Page 38 – Guideposts Articles

5 Ways Prayer Journaling Can Keep You Sane

Posted on March 11, 2026March 13, 2026 by Bob Hostetler

Today’s guest blogger is Jeanette Levellie, author of Touchable God: Finding the Lord’s Friendship Through Prayer.

“Sandy told me I should keep a journal about this horrible time I’m walking through,” I told my friend Rachel, “but it’s just too painful to write about.”

Rachel agreed with Sandy. “Even if you write just one sentence a day, it will help you get a grip on your feelings, and that’ll be a start. You don’t have to write a book; just a sentence.”

When I finally took their advice, I was amazed at how much healing I experienced because of this simple yet powerful exercise. It’s become a soothing friend in my anguish, a haven to run to when I’m overwhelmed. And since no else sees it, it’s safe from anyone who might be offended by my candor.

What factors about journaling our prayers help us when we’re in the midst of a super-sized problem?

1. It’s Cathartic
Getting our feelings and impressions down on paper allows us to analyze our situation objectively. As long as our emotions stay locked away in our souls, we can’t find answers for what hurts. When we allow ourselves to say, “I’m mad at Mom when she embarrasses me in public,” or “My kid’s choices scare me,” we can begin to seek the healing we need.

2. It’s Empowering
When we share what’s been stuck inside, even if it’s ugly, we’re allowing God to get involved in our lives on a deeper level. We’re opening our hearts to His voice—thus to His wisdom and love. We might even choose to write down what we sense Him saying to us in answer to our cries. That’s when we start to heal.

3. It’s Faith-Building
Weeks, months and years from now we have a record to look back on. We see how the Lord brought us out of calamity or gave us wisdom in a sticky situation. That builds our faith to expect Him to move again when another mountain stands in our way.

4. It’s Enlightening
Journaling helps us gain fresh ideas and insights. As we write, we prime the pump of creativity and ingenuity. We leave behind yesterday’s thoughts and the stale, unoriginal ideas of the negative people who surround us. We open our minds to the bottomless well of God’s mind and heart so He can show us how to think and behave like He does. Wow!

5. It’s Cheap
My friend and fellow writer Jim Watkins reminded me of this fun benefit: “Journaling is cheaper than a therapist. My journal always listens to me and never judges me, even if my ramblings could be used as possible evidence in a sanity hearing.” So . . . if you can’t afford a therapist (or even if you can), write down your problems—as prayers—and let the healing begin!

4 Ways to Pray Yourself Clean

Posted on March 11, 2026March 13, 2026 by Bob Hostetler

It feels so good.

If you’ve ever worked hard on a hot day in the garden—or under a car—you know how good it feels after such a grimy task to step under the shower spout and feel the water wash away all the sweat and soil and soreness.

It is much the same to confess your sins to God in prayer. Confession is good for the soul, the proverb says. It is a way of praying yourself clean, though the cleansing task is not really yours, but God’s. Your task is far simpler. It is to confess.

When King David lost his way and not only sinned with Bathsheba but also compounded his guilt with deception, dishonesty, conspiracy and murder, he eventually was led by the prophet Nathan to a place of sorrow and contrition over what he had done. And, by recording his confession in the form of a poem that has been preserved for millennia as Psalm 51, he also provided us with a helpful guide for praying our own prayers of confession:

1) Remind yourself who God is.
David’s song of confession begins, “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins” (Psalm 51:1, NLT). It helps to begin your confession with a reminder of who God is: a God of mercy, love and compassion. Remembering this can help you to confess well.

2) Be honest.
David went on to pray, “Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:2-4, NLT). He didn’t try to excuse himself or sugarcoat things, and neither should we.

3) Be specific.
David called his actions “guilt,” “sin,” “rebellion” and “evil” (Psalm 51:2-4, NLT). Force yourself to label your sin. Get specific. Was it “pride?” Or “lust?” Did you gossip or cheat? A specific confession calls a lie a lie, and a swindle a swindle.

4) Accept grace and envision a new future.
After admitting his guilt, David went on in his prayer to envision and accept God’s mercy and grace. “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean,” he said. “Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow….Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me…..Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you” (Psalm 51:7,10, 12, NLT). He looked forward to a different future, one that was free of the guilt and burden of his past.

