What is a prayer board?
A prayer board (some people call it a prayer wall) is a place where your prayers live outside your head. It might be a corkboard above your desk, a chalkboard in the kitchen or the inside of a closet door. On it go the people you're praying for, what they need, a few verses and a spot for prayers God has answered.
It helps with three things most of us struggle with:
- Remembering. You told your coworker you'd pray for her mom. A card on the board means you actually do, on Thursday and again next week.
- Praying specifically. Writing a need down makes you name it. "Bless Mark" becomes "Mark's interview on Friday at 10."
- Seeing answers. When a card moves to the Answered envelope, you have a record. Months later, on a hard day, you can pull out that stack and remember.
I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
A prayer board also isn't a charm. A prayer pinned to cork is heard no more than one whispered in the car. The board is just there to help you show up.
Free printable prayer board kit
If you'd rather not start from blank index cards, print our kit on card stock, cut along the dashed lines and pin it up.
Free printable · PDF
The Prayer Board Kit
Ten pages of cards, labels and verses for a prayer board at home, with small color accents so it prints well on any printer.
US Letter size. Printing on A4? Get the A4 version.
- Cover with a four-step setup guide
- 8 prayer request cards
- 8 "Answered" cards
- A weekly "Who I'm praying for" list
- A 30-day prayer tracker
- Pocket and envelope labels: Asking, Waiting, Answered, Family, Friends, Church, World and a blank
- 12 KJV verse cards (2 pages)
- 2 "Our Prayer Board" banners
- 4 kids' prayer cards to draw on
Want the next printable? We'll email you when there's a new one.
18 prayer board ideas
Pick one that fits your space and how you like to pray. Each idea lists what you need, how to set it up and one tip from people who keep a board going. Start small. You can always add.
1. Corkboard with Asking, Waiting and Answered envelopes
- You'll need: an 18×24-inch corkboard, push pins, index cards, three envelopes.
- Set it up: Pin the three envelopes along the bottom and label them Asking, Waiting and Answered. Pin current requests above them. Move a card to Waiting when you're waiting on God, and to Answered, with the date and what happened, when He answers.
- Tip: The classic Pinterest prayer board. If you only try one idea, try this one.
2. Chalkboard, whiteboard or chalk-paint wall
- You'll need: a framed chalkboard or dry-erase board and chalk markers. Or a can of chalkboard paint for a whole wall.
- Set it up: A verse on top, names on the left, needs on the right. Rewrite every Sunday. A painted wall gives kids room to draw their own prayers.
- Tip: Chalkboards look lovely in a kitchen, but they forget. Before you wipe, copy answered prayers into a notebook so you keep the record.
3. War room closet wall
- You'll need: a closet or small corner, painter's tape, sticky notes or cards, a cushion.
- Set it up: Turn one closet wall into a prayer wall. The full setup is under war room prayer board below.
4. Clipboard rotation
- You'll need: three to five clipboards, a row of hooks or a pegboard, paper.
- Set it up: Give each clipboard a category: Family, Friends, Church, World, Me. Clip a list on each. Each day, take one down and pray through it at the table.
5. Photo board of the people you pray for
- You'll need: printed photos (wallet size is fine), a corkboard or a wire grid, mini clothespins.
- Set it up: One photo per person or family, with a small card under each saying what they're facing now.
- Tip: Christmas cards make perfect photos. In January, pin up the ones you received and pray for one family a day.
6. Map board for missionaries and places
- You'll need: a world or country map, a corkboard behind it, map pins, small cards.
- Set it up: Pin missionaries, friends who've moved, places in the news and your own town. Run a thread from each pin to a card with names and needs.
- Tip: Pin each missionary's latest newsletter beside their dot.
7. Prayer jar and board for kids
- You'll need: a jar, colored craft sticks or paper slips, a small corkboard.
- Set it up: Kids write or draw a prayer on a stick and put it in the jar. At dinner or bedtime, they pull one out, pray for it and pin it on the board. When it's answered, it gets a sticker.
- Tip: Let kids add anything, including the dog's sore paw. Small prayers teach them God cares about small things.
8. Day-of-the-week board
- You'll need: seven envelopes or pockets, a long board or a strip of twine, cards.
- Set it up: Give each envelope a day and a focus: Monday family, Tuesday friends, Wednesday church, Thursday work and school, Friday leaders, Saturday the world, Sunday thanks. Each morning, pray through that day's cards.
- Tip: This is the answer when your list gets too long for one sitting. Everyone still gets prayed for weekly.
9. Verse wall
- You'll need: verse cards (printed or handwritten), washi tape or small frames.
- Set it up: Group verses by what you need them for: worry, waiting, praying for others, thanks. When you don't know how to pray, pray a verse back to God in your own words.
- Tip: Six or eight verses at a time is plenty. Start with the list below.
10. Answered prayer timeline
- You'll need: a long strip of kraft paper or a ribbon along a wall, small cards, a pen.
- Set it up: For each answered prayer, add a card with the date, what you asked and what happened. Over a year, it becomes a wall of remembering.
- Tip: Samuel set up a stone and called it Ebenezer, "Hitherto hath the LORD helped us" (1 Samuel 7:12). Some people title their timeline "Ebenezer" for that reason.
