For most of my adult life, I have been keeping a prayer journal.  I’ve discovered that it has a wide range of benefits, from things as “small and unspiritual” as the fact that it helps keep me focused so my mind doesn’t wander (as much!), to much more significant things like the ability to look back and see that, yes, I have actually grown even though I couldn’t see it happening.

In Journaling with Jesus, author Carol Round builds a solid case for this practice, providing numerous examples of these benefits (and expounding on them much more than I just did!).

She includes testimonies from other women who journal their prayer times.

And provides several chapters of methods that can be used for prayer journaling, a chapter for each.

Finally, she provides a list of resources that might be beneficial as you journal – both books and websites.

Although this is something of a “teaching” book, with a bit of how to prayer journal in addition to the why, it is not a step-by-step sort of book.  Rather, it presents more of the “big picture” of prayer journaling.  There is, however, a companion workbook, The 40 Day Challenge, which gets more into the nitty-gritty (or the “detail” that complements the “big picture”) as you journal day by day.

This would make a great gift for any believer you know (well, anyone of reading/writing age!), and is the kind of gift that keeps on giving.  It will not only keep giving throughout the recipient’s life, as he reaps the benefits, but may even impact future generations!  Consider presenting it as part of a small gift basket, together with a lovely journal and nice pen for even greater impact.  (The recipient is less likely to put off getting started if the supplies are set aside right there!)

If you’d like to know more about the author, you can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest, and find her at her own website.

$3.03 (Kindle)
$9.95 (print)
$12.95 (workbook)

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Disclosure: I was provided by the author with a copy of the book to facilitate my review.  As always, all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.