The Self Report: A Prayer Journal — Religious or Not
The Self Report is a series of posts on Reena’s Edit for mental health and wellness. These may include the newest research, previous or current experiences, and methods of care by Reena or featured guests. Some subjects we will cover are body love, the importance of self care, daily rituals for mental health, recommended products or services, self valuation, and creating your future.
The Prayer Journal:
Take any notebook, and write down your worries (about yourself, friends, or family members), situations you’re going through, and (literally!) anything going through your mind. A journal gives you a private space to pour out all your feelings, cries, and thoughts. The difference between a prayer journal and a diary is here you pray (or hope) over a solution to every entry. Draw a line after the entry, and as soon as it is solved, go back to write in how it was resolved. You not only write down your requests to be answered but may also add what you are taught with the solution.
When you look back through all your entries, your growth in perspective will be visible. Your worries will not take over your day after you understand that eventually, things work out in one way or another.
Keeping a prayer journal also is beneficial to put things down on paper, instead of having thoughts running amock in your brain. As soon as you can write them down, they become more real and able to be handled.
THIS IS A COPING METHOD WITH ANXIETY. GET IT DOWN ON PAPER AND SORT THROUGH THEM.
Paper or computer?
It may not sound very 2020 in a way, but paper words with your handwriting have a different effect on you than typing in a notes page. It’s more personal, you’re less likely to skim through the words later, and you develop a stronger conceptual understanding. Since handwriting is slower, you process the information.
For anyone religious, you pray regularly but may forget how the Lord revealed something in the past — something you would have loved to look through in a journal to remind yourself of the power of prayer. You may have thoughts overwhelming you so much that praying is difficult, and you wish to get your thoughts sorted out. This journal will help you refocus and remind yourself of everything you should be praying for if you believe in the power of prayer. And if you’re not religious, a prayer journal is a very therapeutic way to handle your personal struggles. It’s suitable for everyone – no matter your age or how many battles you have, whether you write in daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or as often as you have an entry in mind.
All you need is a journal and a pen.
