See how tracking answered prayers transforms your spiritual journey and life into one with greater blessings...
It was late fall.
On this particular night, my wife and I were excited to fellowship with our church LifeGroup.
In fact, we planned dinner and a movie.
But not just any movie.
This movie would leave a lasting impression... and motivate me to take action.
The movie was War Room
.
War Room
tells the story of a faithful older woman who chooses to mentor a younger woman in the art and war of prayer.
Her results were nothing short of transformational - for the newly trained prayer warrior and the loved ones around her.
In the movie, the mentor owned a framed picture of her hand-written, answered prayers.
With our busy schedules, taking time to write down answered prayers and review them may feel like a waste of time.
But the old lady's wisdom is profound. She knows we're missing out on 3 major blessings when we don't track answered prayers:
1. Building Gratitude to God
2. Building Praise for God
3. Building Faith in God
Surprising Benefit #1. Building Gratitude to God
The first big benefit of tracking answered prayers is to build gratitude for what God has done for us.
Let's face it, most of us rejoice when God answers our prayers.
We thank Him for helping us get a good grade on a test... or for getting a promotion at work... or for a negative biopsy.
But in our fast-paced, information-overload world, we are quick to take the good news for granted. We are quick to start thinking about our next problem.
The result is we forget to have a thankful heart towards God.
Here's an example from my own life - my home.
Housing was unaffordable in Florida when I first moved from Indiana. I moved my family from a beautiful, all-brick 3 bed/2 bath custom home to a rented apartment. We didn't even have enough room for all our stuff.
Two years later, my marriage was strained. My wife and I needed roots to feel planted in our new home city. We needed more space for our growing family. Prayer for a new home became a priority for us.
With prices still double what we expected, we were resolved to buy a lesser home. But God answered our prayers in a big way. He provided a home not only where we wanted but also with more space than we thought possible!
Now it is 9 years later. We have made a wonderful home in this gift of a house God provided.
But how often do I reflect on just how greatly God answered my prayers for a new, beautiful home?
I am ashamed to admit - very rarely.
And because I don't reflect on the gift of my house, I complain instead (i.e., creaking floors, home repairs). I miss the opportunity to express gratitude to God for His gifts.
A habit of tracking answered prayers builds gratitude for the gifts He provides.
Surprising Benefit #2. Building Praise for God
The second benefit of tracking answered prayers is building praise for God.
God is working around us all the time. We just don't notice because we are too easily distracted with our busyness.
But God is weaving hundreds of pieces into place for maximum good for the most people.
That kind of masterful work commands our attention and our praise!
Unfortunately, we miss opportunities to praise God when we don't reflect on how we've witnessed His work in the past.
I should know.
I have a vivid example from my own life - my son's adoption.
After having our first child relatively quickly, my wife and I were surprised to be challenged when trying to have our second.
I imagine our journey was similar to that of many couples struggling with fertility. It included lots of tests and treatments. It also included no good explanation for our difficulty.
Through lots of prayer, we were drawn towards adoption.
To my own amazement, my resistant heart was rapidly converted towards open adoption.
Coincidentally, a familiar crisis pregnancy center was just starting an adoption agency. They were looking for their first set of adoptive parents.
Around the same time, a young birth mom entered an abortion clinic one week past the cut off for late-term abortion. Surprisingly, she was sent next door to our crisis pregnancy center instead of 90 minutes away to the only doctor in the state performing late-term abortions.
And these are just a handful of the pieces God moved into place to show His glory through a single adoption story!
God is working this way in millions of lives this very day - He is worthy of our praise!
Tracking and reflecting on such answered prayers builds praise for God.
Surprising Benefit #3. Building Faith in God
A third benefit of tracking answered prayers is building faith in God - specifically, that God WILL continue to answer prayers.
Let's face it, we all need help with faith!
Jesus recognized faith is difficult for us. That's why He was amazed when He witnessed great acts of faith. And why God rewards faith.
We tend to lose confidence in our future regardless of what God has accomplished for us in the past.
For me, I pray and pray for success in my personal business.
While there are small victories to celebrate, my reality is nowhere close to reaching the picture I have in my head.
It is easy for me to get discouraged. It is easy for me to question whether God wants me to succeed. It is easy to think God is just telling me "no."
But if I take the time to review just how God has answered my prayers in the past... If I take the time to consider His proven sovereign hand...
I cannot help but feel deeper faith that God will answer my current prayers, too!
Considering the prayers God has answered for me in the past builds my faith He will come through for me again.
A personal list of answered prayers becomes a powerful piece of evidence God does answer prayers... and that builds faith in Him.
How to Track Answered Prayers
Tracking answered prayers is easy.
You can use any written journal to track answered prayers. Simply create some routine for writing them down in a specific place.
If you have a prayer journal filled with prayer requests, find some way to mark which prayers have been answered (e.g., star them or circle them).
If you have one of our OnlinePrayerJournal.com accounts, you can simply flag them with the "magic wand" next to each prayer request God answers.
Here's an illustration:
First, flag prayer requests that have been answered from any of your prayer cards.
Prayer requests remain on the prayer cards where you created them - just with the magic wand now highlighted.
You can also see all your answered prayer requests in one spot - a tab under the "Cards" menu option called "Answered!":
Conclusion
Start tracking your answered prayers and you'll be surprised by the benefits.
You'll find yourself more grateful to God, praising Him more, and having more faith.
Just find a place to write down your answered prayers. Or use a prayer journal and start highlighting those that God answers for you.
If you want to use your phone or tablet, you can use an app like OnlinePrayerJournal.com.
Make it as easy as possible! Tracking answered prayers is another tool you'll have to live the transformed spiritual life you seek.
