if it has to be moved.

[Richard Myers]

That's a good question, Dorine.  This is a good place for the topic.  Often, I have felt guilty because I forgot someone and all of sudden I remembered as I was praying.  I don't make a list, but there are those that I pray for.  I don't have to feel guilty because it is the Holy Spirit that reminds me of who to pray for. I guess I don't feel the need to pray for everyone every day.  A list could get very long if that were the case. Different people have different needs at different times. There are some that I pray for all of the time, but others, I pray as the need arises.  God brings the individuals to mind as I am praying.  I know others who have a list written down and they pray for the same names every day. It is a long list. It is nice to know I am on some of those lists. It is comforting. But, in reality, the most important prayers for me need to come from me. It is then that God speaks to our minds about our needs and His blessings.

It will be interesting to see what others do with their prayer list.

[Wally]

I do not have a prayer request at this time but I do have a question for everyone. How do you keep track of all those you are praying for? Do you keep a journal or a list of some sort and how do you pray for each one when the list becomes very long? Do you lump them together and one prayer covers them all,  do you pray for one at a time, or separate them in groups where one day you pray for some individually and another day you pray for them in groups? i.e. spiritual health, physical health, emotional health, personal requests, etc. I feel like my intercessory prayer life is out of hand. I believe in it, have been blessed by it myself and I am searching for ideas on how to get organized so that I am faithful to those I have promised to pray for. Thank you.

I'm not sure if there is a hard and fast rule for this.  I pray for my friends and relatives every day, and when special needs come up, or different people with special needs come to my attention, I add those.  But I've never written anything down.  And this may sound odd, but a few times I've found that I was praying for someone who had already died.    You know, people you've been out of touch with for awhile and don't know their present condition.

I think if someone wants to keep a written list that's fine.  What I object to is when pressure is put on us by the "prayer ministries" leader to keep a prayer journal.  One rule of thumb I like to follow is to avoid making my experience the standard for others.  I agree with what Richard said about the Holy Spirit reminding us of who to prayer for and even how to pray for them.

[Mimi]

Bless you, Dorine. I understand your dilemma and admire the fact that you do not want to forget even one. Although I do not keep a prayer journal and no physical list either, somehow those people requesting prayer for something specific (job, travel safety, etc.) gets covered because it is done at that moment. I don't habitually keep them on the list unless, like Richard, the Holy Spirit impresses their name and a continuance. 

My daily practice is mentally laid out in circles and it is seared in my mind for morning prayers:

Inner circle: home and family
Next: church
Next: The Remnant Online
Next: friends who do not request prayer but need it
Next: friends who are sick or have ongoing problems

It is not a perfect method but it works for me.