Family Prayer

Journal.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may
be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and
produces wonderful results.
- James 5:16 (NLT)
What is a Family Prayer Journal?
A family prayer journal is a place for families to record prayer requests and
praises. A prayer journal provides an outlet for families to regularly pray for each
other and to hold each other accountable in their relationships with Jesus Christ.
Who is this Family Prayer Journal For?
This prayer journal is for any type of family unit. Whether you are a young
married couple with no children, a single-parent family with children, a two-parent
family with children, or a married couple with no kids at home – this journal is for
you. Just ignore any of the individual family member pages that you don’t need. If
you have more family members than there is space for use two prayer journals.
You may also include family members that don’t live with you that you would like
to pray for on a regular basis.
Why use a Family Prayer Journal?
“Families that pray together stay together.” While this statement sounds cliché, it
is very true. One of God’s highest priorities is unifying family relationships. Prayer
brings harmony, love, strength, and perseverance to families. Our greatest
prayer partners should be those who are closest to us – our immediate family.
Although we live in a culture where it is easier than ever to communicate with
people, we often neglect to regularly and lovingly communicate with those
closest to us. We get so wrapped up in television, cell phones, and internet that
we don’t set apart time to communicate with our immediate family. Families need
consistent communication. When we neglect those closest to us we forfeit the
blessings that God wishes to bestow upon us. Family prayer provides a great
outlet for communication and unity among family members.
Family prayer times should be broadened beyond mealtimes and bedtimes. Our
needs extend beyond food and nighttime fears. Families should discuss and pray
together on all of life’s issues on a very regular basis.
Family prayer also provides family accountability. A high priority in any family
should be keeping each other accountable in their relationships with Jesus
Christ. As you share personal prayer requests and fervent prayer is lifted up, you
can follow up on prayer requests and see what God is doing and how that family
member is responding to God. If you don’t help your family stay on course with
God through prayer, who will?
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart
from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) The Bible promises that if you raise your children to pray
– they will be committed to prayer. Develop the habit of keeping a family prayer
journal and watch your family come together like never before.
How to use this Family Prayer Journal?
There are two sections to this journal – the family page and the individual family
member pages. The family page relates to the family as a whole. While the
individual family member pages relate to the individual.
Family Page:
1. Family Picture: Find a family picture that everyone likes and tape it on
the family page.
2. Overarching Prayer Requests for the Year: What does your family
really need in the next year - Financial stability? A new house? Better
communication with each other? Family ministry opportunities? Decide
as a family some important prayer requests for the whole family and
record them. These will be prayed over throughout the year.
3. Family Prayer Requests & Praises: As new prayer requests and
praises arise during the year that affect the whole family record them.
Also record the date you began praying for each request and how God
answered your prayer request.
Individual Family Member Pages:
1. Picture: Find a picture for each family member and tape on an
individual family member page. Each family member should have their
own page.
2. Favorite Bible Verse: Have each family member pick out a verse that
they would like their family to pray over them for throughout the year
and write it down.
3. Overarching Prayer Requests for the Year: What do you really need
prayer for this year – A better relationship with Jesus? An anger
problem? Work? School? Deliverance from a bad habit? Write down a
few prayer requests that you would like your family to pray for
throughout the year.
4. Prayer Requests & Praises: As new prayer requests and praises arise
write them down so that your family can pray for you and thank God
for what He is doing in your life.
Before you begin (a few pointers):
o Before you even begin, commit as a family to pray for each other
every day and to keep a family prayer journal for one year.
o Place your family prayer journal in a prominent place in your home so
that it can be written in at any time by any family member.
o Go through your family prayer journal as a family on a weekly to daily
basis. The more often you can pray together the better.
o Find a designated time that you can block off to go through your
journal together as a family – this helps keep it consistent. This may
be the dinner table or the family room in the morning. Find a time that
works for everyone and make it a holy time that your family spends
with each other and God.
o When you go through your journal together, take time to pray as a
family and to record any new prayer requests and praises.
o Keep each other accountable – if a family member is asking you to
pray for an anger problem – periodically check up with them.
o If your children are too young to write, a parent or older child will need
to regularly ask them if they have any prayer requests or praises that
they want to write down and help record them.
 Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise
Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

Overarching Prayer Requests for 20___:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6. ** Additional prayer request & praise space is in the back

 Name: Family Prayer Requests & Praises:

Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise

Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

Favorite Bible Verse:

Overarching Prayer Requests for 20___:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Prayer Requests & Praises:

Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise

Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

** Additional prayer request & praise space is in the back

 Name: Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise
Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

Favorite Bible Verse:

Overarching Prayer Requests for 20___:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Prayer Requests & Praises:

Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise

Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

** Additional prayer request & praise space is in the back

 Name: Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise
Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

Favorite Bible Verse:

Overarching Prayer Requests for 20___:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Prayer Requests & Praises:

Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise

Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

** Additional prayer request & praise space is in the back

 Name: Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise
Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

Favorite Bible Verse:

Overarching Prayer Requests for 20___:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Prayer Requests & Praises:

Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise

Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

** Additional prayer request & praise space is in the back

 Name: Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise
Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

Favorite Bible Verse:

Overarching Prayer Requests for 20___:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Prayer Requests & Praises:

Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise

Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

** Additional prayer request & praise space is in the back

 Name: Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise
Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

Favorite Bible Verse:

Overarching Prayer Requests for 20___:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Prayer Requests & Praises:

Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise

Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

** Additional prayer request & praise space is in the back

 Name: Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise
Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

Favorite Bible Verse:

Overarching Prayer Requests for 20___:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Prayer Requests & Praises:

Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise

Who? What? When? Who? What? When?

** Additional prayer request & praise space is in the back

Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise Date Prayer Request Answer/Praise
Who? What? When? Who? What? When? Who? What? When? Who? What? When?