For years, my prayers were scattered. I'd start with the crisis of the day, then mentally spin off to groceries I needed or calls I had to make. Then I'd nod off for a short nap and wake with the resolution to "pray harder" next time.<\/p>\n\t\t
That all changed the day I leafed through a stack of family photographs and found myself praying for each person pictured. As I looked at my children's smiling, hope-filled faces, asking God to bless and protect them felt effortless. I prayed he'd put their dreams within reach, strengthen their relationships to him, and keep their hearts and actions pure.<\/p>\n\t\t
This time I couldn't stop<\/em> praying. The next day I grabbed the photos and designed a system to motivate me in prayer.<\/p>\n\t\t I bought a small scrapbook and pasted a photo of a specific person on each left-hand page. On the corresponding right-hand page, I wrote broad prayer request categories of how I wanted to pray for that person.<\/p>\n\t\t I designated the first spread for me. So next to my smiling portrait, I listed all the ways I want God to work in and through me—to help me obey his nudges, be the best wife possible, maintain healthy relationships with my children, and spread Jesus' love. Then I listed themes: health issues, church involvement, work goals, financial integrity, and other big-ticket items.<\/p>\n\t\t I placed my husband's photo on the next spread. As I looked at him, I was easily able to focus and pray down my list: for his passion for God, for his mentoring of our children, for his wisdom and discernment at work, for his continued spiritual growth.<\/p>\n\t\t Next came my children. I created a different prayer list based on each child's unique personality. But I gave them all these common themes: a strong relationship to God, wisdom for life choices, purity with the opposite sex, preparation for marriage and work, and involvement in Christian community.<\/p>\n\t\t After the family pages, I designated spreads for our extended family, my church small group, and a few close friends. The last section was for current prayer requests: the couple who were getting married, the guy from church who was fighting brain cancer, a friend's daughter who was struggling with her faith. And often when people would ask me to pray for them, I'd say yes and ask for a photo. There in the back section, that photo would remind me to actually keep my promise.<\/p>\n\t\t The photo prayer journal has helped me focus on asking God to do bigger work in each individual's life, not just to help on a math test or heal a cold. I keep the lists short—limited to what seems important for the particular season.<\/p>\n\t\t This prayer method is great because I can use it while I'm spending time with God in the morning or while I'm standing in line at the grocery store. Waiting for an appointment or even sitting at a long stoplight is enough time to cover a page or two. Whether it's a quick run through the list or a longer, more focused prayer session, I connect with God for my family in whatever time I have available.<\/p>\n\t\t I've used this journal for more than a decade now. Each fall, I've rewritten the lists and updated the photos. And every day, I still get excited to open this book and start praying.<\/p>\n\t\tPrayer Pages<\/h2>\n\t\t
Colorful and Portable<\/h2>\n\t\t