Dear ones,
Have you noticed a movement on youtube concerning prayer and war binders? Ever since that wonderful movie, War Room came out, I have noticed a growing ‘thing’ to have a war binder. Women and men all over the world are using war binders in their time alone in prayer and God is recruiting many to His army of prayer warriors! It is an exciting and wonderful tool and a great way to record our walks with Christ. It has brought many to their knees in strength and power and the world is being changed for it!
But, do you know the difference between the war binder and a prayer journal? Do you need both of them? My short answer is yes and YES!
Prayer Journaling
There is a tool called a Prayer Journal which I have found to be invaluable to my life. Some mistake it for a war binder. A prayer journal is a book or notebook that I write out my prayers. I have been praying this way for many years. It is a wonderful record of how I can unload, praise, be real with the Lord. I have years of journals and it records my heart. It also records the answers He has given. There is no real form, no real pattern, unlike a war binder, it is just an open heart letter written out to my Jesus. It is just freely written and no holds barred. When I journal, I am able to shut off distractions, anything that would hinder my freedom
I can get as creative as I like. Now, please keep in mind, I can draw a mean stick figure 🙂 But, there is something refreshing about decorating my prayer journal. But, this is not the goal of a prayer journal.
So, then, what is the goal? I can only speak for myself but, it is a written out record of my daily (hopefully) conversations with Yahweh. It is a open, no holds-barred, journal filled with my gratitude and praises, supplications and requests, and even desires and laments. I date them, address them as a I am praying out-loud, and finish with praying in the name of Jesus. It is literally, a written out prayer. Sometimes, even more then one a day 🙂 I will always record answers to prayers and what I am reading in His Word. It is not a structured process. It is just opening up my heart in prayer. It’s a wonderful thing to do, to read later and notice when He answers my prayers!
The War binder
I love the thought of a war binder and I have one along side my prayer journal. Both strong weapons and integral part of my quiet time. A War Binder has sections which include areas for reflection, scripture writing, scriptures for each family member, and sermon notes. Not only that, I have sections for each day of the week, filled with verses to pray out loud!
I also have sections for words that I get from my reading of His Word, thoughts that come in prayer, and even a record of my dreams. It is a place to record His promises and use these verses which have come to mean so much, to pray over people and situations in my life. His Word will not return void… Isaiah 55 clearly states,
and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it
What I used to make my prayer journal
All you really need is a Bible and a notebook. This is what I used to set mine up.
- Hobonichi Techo
- Stalogy A5 ( I use this for my prayer journal.
- Avery Post-It Tabs Label for each section. These are 1 each: Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield. One for each day of the week.
Pray Fervently!
