New Prayer Journal for Catholic Women to Overcome Anxiety, Stress, and Fear

Worried about the pandemic? Quarantined and need help shifting your focus away from all your worries? Or just want to do something productive and healthy?

Check out the new Prayer Journal for Catholic Women that my wife and I published together. It is a 52-week (or day) devotional for overcoming worry and stress and conquering fear:

The title comes from Padre Pio’s famous quote, but it was another holy person that inspired this book. It was Chiara Corbello Petrillo, surely one of the Church’s upcoming saints, who gave us the idea to create this prayer journal.

It started with my wife reading Chiara Corbello Petrillo, A Witness to Joy. She shared the book with all her sisters and girlfriends, and it spread like wildfire.

Along with fellow Catholic theologian, Mary Nadeau Reed, I also just published the following new prayer journals for Catholic Moms and Catholic Homeschooling Moms:

 

Why Keep a Spiritual Journal? 

Prayer is essential and journaling is an essential component of prayer. Through journaling, we can evaluate our thoughts, reactions, spiritual growth, and the way we apply God’s truth to our lives. A prayer journal is also very effective for evaluating where you have been and where God is leading you now. 

Even secular voices understand the importance of spiritual prayer journaling. Author Michael Hyatt says “What happens to us is not as important as the meaning we assign to it.  Journaling helps sort this out.”

Why keep a prayer journal? I have created the following infographic to explain just that. 

7 Reasons to Keep a Prayer Journal Infographic

Feel free to share the following infographic on why you should keep a prayer journal: 

Notice that last step ... He should always be the End toward which we are striving. 

Why Keep a Spiritual Journal When Suffering from Anxiety?

I didn't realize there were so many women suffering from anxiety, often crippling anxiety. It may even be a silent pandemic.

It's frustrating for husbands, too. It's another one of those things we can't fix. We can be understanding - which isn't especially easy for us. We can make sure our wives get time enough recuperation time with their girlfriends and date nights with us. But, honestly, that's just a start.   

So, my wife and I made this prayer journal. If you are overcome with anxiety, we hope and pray you will find God in these pages, and He will give you comfort.

We also made a version for our sisters in Christ who are not (yet) Catholic :)

Take a Look Inside: A Seven-Step Structured Prayer Journal

Here is a look inside the prayer journal. In that blank space under "Reflect", you will find a new Saint quote or Bible verse to "ponder in your heart" each week (or day):

How to Use the Catholic Prayer Journal

How to Use a Prayer Journal During Holy Hour?

This journal is an excellent companion for Holy Adoration or other kinds of Holy Hours. Use the journaling prompts to guide your prayers before the Blessed Sacrament. 

52 Week (12 Month) or 52 Day Catholic Prayer Journal and Daily Bible Verse Journal

There are several different ways to use this prayer journal. Though the journal is designed for 52 weeks of guided prayer, it could also be used for 52 days. Just use each weekly section as a day section, instead. This could also be a resource for Lent if you just use it for 6 weeks or 40 days. We hope this journal will adapt itself to your needs.

Each of the 52 weeks (or days, if you prefer) includes a seven-step prayer sequence modeled after the Examen prayer of St. Ignatius. The seven steps are (1) Breathe, (2) Become aware of God’s presence, (3) Thanksgiving, (4) Reflect, (5) Examination, (6) Contrition, and (7) Hope.

Journaling as a Spiritual Practice: 7 Steps

Here is a more in-depth look at the purpose and significance of these steps:

1. The first step, Breathe, guides you through a breathing exercise that you can also use whenever you feel stressed, especially when you first begin to feel stressed. This breathing exercise can help you ward off a panic attack.
2. Take time to become aware of God’s presence. Remember that He is closer to you than you are to yourself. He is with you right now, in the now. Let your soul come to rest, for as St. Augustine says, “Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in You.”
3. Thanksgiving: A key to overcoming anxiety is re-orienting yourself to gratitude. That is, focusing less on your fears and more on God’s gifts to you. Lord, I realize that all, even myself, is a gift from you. Today, for what things am I most grateful?
4. Reflect on the provided quote from the Saints or verse from Scripture. We chose these quotes and verses specifically to help you overcome anxiety. What words stand out to you? What comes into your mind as you reflect on the words? This is the meditative practice of lectio divina. Sit with these passages for five minutes or more each day through the week. Plant them in your mind, water them daily with reflection, and let them take root.
5. Ask the Lord to guide you through your day and week. Jesus will take you by the hand to Examine the moments and experiences of your life. Wait and see what bubbles up in your memories. What is Jesus trying to reveal to you? Jesus might be saying “I was there in that moment” but you did not see me, feel me, or hear me. Over time, this exercise will help you to know that Jesus never leaves your side and to sense him always there.
6. Contrition: Big or small, where, when, and how did sin creep into your day? Learning when you are tempted will help you remake your sin habits into virtues. 
7. Learn to prayerfully anticipate the future in Hope. So much of our anxiety comes from unwarranted fear of the future. We dread events that may never come to pass. This exercise will help you shift your focus toward the good that is coming. The ultimate goal is to see God’s presence in all things.

