What is a prayer bible?

A commitment of intentional prayer with a focus on holding fast to God’s promises. His word does not return void. His promises are sure.

A prayer Bible is a tool of encouragement to pray us through all of life’s ups and downs. From praise to grief, tracing God’s will and hope for our lives by flagging scripture and praying back God’s word to Him is a journey you will never regret spending time on.

want to follow along via video?

On our YouTube channel you’ll find videos about how to get started on making your first prayer Bible, what questions to ask to decide on a list of topics, what resources I love to use, and more! There’s even a 10-week series!

Supplies to gather

Let's get started!

Step 1

Who is it for?

Is this prayer Bible for yourself or someone dear to you? Or perhaps it’s for a stranger but the Lord has put them on your heart in a big way. Identify who it’s for and grab any kind of wide-margin, notetaking, or journaling Bible!

Need help deciding? This site has a quiz to help you find the perfect Bible!

Confused about different Bible translations? Here’s a quick 1 minute video to break it down:

Step 2

choosing topics

Think about what season they’re in and ask yourself questions like these:

What’s one word that comes to mind when you think of this person?
What season are they in? (example: grief, job change, divorce, illness, empty nester, graduate, etc.)
Where do you see them thriving? Where do you see them struggle the most?
Have you seen any familial generational blessings or sins?
What is your heart’s deepest hope and prayer for this person?

Make a list of different areas of their lives you would like to pray into then narrow your list to 10 topics.

If you need help getting started, here is a link to a downloadable topic list. Here are some examples:

Mom

Cancer Warrior

College Bound

Comfort

Community

Endurance

Faith

Forgiveness

Grace

Identity

Marriage

Parenting

Words of Life

Eternal Life

Faithfulness

Fear & Anxiety

God’s Presence

Healing

Help in Trouble

Joy

Patience

Thanksgiving

Waiting

Community

Confidence

Fear & Anxiety

Future

Guidance

Identity

Loneliness

Obedience

Prayer

Wisdom

Step 3

Bible Setup

Grab your Bible, page flags, Sharpie, & Flag Aligner™, flip to the title page of your Bible, and start adding all 10 flags in a column allowing a little bit to overlap past the page.

There is no wrong or right way to do this! No matter how crooked or straight your flags are, God’s word remains the same.

If you have a Flag Aligner™, use the zero centering ruler on the side to vertically center your page flags, and but all 10 page flags on this page.

Next, write each of your 10 topics on your 10 page flags. Be sure to use a pen or marker designed for writing on transparent sticky notes! I personally love the classic Sharpie.

Now you’re ready to dig into God’s word.

Let the fun begin!

Step 4

finding scriptures

Scriptures are everywhere! But I’m here to encourage you to seek them out within their contexts.

God’s word is vast and bottomless. Dare I say we will never “finish” finding all the scriptures for any given topic, but what we can do is lean into the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

I have used many resources for collecting scripture, but my favorite ones are below.

I’ve started sharing my scripture collection via topical PDF download. You can view them all here!

Bible Concordance

Many Bibles include this section in the reference portion and can be helpful for searching out specific words but not too helpful for following themes.

Thompson Chain Reference Bible

My favorite way to search scripture by topic or theme. Learn how to use it on our YouTube channel. It's a game changer!

google search

Google is a powerhouse for quickly looking up topical scriptures and can be a great jumping off point but search with care and always read the scriptures in context.

Devotionals

Using a daily scripture-based devotional can be very helpful for learning to interpret or apply scripture to our daily lives. Here are some of my favorites.

Step 5

highlight & flag

For this prayer Bible method, the page flags for each topic stay in the same linear line throughout the Bible.

This is where having a Flag Aligner™ comes in handy but it is pretty easy to do it without too, it just takes a little more attention to detail.

Once you’ve found a scripture you love, highlight it. Choose the topic this scripture goes with and grab an associated page flag from your page flag sheet and lay in line with the one you put on the Bible’s title page in step 3.

If you’re using a Flag Aligner™, use the zero centering ruler and place the flag in the associated spot for that topic.

Since the flags aren’t next to the scripture that was highlighted, write the verse address on the page flag.

Step 6

Write a prayer

This is my favorite part! You can write from whatever perspective or voice you wish but I’ll tell you my method of choice.

I write the prayers in the margin but I’ve also used sticky notes. There are no rules! But I do love to date every prayer. It creates a breadcrumb trail for tracking God’s faithfulness.

Rather than writing to the person, I like to draft my prayers to God, from me, on the recipient’s behalf. Much like I would do if I were praying with someone in person.

Simply put, I pray back God’s word to Him. Here are some examples of scripture and a prayer.

Philippians 4:6 — Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God...

Thank you Lord, for your promise of peace and your directions on how to receive this gift you've already given to us. When panic arises, put this verse on Christy's heart and encourage her to focus on prayer and thanksgiving.

Micah 7:7 — But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Lord, this life thing is hard. Oh, how thankful I am that you hear us; our every cry in every moment. When the pressure is heavy, I pray You will remind Rachel to look to You. May her heart be patient for your answer to her cry.

Psalm 32:5 — I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Jesus, thank you so much for dying so we could live. When Rafael finds himself weighed down by shame or guilt, Lord, please give him courage to confess it you. Oh, how you are quick to forgive! Thank you so much for your grace.

Colossians 1:11 — being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;

Heavenly Father, you see Lauren and all the suffering she has been through. I pray that you fill her body with your strength, her heart with a renewed fervor, and her mind with joy and peace.

That's it!

Rinse and repeat

Where in the world are you making a prayer bible?

Join us as we make a prayer Bible chain across the globe! Share your location and we’ll add a pin to our Prayer Bible Map!

Take the journey with us!

See what real people who are making real prayer Bibles have to say about their experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a prayer Bible for myself?

Absolutely! Follow all the steps for topics that are near and dear to your heart and draft a short prayer or reminder about how each scripture is sitting on your heart.

How long does it take to make a prayer Bible?

It depends on your commitment level. To flag the Bible without writing prayers, it can take 4 hours using a list of scriptures. Dedicating 2 weeks to a Bible is the quickest I’ve ever completed one that included prayers, and that involved writing in the Bible 2-3 times per day for 30-90 minutes at a time.

Where do you get topics?

I have starter list of topics in the shop that you can download here. You can also use resources such as a concordance, promise book, Thompson Chain Reference Bible, or even Google.

How do you choose scripture?

The most important piece is to read scripture in context. Don’t just pick scriptures out as if they’re one-liners. Read the verses surrounding and ask the Lord what He wants you to get from the verse you’re looking at. If you need help getting started, I have many scripture lists available in the shop for purchase.

Can I buy all your topic and scripture lists?

I am working on a full length e-book that will include all the scriptures and topics I have collected over the last couple years. Unfortunately, there is no ETA on this; I’m on God’s timing!

What pen writes on the page flags?

I use an old school Sharpie ultra fine permanent marker.

What pen do you use to write on the Bible pages that doesn't bleed through?

My favorite pens are the Uni-Ball Signo 207 Ultra Micro gel pens.

Where do you buy your supplies?

I’ve made an amazon list for all the supplies I use!

Can you use any kind of Bible?

Yes you can! I prefer to use any kind of journaling, notetaking, or wide margin Bible. This will give your page flags room to sit without covering any of the words.

The Flag Aligner is here!