40 prayer journal prompts

A prayer journal is just prayer written down. Writing slows your thoughts, keeps your mind from wandering, and leaves a record you can look back on. Below are 40 prompts, one for each day of a 40-day stretch, grouped into eight themes with a verse for each. Use them in order, or pick the one that fits today. Under the list: how to set up a simple guided prayer journal, and a prayer to write on the first page.

How to use these prompts (10 minutes)

Read the verse for the theme, slowly, once or twice.
Read the prompt and write whatever comes, for five minutes. Don't edit. Spelling doesn't matter to God.
Turn it into a prayer. Finish with two or three sentences addressed to God: "Lord, ..."
Write one line to carry into the day, and date the page.

The 40 prompts

Days 1–5: Come as you are.

"Trust in him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us." Psalm 62:8 (WEB)

How am I really, today? Write it to God without tidying it up.
Where do I feel most at home with God, and where do I keep him at arm's length?
What do I believe God thinks of me? Is that what scripture says?
What has kept me from praying lately? Tell him plainly.
Write the prayer I would pray if I knew I couldn't get it wrong.

Days 6–10: Thank and praise.

"Praise the LORD, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits," Psalm 103:2 (WEB)

List ten small gifts from the last 24 hours.
Which quality of God am I most grateful for this week, and why?
Write about a time God carried me through something I didn't think I'd survive.
Who has God used to love me? Thank him for them by name.
What did I notice in creation today? Write a short psalm of praise about it.

Days 11–15: Honest before God.

"Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." Psalm 139:23–24 (WEB)

What am I holding on to that I need to hand over?
Where did I fall short this week? Confess it, then write out 1 John 1:9 underneath.
Who do I need to forgive? What would it cost me to begin?
What am I pretending about, to others or to myself?
Write a prayer of surrender for the one area I most want to control.

Days 16–20: Worry and trust.

"casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7 (WEB)

List every worry on my mind. Next to each, write "Yours, Lord."
What fear shows up most often? Where did it start?
What do I need for today only? Ask for it.
Where have I seen God provide before, when I was afraid?
Write about something I'm waiting for, and how I want to wait well.

Days 21–25: Listen.

"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10 (WEB)

Sit in silence for two minutes, then write what surfaced.
Choose a verse I read this week. How does it speak to my life right now?
What might God be teaching me in this season?
Is there a nudge I keep ignoring? Write it down and pray about it.
What season of life am I in? What does God ask of me in it?

Days 26–30: For the people I love.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another." John 13:34 (WEB)

Pray for each person in my home by name, with one specific request each.
Pray for my parents, or the people who raised me.
Pray for a friend who is going through something hard.
Pray for someone I find hard to love. Ask God to show me how he sees them.
Pray for my church, my neighbors and my town.

Days 31–35: Purpose and work.

"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:5 (WEB)

Where do I need wisdom this week? Ask for it plainly.
How can I serve someone through my work or my home today?
What gifts has God given me that I'm not using?
What would it look like to rest well this week?
Write about a decision ahead of me and lay out each option before God.

Days 36–40: Remember and go on.

"I will remember the LORD’s deeds; for I will remember your wonders of old." Psalm 77:11 (WEB)

Read back through this journal. Where has God answered, or changed me?
Pray through the Lord's Prayer one line at a time, writing a sentence under each.
What has God shown me about himself in these weeks?
What do I want my prayer life to look like in the next 40 days?
Write a blessing over my own life, using Numbers 6:24–26.

How to set up a guided prayer journal

You don't need to buy anything. A notebook and a pen are enough. Many of the guided prayer journals for women on the market use the same simple page, and you can draw it yourself:

Top of the page: the date and today's verse.
Thanks: three lines of gratitude.
Today's prompt: your free writing.
Requests: a short list, for you and for others.
Answered: a narrow column on the right, left blank. When something changes, come back and write the date. Over months this becomes a record of God's faithfulness you can read on hard days.

Some people follow ACTS on each page: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication. Our guide to the ACTS prayer model explains each part with an example prayer, and how to pray every day covers the Lord's Prayer as a pattern.

A word of honesty about the "answered" column: not every prayer is answered the way we asked. Leave room for "not yet" and "no", and for the times God changed the person praying more than the situation. That is part of the record too.

A prayer for the first page

Father, I'm starting this journal because I want to know you better, not to perform for you. Thank you that you already know every thought before I write it. Holy Spirit, help me when I don't know what to say, and help me be honest when it would be easier to pretend. Let these pages hold my thanks, my questions, my confessions and my requests. When I look back, show me where you were. When I miss days, bring me back without shame. Teach me to listen as much as I write. Let my words and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, my rock and my redeemer. In Jesus' name, amen.

Common questions

What if I don't like writing?

Write one sentence. Or use bullet points. Or pray the prompt out loud and write only the date. The journal serves the prayer, not the other way round.

Can I use these prompts in a group?

Yes. A women's group can each write on the same prompt during the week and share one line when they meet.

Do these work for Lent?

Yes, there are 40 of them. Lent 2027 runs February 10 to March 27; see our Lent prayer challenge for the weekly themes. If worry is what you want to write about, start with our prayer for anxiety and worry.

Pair your journal with a guided prayer

Each day of our plan gives you a passage, a reflection and one question to write about, with the prayer read aloud to you. A printable 40-day prayer journal is a $9 add-on.

Pray day 1 free

Or build your 40-day prayer plan.

Sources

Scripture: World English Bible (public domain), eBible.org. Pages read for this guide: Lifeway, "3 Prayer Journal Prompts for a Deeper Faith Walk"; Wonder and Tower, "40 Prayer Journal Prompts for Your Quiet Time"; Well Watered Women, "Journal Prompts for Every Woman"; The Modern Mary, "Prompts for Your First 30 Days of Prayer Journaling".