Catholic Weekly Prayer Journal

A Weekly Prayer is also included. We chose prayers that are focused on overcoming anxiety through gratitude, healing, empowering, and surrendering.

Lastly, each week (or day) also includes a page of Prayer Goals. The goals include a section to list your Prayer Intentions, a Goals Checklist, and a place to list your weekly Acts of Love and Sacrifice:

• Prayer Intentions: This is an opportunity to give your worries away to God. Imagine taking these intentions from your heart and placing them in Jesus’ outstretched hands. Prayer especially for those people who stress you or have hurt you or a loved one. This is an amazing way to sever the chains that bind you to hurt. 
• Goals Checklist: We provide some helpful prayer and sacramental practices to help you grow in the practice of the Catholic faith. 
• Small Things with Great Love: Here is a place to list the times that you did a small act for another person with great love. When you do the dishes when it’s not really your responsibility, when you apologize when it’s not your fault, when you forgive the rude person at the grocery store – write it down here. 

Lastly, be assured of our prayers for you, and maybe one day we will meet in Heaven ... where there’s no such thing as fear and anxiety.

Totus tuus!

Scott & Ashton Smith

Catholic Prayer Journal for Women: Sample Quotes from the Journal to Overcome Worry and Stress

Chiara Corbella Petrillo: Catholic Journal Prompts and Catholic Quotes

• "Peace is experienced by the one who allows himself to be loved."
• "Seen from the outside, all these trials are frightening. We wondered if we could ever confront anything similar. But each step is accompanied by a necessary grace."
• "The past to mercy, the present to grace, the future to Providence ... Let us ask for grace ... each morning grace permits us ... to make it again to the evening."

Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta: Catholic Journal Prompts and Catholic Quotes

• "Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We only have today. Let us begin."
• "Pain and suffering have come into your life, but remember pain, sorrow, suffering are but the kiss of Jesus — a sign that you have come so close to Him that He can kiss you."
• “I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”

St. Augustine of Hippo: Catholic Journal Prompts and Catholic Quotes

• "Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in You."
• "Watch, O Lord, with those who wake or watch or weep tonight, and give your angels and saints charge over those who sleep. Tend your sick ones, O Lord Christ. Rest your weary ones. Bless your dying ones. Soothe your suffering ones. Pity your afflicted ones, shield your joyous ones. And all for love’s sake.”
• “In my deepest wound, I saw Your glory and it dazzled me.”

Catholic Prayer Journal for Women: Sample Prayers, Catholic Journal Prompts from the Journal to Overcome Worry and Stress

A Prayer for Soothing Panic Attacks

Dear God,

I come before You to 

Lay my panic and anxiety at Your feet. 

When I’m crushed by my fears and worries, remind me of Your power and Your grace. 

Fill me with Your peace 

As I trust in You and You alone. 

I know I can’t beat this on my own, 

but I also know that I have You, Lord, 

And You have already paid the ultimate price 

To carry my burdens.

For this I thank you. 

Amen.

“Take and Receive” Prayer

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, 

My memory, my understanding, 

And my entire will – 

All that I have and call my own.

You have given it all to me.

To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; 

Do with it what you will.

Give me only your love and your grace.

That is enough for me. 

Amen. 

Prayer for Calm

My Lord and my God, 

I do not know what will happen to me today,

But what I do know is that

Nothing will happen to me today

That You and I together cannot handle.

This thought is enough 

To bring me to face the day in peace.  

I adore you in your wisdom and love.  

I commend myself into your hands with the complete trust.  

Amen. 

A Prayer for Calming a Troubled Heart

Loving God,

Please grant me peace of mind 

And calm my troubled heart. 

My soul is like a turbulent sea. 

I can't seem to find my balance, 

So I stumble and worry constantly.

Give me the strength and clarity of mind 

To find my purpose and walk the path 

You've laid out for me. 

I trust Your Love, God, 

And know that You will heal this stress. 

Just as the sun rises each day 

Against the dark of night.

Please bring me clarity with the light of God.

In Your Name I pray.

Amen.

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