Praying the Write Way

I attribute my unbroken string of daily appointments with God
not to devotion or creativity, inherent discipline or spiritual
maturity, but to the simple, daily activity of keeping a written
record of our two-way conversations. Writing has been the
singular solution to overcoming my previous weaknesses of
procrastination and daydreaming. So if you have struggled
repeatedly to develop a powerful and consistent prayer life, I
am confident you will benefit from keeping a written record of
your conversations with God in a prayer journal or notebook.

Just a few benefits of praying the “write way” include:
Focus: With pen and paper, you are forced to be attentive to
one subject. You have one focal point. Your conversations
don’t trail off into outer space when you’re writing. You have
to finish sentences and make decisions—or not. In other
words, when talking to God in writing, you acknowledge that
someone is conversing with you—this isn’t a diary of your
day, but a letter of intent. Writing gets all your senses moving
in the same direction.

Accountability: When you write down what you believe or
think or hope for, it takes your thoughts to a new level of
commitment. Written words are visible—black on white. The
greatest example of this is the Bible—where God’s words and
promises are made visible to you. He’s accountable to you.
You, by writing to Him, become accountable for your words
and actions. In fact, your personal integrity is on the line. Any
disparity between your words and actions becomes clear when
you write one thing but do or say the opposite. You get