“If we confess our sins,” the Apostle John promised, “[God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, ESV). Notice he didn’t say, “if we beg for God’s forgiveness.” God is more willing to forgive than we are to confess; like the waiting father in the prodigal son story, he will run to meet us before we even finish our apology (compare Luke 15:18-19 with Luke 15:20-22).

So pray yourself clean. Cultivate a daily habit of confession, a way of washing off all the dirt of sin and failure, and step into a different future, free of the guilt and burden of the past.

4 Ways to Pray When You’re Confused

Posted on March 11, 2026March 13, 2026 by Bob Hostetler

What do you pray when you’re confused? When you’re not sure you are thinking straight? When you don’t even know what to pray, how to begin, where you’re going?

Those are good times to learn to pray like Thomas Merton. Merton was a Trappist monk, priest, poet, social activist and author (his memoir, The Seven Storey Mountain, is considered one of the finest of its genre). He wrote more than 70 books, including Thoughts in Solitude, which includes this prayer:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone (© Abbey of Gethsemane, used with permission).

His journals include many prayers, but this one has garnered more interest than any, perhaps because it is so humble and helpful. It can guide our own praying in many ways, four of which are:

1) Confess your uncertainty

What an amazing way Merton started his prayer: “I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.” Have you ever felt that way? Are you feeling something like that now? You’re not alone. Merton’s words resonate with many of us, who may put up a good front but much of the time don’t really know what we’re doing. It is refreshing to confess our uncertainty and confusion in prayer, and it’s powerful because it puts us right where God wants us, where He can speak to us and work in us.

2) Confront your limitations

Merton also says, “Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.” The irony is that it takes someone who knows himself pretty well to confront the fact that he may not know himself. And a humble awareness of our limitations is the best posture from which to pray.

3) Express your beliefs and hopes

The prayer continues, “I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.” Have you ever stopped to express your beliefs to God in prayer? Those beliefs will shape your praying, so it’s good to be able to identify and express them. Similarly, Merton expresses his hopes, while still humbly allowing that his understanding could be faulty.

4) Affirm your trust

Like many psalmists, Merton concludes his prayer with affirmations of his trust in God: “I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.” The very act of praying often leads us from confusion and doubt to faith, even confidence.

So try it. Pray like Thomas Merton: Confess your uncertainty, confront your limitations, express your beliefs and hopes, and affirm your trust in God.

4 Ways to Find Your Purpose in Life

Posted on March 11, 2026March 13, 2026 by Pablo Diaz

Recently, a good friend of mine, whose husband passed away over a year ago, told me, “I’m going to take a long trip to discern what God wants next for my life.” Discerning our purpose through the seasons of life can be one of the most challenging tasks that we face. But the good news is God has a purpose for each of us.

Practice the following to help discern your own purpose:

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1. Engage in different activities, ones that make a difference in your life and in others’ lives, until you discover the one that makes you come alive. This process leads to understanding what truly brings you joy.

2. When in doubt, pray. Prayer provides insight and clarity on what your heart yearns for and the ways you can help others. Prayer opens the way.

3. No matter whether your circumstances are good or bad, continue to search for your purpose. Be assured, knowing many people have found their purpose in times of personal hardship and tragedy.

4. Listen to your heart. When you feel passionate about something and are willing to work hard, you are capable of anything.

We must be prayerful and relentless in our pursuit to discover and live out our purpose in life. The journey is different for everyone, but all of us can make a difference in our own way. What has helped you find your purpose? Please share with us.

Lord, I know that you have a purpose for my life. Help me discern what it is and live it out.

4 Short and Simple Prayers to Make Your Life Better

Posted on March 11, 2026March 13, 2026 by Rick Hamlin

I recently read a charming and helpful book on prayer called May It Be So by Justin McRoberts and Scott Erickson. Besides talking about their own prayer life, they offer 40 short prayers for 40 days. Here are just four of them. May they bring sustenance to your own prayer life as they did mine.

1) May those I love know it unquestioningly.
God loves us unconditionally. Would that those we love know the same about us. I pray that my love is shown by my actions.

