I’ve been keeping a prayer journal in one form or another for the past ten years (2009-2018). Not a personal journal or diary, mind you, but a record of passages read and prayers written in response. The first three years were hit and miss, and are contained in one volume. But in 2012 I began using the Sunday readings from the Revised Common Lectionary, which consist of passages from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the Epistles, and the Gospels. Although the Lectionary intends for all the passages to be read on Sunday and has other passages for the rest of the week, I used the four Sunday readings for Monday through Thursday instead, reading one passage each day. Friday and Saturday were used to catch up if a day was missed during the week. I achieved more consistency this way. I also began using the journal to keep track of the sermons I preached, the books I read, and any ideas for sermons I had while reading.
The Lectionary is set up on a three-year cycle, so in 2015 I had to decide whether or not to repeat the Lectionary or do something else. The Sunday readings expose the reader (or listener if read aloud during a worship service) to portions of scripture from across the breadth of the Bible, but do not cover the entire Bible. Therefore, rather than go through the Sunday Lectionary readings again, I devised my own five-year Bible reading plan. With this plan, the Old Testament (except the Wisdom writings) would be read once over the five years, the Wisdom writings (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) would be read once each year, the Gospels twice each year, and the remainder of the New Testament once each year. However, since I also want to have time to meditate on what I’m reading, this proved to be too much to read per week for me. So while I’m on track to complete the Old Testament in 2019, I’ve slowed down my other readings and will finish the New Testament at the same time at the Old Testament.
This experience has deepened my grasp on the interrelatedness of the Scriptures, has given me a better understanding of the landscape of the Scriptures (how to find my way around the Bible), and has given me richer language for prayer from within the Scriptures.
During the last week of each year I set up my journal for the next year. I use a black journal, recently from Ricco Bella (5.7 x 8.4 inches), that looks similar to the Moleskine journals, but has paper that allows the ink to dry quicker (I tend to smudge). I devote the first section to a calendar that I rarely use, but it’s there just in case. The next section is for the fifty-two weeks of the year, with week 1 beginning on the first Sunday of the year. Each week has two facing pages, left and right. I label the week in the upper right corner of the right-hand page. After that section comes the sermon log, book log, etc. There are always some pages left at the end of the journal, but I use most of it.
The left page is for scripture gleanings and the right page is for prayer responses.
My normal pattern is to read the passage of scripture for the day and ponder it, seeing if any concept or phrase in the text speaks to me in some way. I write down that verse or phrase on the left page in blue ink. After pondering it for a few minutes, I write a brief prayer in response on the right page in black ink. My response prayer may be one of thanksgiving, of supplication, or of confession depending on what the text is prompting in me.
Sometimes I go back into past journals and read the prayers there. When I see blank pages I try and remember why I missed that week. Usually its because of vacations, but sometimes I remember that it was a difficult week with a significant crisis that used up all my energy. I believe that the missing weeks were made bearable by the weeks not missed and the scriptures have shaped my response to life’s challenges to be more Christ-like.
If you don’t currently have such a system for Bible reading and prayer, find something that works for you.I can truly say it’s been a life-changer.