Lent can be the perfect season to increase prayer time in our lives.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church,
Lent is the primary penitential season in the Church’s liturgical year, reflecting the forty days Jesus spent in the desert in fasting and prayer
If you have been thinking about starting a prayer journal, Lent is a great time to do so.
Through journaling, we can increase our prayer time and abstain from screen time.
Not sure where to start or what to write? Here are some ideas that can help you!
- Paste a picture of Jesus on the first page of your journal. I love the image of Christ with the words, “Jesus I trust in You” underneath it. It sets the tone for the whole book. You can order this on Amazon here: Jesus, I trust in You holy card
- Draw or color a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and write the prayer “Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You” under the picture. One website I love for pictures to color, cut and paste into my journal is: Look to Him and Be Radiant
- Copy the Morning Offering onto a page. Decorate around it. Read it slowly and pray it 🙂
- Write, “Dear Lord, Thank you for …” and list five blessings in you life.
- Choose a holy quote that you love and write it on it’s own page. Use your handwriting or even stencils. Yellow Pelican has an entire post titled 30 Quotes to Help You Journey Through Lent! I’m sure you’ll find one there you like! Another collection of quotes can be found here: Bible Verses for Every Woman
- Copy this Prayer to the Holy Spirit: Breathe into me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy. Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy.
Saint Augustine - Write a letter to Jesus. Pour your heart out. Try not to worry to much that “someone else may read this one day”. It’s okay . . . give Jesus all of your worries and hopes.
- Copy this prayer I found at Give Him 5’s Facebook page: “My Dearest Jesus,
Today, I want to be a light for you. Shine your love into my heart so that I may reflect that love to every person that I encounter. Amen.” Then draw a big picture of the sun and sky! - Write down words to a song or hymn that really moves your heart.
- Find a holy card to a saint and copy the prayer that is on the back into your journal. Once you are done copying the prayer or novena, glue the picture of the saint on that page or the page adjacent to it. Ask that saint to pray for a special intention in your heart.
- Write a letter to a Saint asking for prayers!
- Pray for all Holy Souls. Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.
Learn more about this prayer here: Pray More Novenas
- Check out this awesome coloring page: What Lent Looks Like. Take time to enjoy coloring it. Paste it in your journal as a whole, or cut out each image seperately. Perhaps glue one to the top of a page and write a personal reflection about that specific aspect of Lent. For example: the sacrifice image – write a list of things you could sacrifice on that day.
- Color or paste a picture of the Crucifix on a page and then write the Prayer Before a Crucifix underneath. If you subscribe to Look to Him and Be Radiant, Katie sends you a free ebook with many prayer cards you can color yourself. One of those is the Prayer Before a Crucifix.
- Print out a picture of your family. Glue it to a page and write a personal prayer for your family under it 🙂
- Spiritually Adopt a baby 🙂 Have fun naming him or her and come back often to this page to pray for this little one! See prayer and printable here: God Hears Us: A Spiritual Adoption Miracle {Free Printable}
- Saint Patrick’s Day! Cut out or copy the Prayer of Saint Patrick and color or decorate the page with shamrocks! ♣ (See my Lent Pinterest board for ideas!)
- Write out the Our Father, then pray it slowly.
- Try a Lectio Divina exercise. Here’s a great website that will guide you and give you personal reflection questions: Lectio Divina: Order of Carmelites
- Ask the Lord what He is calling you to do today. Listen for 2 minutes . . . then write what comes to mind.
- Write another letter to Jesus.
- Dedicate a page to Our Blessed Mother. If there is a specific Title of Mary that resonates with you, choose that image. Write a specific prayer dedicated to that title or write the Memorare.
- List five ways you would like to serve God this year.
- Choose one Station of the Cross to write about and reflect upon.
- The feast of Saint Joseph is March 19th, but honestly, I pray to him often! I really like this prayer to him :
Oh St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh St. Joseph do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your divine son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, our Lord; so that having engaged here below your heavenly power I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers. Oh St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and kiss his fine head for me, and ask him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for us.
Amen.
Originally, I intended to give all 40 Prayer Journal Prompts in one post. However, I don’t want to overwhelm you! This is enough to get started, right? Please come back (or subscribe) to get more journal prompts soon!
If you are ready for part 2 and the FREE PRINTABLE WITH ALL 40 PROMPTS, CLICK HERE: 40 Prayer Journal Prompts for Lent (part 2) {Includes a Free Printable}
If you are on social media, and would like to share a journal page of yours, that would be awesome! Please hashtag: #prayerjournal #prayerwinechocolate
I’d love to see what you share! Looking for the free printable? It’s here in part 2 – http://prayerwinechocolate.com/40-prayer-journal-prompts-for-lent-part-2-includes-a-free-printable/