2) May I offer help more readily and joyfully than I offer critique.
A fellow church choir member said to me the other day, “I’ve decided that if I’m not being paid to judge, I won’t judge.” And she’s a courtroom judge by profession! Words of criticism rarely reach their intended goal. No wonder Jesus said, “Judge not lest you be judged.”

3) May the fear of being afraid never keep me from facing the things I am afraid of.
Fear can sneak up on you, sometimes in the most innocent of garb. A tiger disguised as a pussycat. To be afraid is perfectly natural. To pray through the fear is heroic. As the old saying goes, Courage is fear that has said its prayers.

4) May I be surrounded by loved ones who remind me who I am when I forget. I will forget.
The best mirror for ourselves is not a selfie taken on our phones. It’s in the looks of love from those we love. I would be nothing, a nobody, without my church, my friends, my family, my loved ones. Their reminders of who I am is my lifeblood.

3 Things Regular Prayer Will Teach You About Yourself

Posted on March 11, 2026March 13, 2026 by Bob Hostetler

Those who pray regularly know things. Things that those who don’t pray regularly—or don’t pray at all—don’t know. I truly believe that.

You may not think of prayer as a way to fulfill the ancient Greek saying often attributed to Socrates, “know thyself,” but there are at least three ways that regular prayer will foster a greater and deeper knowledge of many things, including yourself. Here are just three:

1) Regular prayer will teach you what you believe about God.

When you approach God, do you do so as if He is stingy or vengeful? Do you beg? Do you cajole? Or do you praise and offer thanks? When you say, “Our Father,” is it mere repetition, or do your prayers reflect a belief in God’s closeness and care? The more you pray, the more likely you are to understand (and grow in your understanding) of God and His ways, of His fatherly love and concern for you and for everything that concerns you.

2) Regular prayer will teach you what you believe about yourself.

Do I present my needs to God as a much-loved child? Do I “present [myself] to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed” (2 Timothy 2:15, NIV)? Do I relate to Him out of guilt or shame? Or affectionately and gratefully, like the woman who tenderly bathed the feet of Jesus with tears and expensive perfume (see Luke 17:36-48)? More and more, as you pray regularly, you will gain insight into the things you believe about yourself—how God sees you, and how you see yourself.

3) Regular prayer will teach you what you believe is important.

My praying has changed drastically over the years, and much of it has been the fruit of regular (even constant, at times) prayer. In the past, my praying focused almost exclusively on urgent and immediate needs; there was a smattering of praise, a little thanks, and some waiting and listening. But mostly, I rushed into God’s presence and dumped my seemingly big needs on Him, and often ran out as breathlessly as I had come in. I still do that sometimes, but I’ve learned over time to wait on God, listen to Him, to think (and pray) His thoughts after Him.

Regular prayer has taught me that God’s wisdom is greater and His will more important than mine. Regular prayer taught me that I was treating my needs and urgencies as the most important thing I could take to God in prayer. I came to see that my need for control and my preferred outcomes were more important to me than God’s timing and His glory.

I am still learning new things about myself—daily, in fact—but I may never have begun the learning process if I had not sought God regularly in prayer. The more I pray, the more I know. And the more I know, the more I pray. Maybe regular prayer will do some of the same things for you too.

10 Ways You Can Be an Angel

Posted on March 11, 2026March 13, 2026 by sciancanellis

August 22^nd is National Be an Angel Day, a holiday created to promote acts of kindness around the world. Here is a list of 10 ways you can celebrate this angelic holiday and bring a little heaven to earth.

1. Use kind words to spread positivity.
Instead of cultivating negativity with complaints or gossip, use words that bring out the best in yourself and others.

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2. Forgive someone who has wronged you.
Is there someone on your grudge list? Take a minute, open your heart and truly forgive them.

3. Thank the people who make your life better.
Tell others how much you appreciate them for all they do—from the mailman to your best friend.

4. Give the gift of patience.
Let someone go ahead of you in line at the grocery store, allow the car stuck in traffic to merge, or simply de-escalate a heated situation with a smile.

5. Pay it forward.
Pick up the tab for a stranger. Buy coffee for the next person in line, pay the toll for the car behind you, or leave money at the vending machine with a note: “Treats on me in honor of Be an Angel Day.”

