Set Up an Altar of Remembrance

God gave the Israelites festivals to help them remember the great acts of salvation He accomplished in their lives. Altars were also used to commemorate encounters with God; they weren’t solely used for sacrifices. Abraham and Noah erected altars to God (Genesis 12: 6-7, 8:20). Joshua placed memorial stones after the Israelites finished crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 4). The Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper is another example of God calling us to remember what He has done to redeem us. (Luke 22:19). Although Christians are not required to build altars or celebrate the Jewish feasts, it would benefit us to keep tangible remembrances of God’s presence and faithfulness in our daily lives.

I’ve found one of the easiest ways to keep me mindful of God’s love, what he has done in my life, and what He will do in my life, is to create a prayer journal. Here’s what you will need:

• A notebook or notepad
• A highlighter in the color of your choice

It’s that simple. How this works is you simply write your prayers down, the more specific, the better. Specific prayers are great because you get to see God work in the details of your life. You can choose to review your prayers on a weekly or monthly basis. Grab your prayer journal and highlighter, then read your prayers. Every time you come across a prayer that God has answered, highlight it. If you’re ambitious, you might want to separate your journal for the different types of prayers you will be praying, for example, lost love ones, prayers for my pastor and other clergy, personal prayers, etc. You can also add a scripture before each section so you have God’s word near to strengthen your faith. You don’t need to buy a fancy journal unless of course you want to. Here are a few Bible verses I use:

• And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him (1 John 5:14-15).

• Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).

• If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you (John 15:7).

• Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

My prayer journal has increased my faith in God and has kept me mindful of the prayers I’ve prayed and how and when God answered them. It’s a simple way to keep God’s faithfulness at the center of our hearts when we are facing difficult times or have the urge to complain or doubt.

Here's a picture of my prayer journal.

Remember the wonderful works He has done, His wonders, and the judgments He has pronounced (1 Chronicles 16:12).