I took a picture of my Hydrangea bush yesterday. I thought it was done blooming, but a surprise pop of glowing purple met me when I came home. I held it in my hand and took a good look at the colorful cluster. What a pleasant surprise indeed. Just when I thought our front yard was losing it's summer luster, the Hydrangea wasn't done yet.

I was thinking about that late-summer pop of color when looking at my prayer journal. Just saying "my prayer journal" sounds unfamiliar. Don't get me wrong, I've had a lot of journals over the years, but never one that was a bonafide prayer journal. Sure, I've converted notebooks into prayer journals by writing out prayers and scribling down requests but I can get a little helter-skelter with my ramblings. Occasionally my designated prayer journals would turn into ongoing grocery lists, or quotes from the kids, or meal ideas. Soon my journal would just be a catch-all. This is FINE and there is nothing wrong with it, unless of course you are going back through the pages of this catch-all trying to find a specific prayer request from a friend. Then, you might have a hard time finding it.

You can imagine my excitement when I was mailed a serious prayer journal. Oh happy day! I couldn't wait to start writing down requests. Val Marie Paper sent me their prayer journal in May. This summer I've had the privilege of using it and seeing what happens!

For me, It's been like a pop of transformation. And that's just the thing, whenever you have 2 minutes or 5 minutes, you can open up the prayer journal and start praying with prompts, direction, and purpose. Prayer pops! These are quick clusters of prayer in the unexpected corners of your day. It can change everything! You won't forget the requests that people tell you, or the most recent updates on situations, because you'll have all the information right at your fingertips in your prayer journal! Anybody else excited about this?

One of the most practical ways that I began using my prayer journal was for our Sunday School class at church. I used to just jot some requests on the church bulletin or maybe in the back of my Bible. There really was no organization to my method. This summer, however, I had the honor of bringing my prayer journal along to class to write down the week-to-week needs of my friends and I was able to see how God was answering our prayers! As a leader, I was able to start of the class by recapping last week's prayer requests. Before, I used to just re-ask people what was going on in their life. (Sorry :/ I realize that's not awesome.)

Now, some of you have sharp memories. You may be thinking this isn't much of an asset, but I wanted to share this list with you. Val Marie Paper has a beautiful website and on one of the pages you can find this list which contains the top 8 reasons why people love their prayer journal. See if any of these resonate with your desires/goals:

“1. More focused prayer time
2. A bigger passion for prayer
3 Less anxiety and more faith
4.Being able to look back and see how God has answered prayers
5. Feeling dialed into prayer and not distracted and just checking off a box
6. Deeper friendships because they are intentionally praying for each other each month
7. Actually praying for the things you tell people you will pray for
8. It’s structured enough to keep focused, but flexible enough to make your own”

Every month there are prompts to fill out for friends, family, your community...etc. The journal is VERY user friendly and even has explanations for how to use each section. Once you open the journal, you will know where to start.

These journals are POPULAR! Wow! If you want to buy one or five (these are meaningful gifts) of the NEW 2018 Journals, you will want to click HERE!

The journals are crafted with excellence. The covers are chic and the interior is beautifully but minimally designed so that you can stay focused. Here are a few specifics for those who want more details!

5.5X8 | Hard cover wrapped in linen fabric | Gold embossed | Three tabs (more reinforcement than last year's!) | Lettering by Rachel Jacobson
Prompts Section - 12 months with 7 pages for each of the months.
Gratitude Section - 41 lined pages with space for 1000+ gratitudes
Conversations Section - 75 lined pages

I challenge you to enjoy little pops of prayer throughout your day, throughout this school year, AND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! Dear Lord, that's I what I want! [my hand is in the air!] I hope you can take advantage of this tool. It won't make the prayer happen, but it certainly will aid you in your the journey.

If you order before August 22nd, you will get $5 off each journal!

I wish I could hear how God brings pops of inspiration into YOUR life. This summer, my prayer life needed a catalyst toward more commitment. I am grateful for this journal. Just like my front yard, my precious prayer life was lacking in peak-season luster. Something encouraging came just at the right time. This journal was one of my sweetest summer surprises.