6. Pray on behalf of others.
Send a prayer request for a loved one, friend, or a stranger in need. Caring OurPrayer volunteers will stand with you in prayer.

7. Be a helping hand to others in need.
Bring a bag of canned goods to your local food bank, give clothing and supplies to the homeless shelter, make a meal for an elderly neighbor or offer to do their shopping.

8. Put a surprise in your friend’s in-box.
Send an e-card to your loved ones and let them know how much they mean to you.

9. Donate your talents to a good cause.
Sign-up to share the gifts that God gave you with others—volunteer at a nursing home, the children’s wing of a hospital, the possibilities are endless!

10. Help out our furry, finned and feathered friends.
Be an angel to God’s creatures—hang up a bird feeder or bringing supplies (old blankets, litter and pet food) to a shelter. Do a good deed to help those that can’t help themselves.

As the saying goes, No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted, so reach out with a generous heart and make today truly angelic!

10 Short and Powerful Prayers for Caregivers

Posted on March 11, 2026March 13, 2026 by Sabra Ciancanelli

In her work as cofounder of Home Instead Senior Care, Lori Hogan has seen what Jeff Bjorck saw: Faith is crucial in helping you meet the daily challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Here are some of Lori’s favorite Bible verses for family caregivers:

If you feel overwhelmed: The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.—Psalm 23:1–4

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If you’re struggling with how much dementia has changed your loved one: “…Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”—Matthew 25:40

If you feel that frustration or anger is getting the best of you: For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.—2 Timothy 1:7

If you’re worried about what lies ahead: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”—Jeremiah 29:11

If you feel like you are in crisis: I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.—Psalm 121:1–2

If you’re dealing with the difficult behaviors of dementia: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”—John 15:12–13

If you need a reminder that God is with you: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.—Romans 8:28

A prayer from Strength for the Moment, Lori’s book of devotions for family caregivers: “Sustaining Lord, it’s hard to watch my loved one decline. I ask you to give me strength during difficult caregiving situations and protect me from discouragement. Give me a willing spirit to see things from different perspectives so I may grow from my caregiving experiences and ultimately come closer to you.”

For more support for family caregivers, including free training, visit helpforalzheimersfamilies.com.

For more inspiring stories, subscribe to Guideposts magazine.

10 Helpful Prayers for Facing Money Problems

Posted on March 11, 2026March 13, 2026 by Bob Hostetler

Many of us face uncertain financial times in our lives—from an unpredictable economy to an ever-changing job market to all kinds of money matters.

Recently, my wife and I survived a financial scare. We endured a week of uncertainty before the situation was resolved. Things turned out just fine, but it was touch-and-go there for a while.

As things unfolded, my prayers progressed from panic (at first) to surrender (eventually). Maybe the prayers I prayed (in more or less the following order) will help you when you face uncertain circumstances, financial or otherwise:

1) “Oh God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me” (from the liturgy of the hours).

2) “Be still my soul, the Lord is on your side” (from the hymn by Katharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel).

3) “Keep me in perfect peace. Keep my mind on You. Help me to trust in You” (based on Isaiah 26:3).

4) “Lord, I’m in Your hands” (drawn from Psalm 31:5).

5) “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (2 Chronicles 20:12, NIV).

6) “Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:8, NIV).

7) “May it be to me as You say” (based on Mary’s prayer in Luke 1:38).

8) “Not my will, but Yours be done” (based on the prayer of Jesus in Matthew 26:39).

9) “Your grace is sufficient for me, for Your power is made perfect in weakness” (based on 2 Corinthians 12:9).

10) “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:17, NIV).

10 ‘Breath Prayers’ to Pray

Posted on March 11, 2026March 13, 2026 by Brooke Obie

Bob Hostetler shares quick and powerful prayers to pray on the go.

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How to Turn What You’re Wearing into a Prayer

Posted on March 11, 2026March 13, 2026 by Bob Hostetler

What are you wearing? Is it a prayer?

It can be. You might say that, for more than 3,000 years, observant Jews have done so. You may recall that Moses relayed God’s commands to God’s people, telling them that they should:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength… Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads” (Deuteronomy 6:5-8 NIV).

