What do we pray for - family, friends, health issues, employment, patience, strength, or peace in the world? Have you ever thought about your prayer life? Are you a prayer warrior or are you lukewarm in your prayer efforts? These questions got me thinking about my prayer life. Years ago I belonged to a woman’s prayer group at church. We came from different backgrounds and were at different stages in life. There were mothers of preschoolers and teenagers, empty nesters and grandmothers. Each of us brought a different perspective. We shared and supported one another. Sr. Kathleen led the group and challenged us in many ways. She urged us to keep a prayer journal. I did so at that time. My first entries were basic and I wrote very little. Over the course of the years, my prayers became more involved and included more people and issues. What would seem trivial now was a major issue then. After the prayer group stopped, I wasn’t consistent with my journaling. My entries became sporadic. Looking back, I am amazed how my faith grew. I wish I had kept up with my journal daily or even weekly. God has worked so many miracles in my life and I have so many blessings to be thankful for. It would be wonderful to have a record of them all. A few years ago, I started a blessing jar. I write down little things that I am thankful for or that are a blessing to me. At the end of the year, it is a happy remembrance of how God worked in my life in little ways and in big.

I had a dear uncle who didn’t have an actual prayer journal, but he would write his prayers down. Uncle Paul would use whatever was handy. Prayers were written on the back of receipts, grocery lists, the edges of the newspaper, etc. My mom asked him about them one time. He said that it helped him to keep track of his prayers and that she could read them if she liked.

After he passed, my mom found them in drawers, tucked in books and scattered about the house. She brought these precious glimpses into his life home. We read them all. Some were brief and simple. Some were involved and more personal. Some made us laugh and some made us cry. He had a very personal relationship with our Lord and left us a beautiful legacy of his life. He didn’t know that his writings would inspire us and give us strength.

It is a little late for New Year’s resolutions, but you can still start a journal now. Make your prayers a tangible part of your life. Grow in your faith. Track your progress. Maybe if you keep a prayer journal or blessing jar you will inspire future generations.