This post contains affiliate or associate links with several businesses (which means if you shop through the links, I earn a small commission). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Ultimate Guide to Catholic Prayer Journaling in 2025

I started this blog to talk about adopting a child (or children) without hiring an adoption agency and to share Catholic gift ideas, especially around Christmas.

But, I think God had something else in mind.

That something else, was prayer journaling.

Since I started this blog (8 years ago?), I have written over 100 posts about prayer journaling. On top of that, God used me to write two prayer journals for young Catholics! I think the fact that I am an author of two books is proof there is a God. I could not do that without Him!

I think it’s time I rounded up the best, and gave you the how, why and when all in one place.

Let’s start with the why.

Why Prayer Journal or Why Pray Using a Journal?

I started using a prayer journal when I was at rock bottom in my life. I was single, heartbroken, lonely and lacked hope. In my arrogance I think one reason why I started writing down my prayers was to “spell things out for God”. Well, God used my act of writing down prayer requests as a way to spell a few things out to me.

Journaling without prayer has been studied and researched in the last 40 years. The scientific findings demonstrate decreased anxiety, improved self-awareness and many other benefits.

I dove much deeper into this topic when I interviewed Catholic Psychologist Dr. Matt Breuninger. You can watch this discussion on YouTube or read the highlights in this post, What does a Catholic Psychologist Say About the Benefits of Prayer Journaling?

This discussion with Dr. Breuninger is really enlightening. He shares many of the psychological and spiritual benefits of using a prayer journal in ways I could never naturally articulate. You can read or listen to this discussion! I share some of the reasons in my own words below, but his insight offers more from an academic and simply a different point of view. Watch or listen here.

I also share my own research in a post I wrote before this discussion titled: 5 Benefits of Prayer Journaling

One of the major reasons why psychologists recommend people to journal is because it can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.

This is really what motivated me to start a prayer journal. I lacked hope.

I did not understand why things in my life were the way the were.

I was sad . . . really sad.

Reasons to use a prayer journal:

It really does help with depression and anxiety
Using a prayer journal helps you work out problems in your life
It slows you down in this extremely fast paced world.
It helps you hear God’s voice.
It is an act of love for God because you spend more time with Him.

The way I used my journal is “unconventional”. What I mean by that is – I wasn’t taught how to journal. The only piece of advice I had walking in to it was “write 5 things down that you’re grateful for”. This was something a friend had told me her therapist advised – and before I sought professional help myself.

When I started prayer journaling (cough, cough) 25 years ago, I had NEVER heard of Lectio Divina. Years later (and after I started this blog), I attended a class on prayer journaling by a Catholic organization. The woman teaching talked much about this new to me practice.

As I sat and listened, I thought, “wow, she’s really smart”.

I also thought, “I’m bored”.

Don’t get me wrong, Lectio Divina is a beautiful way to pray, but for me, it was one of MANY ways of using a prayer journal.

Although my “why” start a prayer journal began with depression and despair, I found that the hope it could bring me led me to a much brighter place than any other style or method of praying had led me before.

Perhaps I am not wording that correctly. Prayer journaling opened my heart up to see more of God and His Love in my life. It allowed me to dream again. Hope and Faith is powerful stuff, and I enjoy experiencing it.

With God, all things are possible.

I stopped looking in the past and started looking toward the future – with hope.

sample from prayer journal. Newspaper had song lyrics, I cut them out and glued them to my page and wrote some tips from the article

My prayer time slowed down and I spent more time in prayer because writing takes longer than thinking or talking out loud.

It was a great blessing and I want to share that blessing with you.

How to Prayer Journal or how to pray using a journal

Some people tend to be intimidated by the first page of the journal. I noticed this on a discussion thread in a Facebook group. I chimed in and said, “I just put a picture (holy card) of Jesus on the first page!

I was moved by how many were in agreement with this “first page anxiety” so I wrote a post to help others! Read it here: How to Start a Prayer Journal in 3 Easy Steps

The first step, after picking out your prayer journal (a cute notebook) is to find a holy card that you love and glue or tape it to the first page. Personally, I pick one with Jesus.

After that, write God a letter. How you start should be how you feel most comfortable talking to God.

Dear God,

Dear Jesus,

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

These are just three examples of how to start your letter.

Then, remember to be polite. Thank God for something. After that, pour out your heart. Try not to worry about someone picking it up and reading it. If you are concerned about that, I have a few tips and tricks below to help you ;).

After you empty your heart to God, close it and walk away. This is a physical act of “giving it to God” or surrendering to Jesus.

The next time you pick up your journal could be days or weeks later. It could be the next day. You might want to write another letter because you forgot to tell Him this one thing . . .

You do not have to use a journal every day.

I often wonder if people think that’s a “rule”. Who’s rule? It’s your journal! Using a journal to pray doesn’t mean you’ll stop mental prayer, going to Mass, praying the Rosary or Grace Before Meals. It’s there to help you if you want it. It’s not an obligation or another thing for your to-do list.

For me, it’s a way to relax and be creative.

It’s a way for me to be less distracted during prayer.

I use it because my mind wanders and I want to give God the gift of my attention and I want to really try to hear God’s voice in my very noisy mind.

I had a sticker collection as a child and I love that there are so many small businesses creating Catholic stickers. Collecting them and putting them in my journal gives me feelings of nostalgia and joy!

This one below is from Just Love Prints!

I created this free download with you that has 40 Prayer Journal Prompts! You can use it any time of year or for Lent!

I also created a more elegant looking download with more prayer journal prompts. You can get that here.

Prayer Journal Tips and Tricks

This post gave my favorite tricks: 3 Prayer Journal Hacks You Will Love

My favorite is the one where you hide what you are afraid someone may pick up and read.

I have used a coloring page to glue right over a novena intention.

I have also used stickers.

When do you find the time to journal?

You don’t find the time to journal, you make the time to journal.

This is a gift of giving God your time.

I don’t journal every day. I don’t think there was ever a phase in my life where I journaled every single day.

A prayer journal is a way to spend time with the Lord but it’s not the ONLY WAY!

I often bring a journal to Eucharistic Adoration with me. There are many weeks when this might be the only time I write in my journal.

But lately I have been thinking about the quote from Saint Francis de Sales:

“Everyone of us needs half an hour of prayer every day, except when we are busy—then we need an hour.”

God often reminds me that is not subject to time. There are days when I have given Him time “I didn’t have” and the day went a lot smoother. He can create time when, according to us, there is none.

Miracles Happen When You Pray (with a Journal)

Miracles really do happen. God gives them to us, but I think when we journal, we notice them more often.

I started my prayer journal when I was heartbroken and hoping for the vocation of marriage. I continued to pray when I went through infertility. I have seen little winks from God by pouring my heart out to Him and telling Him my hopes and dreams.

I want you to experience this too.

Help younger boys and girls start a prayer journal

In this incredibly fast-paced world where kids and teens are “writing” and posting on social media, they need to learn the practice of prayer journaling.

Dr. Sax, author of The Collapse of Parenting, Girls on the Edge and Boys Adrift

described in a talk how girls who would go write in a diary were living; but girls who write and post on social media are performing.

These actions are not the same.

If you want to help your pre-teen or young teen to start journaling, I wrote books for them!

Be Yourself: a Journal for Catholic Girls and Be Yourself: a Journal for Catholic Boys are available on Amazon, this website, and many others.

Do you live giving (and getting) Catholic gifts?

If yes, check out this page! 12 Awesome Catholic Shops