Since then, many Jews have worn tallit (prayer shawls) and tefillin (a word related to t’fillah, the Hebrew word for “prayer”) on their arms and foreheads in literal, prayerful obedience to the command. But you don’t have to be Jewish to wear a prayer. It simply takes a little attention—and intention—when you dress for the day. Or evening. Or even for the gym.

For example, you might own a piece of jewelry that was given to you by someone special. Why not say a prayer for that person as you’re putting it on?

You could turn a scarf or coat into a prayer by asking God to cover you with His presence and power as you wear it.

As you put on your watch in the morning, you might ask God to oversee the minutes and hours of your day according to His good, perfect, and pleasing will.

Your shoes can be a prayer, too. You can ask God to fulfill His word in Psalm 37:23 (NIV): “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.”

A flag pin could be worn as a prayer for your country. Your glasses could be a prayer for wisdom and insight. A hair-tie could be turned into a plea for God to control and beautify your life. Pajamas can be a prayer for a good night’s sleep or a bathrobe for cleanliness of heart and life. Even a bandage could become a prayer for friends who are hurting.

Try it. Start small. Pick one item that you wear daily or regularly. Pray over it, asking God to make it a prayer every time you wear it, for as long as you wear it. You may be surprised at what wearing a prayer can do for you and the world around you.

How to Pray with Poetry

Posted on March 11, 2026March 13, 2026 by Bob Hostetler

Have you ever prayed a poem? I have, often. It’s one of my favorite ways to pray.

It started long ago. As a teenage follower of Jesus, I felt inadequate to articulate the things that were in my heart. My prayer vocabulary was poor. Then one day (in church, probably) it dawned on me that hymns could be not only sung but also spoken. So, I began to employ the poetry of Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, Fanny Crosby, and others as a sort of private diary of prayer. My well-worn hymnal has since bracketed and buttressed my prayers like no other book except the Bible (oddly, it was years later that I began praying the Bible—and the poetry of the Psalms in particular—in much the same way I’d been using the hymnal).

Not all hymns are prayers, of course. Some teach, some testify, some inspire. But many are prayers written as poetry: “Have Thine Own Way,” “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go,” “Take My Life and Let It Be,” and many others. I also pray poetically by speaking or singing many of today’s worship songs—and even verses or lines from popular music, such as Bruce Cockburn’s “Lord of the Starfields” and Todd Rundgren’s “Love is the Answer.”

Many of my favorite poets have given me beautiful words to pray, in rhyme, blank verse, and free verse.

For example, I’ve lifted many lines from William Shakespeare’s for my own prayers over the years, such as Prospero’s epilogue from The Tempest, which I sometimes pray when starting a new project: “Gentle breath of yours my sails / Must fill, or else my project fails.” Or Henry V’s prayer, “How thou pleasest, God, dispose the day!” Or the first lines of Sonnet 39 (adapted by me to address to God, of course):

O how thy worth with manners may I sing,
When thou art all the better part of me?
What can mine own praise to mine own self bring?
And what is but mine own when I praise thee?

Other poets inspire and infuse my prayer times. Lines from Mary Oliver’s poems “Look and See,” “The Trees,” and “Mysteries, Yes,” are among my favorite prayers. I revisit Robert Frost’s “Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today” every spring, as well as his delightful lines from “Cluster of Faith”:

Forgive, O Lord, my little jokes on Thee,
And I’ll forgive Thy great big one on me.

Many of my favorite poets are favorites because their poems are often prayers: Gerard Manley Hopkins, Christina Rossetti, Walter Brueggemann, Malcolm Guite (especially his David’s Crown: Sounding the Psalms), and Wendell Berry.

And, though I can’t lay claim to being a poet myself, I’ve sometimes prayed my own lines—writing and praying new words to a well-known hymn tune or riffing off new lines inspired by someone else’s, like so:

Lord of honeysuckle,
Lord of melons,
Lord of sweetness,
Lord of starfire,
Lord of wheatfield,
Lord of desert,
Lord of plenty,
Lord of want,
Lord of mystery,
Lord of me,
have mercy,
Lord, have mercy.

(Suggested by Mary Oliver. The first two lines are phrases used in separate poems in her collection, Thirst.)

Why not try it? Pray a poem. Yours, or someone else’s. Speak it or sing it, whichever works best for you.