The busy New Year for Christians is a time of planning and directing our life and intentions according to what we have discerned God’s plan is for us. We are to be thankful and always mindful of just how well He takes care of us and just how much we are to gladly ‘give-back’ first, before anything else is paid that which we received. Many have discerned either percentages or flat amounts and it really matters not to anyone except the one who comes to some sort of an agreement with God. Recently, we have been exposed to many various electronic ways and places we can divide up our money gifts. Our gifts of charity can be divided across a whole spectrum of substantial and well meaning groups and not just the corner church anymore. Again, this isn’t anyone else’s concern; it is between God and the person making the pledge. With one exception of that being that our churches need to sit down and figure out some sort of yearly budget and if they knew what you and I were going to contribute, it would be better and easier for them. That is the extent of any third party wants and wishes with regards to arrangement we need to make with God each and every New Year.

We need to be mindful that we Christians have one more matter, other than simple finances, that needs to be planned for during the New Year. The most important of all activities is our daily Christian prayer lives. We have been instructed to pray in every situation and at all times. If you examine everything else we do, nothing else we have or what we have need of is ever to the extent that prayer is. We were not instructed be at our work at all times and in every situation. We aren’t to instruct our children in all situations and at all times. No, the only matter that we are to do at all times and in every situation is, to pray. We need to remember this and the fact that when another asks us to pray for them, they don’t have in mind some brief fifteen-second mention as we nod off to sleep that night! Have you ever wondered why God who knows all things, would instruct us to pray for and about one-another? The answer leads to the reason to pray for another more than to simply inform God of their terrible situation!

We parents and adults also need to help our children understand and need to educate them in ‘all things’ about prayer. So we should never forget that yes, as a family unit, prayer applies however; it also applies to each and every one of us individually, including even our littlest little ones, for we are all on a ‘daily walk’ with God. So just as we remember that as we have need to have family prayers and devotions we also have great need of private prayer and devotion as well. Prayer is to be ongoing and active, not passive, personal and collective. We need to discern what it is that we think God wants us to do and to begin doing it. God never has had any difficulties stopping anyone mid-way through to a project’s deadline to show them another path or way to do things. Therefore just as we are active not passive, as well as have personal and collective prayer, we have need of a family prayer journal as well as a personal prayer journal.

Why then do you suppose that most adults spend this time of year searching frantically for that perfect New Year calendar? Shouldn’t the high emphasis of our prayer life be more important than what day our birthday is on next year? Why don’t we hear of more Christians meeting to construct personal prayer journals, as a church group activity? Why don’t the ladies of the church, many who do so good at scrapbook pages, not give lessons on making basic inexpensive prayer journals for the other members?

Now just because every Christian, big and small, should have some sort of prayer journal, it doesn’t mean that they need be fancy and expensive! The overly plain and easy, stacks of stapled lined pages work just as well as the ornate and fancy ones. This all depends on the owner’s wishes, means and needs. Our little one’s always have need of a place to keep track of their learning of the certain Bible verses as well as the books of the Bible, so that should go hand in hand with a students prayer journal. The home schooled mother who loves to scrapbook and is the captain of the church’s prayer warriors could have a big and ornate journal with many pages of who and when, where and how or a simple three-ring binder. The wood working father of five who is a greeter at church and the chairman of the stewardship committee could have a hand-made wood bound prayer journal for himself and a carved family wood bound family journal. More importantly, he would have plenty of small note-cards (that fit into his pockets) to write on when the need arises. As a church greeter, many times people will ask in passing for prayers of this and that. Writing these down as quickly as they come, will always make one feel better because they didn’t forget to pray for another when they said they would. Special Bible passages, the passages that were read at our Marriage as well as ‘issues’ we are waiting to hear from God about are all the type of things we need to put into both our personal and also our family prayer journals.

Other important items to keep handy and in your prayer journal are copies of various tracts. Giving away tracts opens the door for more discussion about spiritual matters and can extend great comfort when in need. A small stack of note-cards that say, "We will pray for you and your intention at such-and-such time, please join with us in prayer even though we will be apart" are easy to make and very treasured by petitioners. Certain prayer chains, novenas, rosaries, Stations of the Cross, and ‘Hours of Prayer’, are all wonderful and truly meaningful to those who pray them regularly. Seasonal and Church year holidays and celebrations are easy to forget and tend to get lost in our mundane secular hubbub world. Personal thoughts, insights and composed devotions, prayers and/or poems all should be kept handy and in your prayer journals.

You will find that your prayer journal can and will be the ‘keeping place’ for all sorts of things that are important to YOU and will advance YOUR devotion and ‘daily walk’ with God. Give it a little thought and begin preparing your personal prayer journal and then get your family together and work on a family journal all together. Either hand made and plain, store bought and fancy or anything somewhere in the middle, it really doesn’t matter! Any which way, just be active just as God the Father is active and start in some small way today. Your prayer journal is to help YOU and so it should reflect YOUR style and tastes as well as YOUR various needs. God Bless!