In college, creating vision boards was my thing. I put together all sorts of projects—some on actual corkboard, others on whiteboards, chalkboards, and even bare walls. Beyond all my creations, however, my favorite was the prayer board I made. Sadly, I do not have a single picture of this incredible board I created out of Hobby Lobby scraps, but I still remember how much I loved it! This past week, I decided to recreate this prayer board with some essential updates.
But first, what is a prayer board?
The short answer is that a prayer board is anything you make of it, really.
A more in-depth answer, however, is that a prayer board is a visual tool used to organize and track prayers. I don’t track anything I pray (I try to focus on just being consistent in my devotional time), but I do love writing things down, putting them into envelopes, and reading them at a later date. Having a prayer board has helped me remember things I need to focus on and often helps reground my thoughts.
I also love having a physical desk area for my Bible, my study materials, whatever Christian books I am currently reading, and my newly designed prayer board. While I have an excellent writing desk (designated for long book drafting hours), having a separate space designated specifically for everything I use in my devotions is amazing! In this space, I can write out scripture verses to memorize, praises, goals, and things I want to reflect on, all while trusting the Lord and asking Him for guidance.
BEFORE you assemble and design your board
Before starting your project, however, I highly suggest taking the What Decorating Season Are You? Quiz to determine what type of style you should go for with your own bulletin board project. Having taken the quiz myself, I know I am a Coastal Dreams girly, and therefore it was important to focus on neutral colors, with some tasteful pops of gold, and to incoporate a lot of lightly rustic items into my overall design.
Also, visiting Pinterest will help you! Search up “Prayer Board Ideas”. There are many, many options!
1. Bulletin Board Assembly
This project can be done on literally any type of bulletin board! For this project, I chose an arched felt bulletin board (requires some assembly), which I made some modifications to before nailing it to my wall.
Putting together this specific bulletin board can be a bit tricky, especially since it does not come with any detailed instructions. It comes packaged in six separate panels, all of which you directly adhere to your wall with a sticky adhesive, positioning the pieces close together to create a seamless fit.
While this method does work, I found a better way of utilizing my bulletin board, which made the board both sturdier and more aesthetically appealing. In order to accomplish my method, you will need a large piece of fabric that will cover the dimensions of the bulletin board (with about an inch of extra fabric on all sides), a whole bunch of pushpins, scissors, masking tape, and long panels of cardboard.
Yes, my assembly method is way more time-consuming. BUT, I actually like my board way more now that I added the backing to it. Not only does it have more stability, but it also has a gorgeous edging to it with the custom-cut fabric and gold pushpins.
2. Board Organization
Get out a piece of paper and actually draw a picture of what you want your board to look like! I promise you, planning out the board will save you time, if not materials. Draw everything you can, including where you want to place decorative items like jewelry and trinkets.
I divided my board up into four main categories: verse memorization, scripture passages, prayer envelopes, and trinkets.
Verses & Scripture Passages: My goal is to memorize more scripture, so I write out verses by hand and put them up on my board. I also like displaying longer scripture passages. Currently, my board has Psalm 23 on it (see the small yellow card on the right side).
Note: I also have this amazing bracelet a good friend of mine gifted me (this is not sponsored; I just really love this bracelet!) Literally, this is one of the coolest things I own! This bracelet is wired to give you a daily Bible verse when you hold your phone up to it. I have really enjoyed mine and now use this to aid me with verse memorization.
Prayer Envelopes: My prayer envelopes and trinkets are where your board will become more personalized to you. For me, I wanted to place my envelopes near the bottom of my board so they are more easily reached. I categorized them as Healing Prayers, Spiritual Growth, Light of the World, and Wellness—but you can do this literally however you desire. Just prioritize what is most important to fit in the limited space, and remember it does not have to be perfect…just like no prayer has to be perfect itself!
Trinkets: Over the years, I have received many pieces of jewelry and trinkets that I love from family members and friends. While I own way more than what I displayed on my board, the pieces I chose to display are ones I have retired and enjoy looking at daily. My board features two bracelets my younger sister gave me for Christmas a few years back, a beautiful pouch another sister gave me during our college years together, and a bag of lavender from my mother alongside a small metal cross she gave me, which she called “a little pocket of hope.” I also have my board covered with small gold crosses, which complement the gold pushpins along the frame.
Note: I left the backing on many of the stickers I used and pinned them on instead. Doing this allowed me to use way more from my sticker kit than I might have used otherwise because trying to put stickers on this board is next to impossible (they aren’t designed to stick to boards like this!) My advice is to just use a pushpin. Easy-peasy.
3. Devotion Desk Setup
I was fortunate enough to inherit this adorable little desk from my mother-in-law, who bought it from an antique store and upcycled it. Already owning a nice writing desk, I decided to use this one as a devotion desk since it provides ample storage for my Bible, other books, stationery, and other writing materials.
I keep the most essential items I use in my devotions in the top of the desk: my Bible, its cover case, my bag of highlighters and pens, and extra notebooks. In the drawers, I stow away a few other Bibles from my collection, as well as study books and a whole bunch of stationery. There is even enough room for a small collection of cards and gift bags, which I often need for giving someone items at church.
At this point in my life, it really helps to have a designated area for all of these things, which too often get lost in my main desk area. Since setting up my secondary desk, I love being able to move back and forth between my two desk areas, with each one serving its own purpose.
Things to Keep in a Devotion Desk
- Your Preferred Bible: Keep a physical copy or an electronic device handy
- Your Bible Cover: I found a gorgeous cover on Amazon that comes in several sizes. This cover is helpful when I need to take my Bible to church and don’t want it to get damaged!
- A Daily Devotional: A book with guided readings
- Reference Books: A simple Bible dictionary, concordance, or a small commentary to help you understand historical context
- Prayer Journal: A dedicated notebook (mine also keeps my sermon notes)
- Highlighters & Pens: Pastel or bleed-free study markers, fine-liners, or colored pencils designed specifically for thick Bible and journal pages
- Sticky Notes & Tabs: Colored page markers for quickly locating passages and marking pages to revisit
- Scripture Decor: Desk pieces like a plaque or a perpetual verse calendar to keep God’s word visible
- Comfort Items: A mug for tea or coffee, a small box of tissues, and perhaps a candle
What about personalizing your Bible?
Now that you have a devotional setup, it is time to figure out how to actually use your Bible for studying. I have a fantastic step-by-step guide for personalizing your Bible that has some tips and tricks for making this process easier. Believe me, there is so much more you can do than merely purchasing a collection of nice highlighters!
*I utilize affiliate links. For more info, please visit my Privacy Policy. Whenever you purchase from my shop, it helps me bring you more amazing content!
Love this! So many cute and practical ideas packed into one post. Thanks for sharing!