11. Small-group prayer board
- You'll need: a large board where your group meets, cards in one color per person.
- Set it up: Everyone pins one request at the end of each meeting. Next time, start with updates.
- Tip: A "prayer board night" makes a good small group or women's ministry night: bring supplies, make boards together, then pray over each other's requests. Our guide on how to lead group prayer can help with the praying part.
12. Church prayer wall
- You'll need: a large corkboard or wall panel in the lobby, a box of blank cards, pens on a string.
- Set it up: Try a "take one, pray one" wall: people pin a request, and others take a card home to pray for that week. A sign asks for first names only.
- Tip: Have someone pray over the wall and clear old cards every Monday.
13. Desk, dorm or mirror mini board
- You'll need: a 12×12-inch cork tile or a 5×7-inch frame with the glass removed. Or just a dry-erase marker and a mirror.
- Set it up: Room for five names, no more. Pin the people you've promised to pray for this week and one verse, or write them on the bathroom mirror and pray while you get ready.
14. Twine line or no-budget board
- You'll need: twine, two adhesive hooks, wooden clothespins. Or a dollar-store foam board, or the side of a cardboard box.
- Set it up: String two or three lines across a wall. Clip requests on the top line, waiting prayers on the middle and answered prayers on the bottom.
- Tip: This costs about five dollars and works in a rental where you can't hang a heavy board.
15. Back-of-the-door board
- You'll need: self-adhesive cork tiles or an over-the-door corkboard.
- Set it up: Fix the tiles to the back of your bedroom door at eye level. It's private, so it's a good place for requests you'd rather not have on display.
16. Portable board or prayer binder
- You'll need: a trifold board, or a binder with tabbed dividers and page protectors.
- Set it up: Use the same sections you'd put on a wall board: people, requests, verses, answered. Good for small apartments and people who travel.
17. Prayer tree
- You'll need: a few bare branches in a vase or a tree drawn on kraft paper, paper leaves, string or tape.
- Set it up: Write each request on a leaf and hang or tape it on. When a prayer is answered, write the answer on the back and move the leaf to the top branches.
- Tip: This one works well for Sunday school classes and church foyers, where lots of hands add leaves.
18. Digital prayer board
- Set it up: In a notes app or a shared document, make the same three lists (Asking, Waiting, Answered) and date each entry. More on digital boards below.
Prayer board ideas for women, men and teens
- Women: a prayer board night with your Bible study (idea 11).
- Men: a garage pegboard with clipboards (idea 4), or a plain war room wall.
- Teens: a locker or mirror board (idea 13), or a phone wallpaper with five names on it, changed every Sunday.
How to make a prayer board, step by step
You can make a simple DIY prayer board in under an hour. Here's the order that saves the most fuss.
- 1
Choose the spot first
Pick a place you pass every day. The best board in the wrong room gets dusty. Decide too whether it should be private (a closet) or shared (the kitchen).
- 2
Pick a board that fits the spot
A corkboard is easiest. An 18×24-inch board holds plenty for one person; a family board can be bigger.
- 3
Gather supplies
Push pins, index cards or printed prayer cards, three envelopes, a fine pen. Optional: washi tape, mini clothespins, photos, verse cards, a small cross or a banner for the top.
- 4
Make your sections
At the least: a place for current requests and a place for answered prayers. Add sections by person, by day or by category if you like (see how to organize a prayer board).
- 5
Write your first cards
Start with five to ten: one card per person or need, dated, with what you're asking God for.
- 6
Add one verse
Put one verse at the top or center so the board starts with God, not with the list.
- 7
Pray at it the same day
Don't wait until it looks finished. Pray through the cards today, and pick a time to come back tomorrow.
An example prayer board layout
Here's one simple layout on an 18×24-inch corkboard, for anyone who wants to copy it:
- Top: a banner and one verse, like Psalm 77:11.
- Left column: family, five cards (spouse, each child, parents).
- Right column: friends and church, five or six cards.
- Bottom: three envelopes, Asking, Waiting and Answered, with the weekly list pinned beside them.
Don't let decorating become the hard part
If making it pretty helps you love it, enjoy that. But a plain corkboard you pray at every morning beats a perfect one you finish in March.
How to organize a prayer board
There's no right layout. Choose one of these, or combine two.
By person
One column or photo per person. Good if you pray for the same people and their needs change.
By day
Seven sections, one per day of the week, as in idea 8 above. Good for long lists.
By kind of request
Sections like Health, Family, Work, Church, Salvation, World and Thanks. Some people use the ACTS pattern instead: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication, with a card of prompts in each.
Moving cards to Answered
Give answered prayers their own place, with the date and what happened on the back. Some answers are yes, some are "not yet" and some are a no that you'll understand later or never. Write those down too. An answered section that only holds the happy endings isn't honest, and it won't help you on the day you need it.
Date everything
Date every card when you pin it and again when it moves. A year later, you'll see how long you waited, and how often God was at work before you noticed.
Family and kids prayer board ideas
A family prayer board teaches kids that prayer is part of ordinary life, not just church. Keep it low, simple and in a room where you eat.
- One envelope per person. Each family member gets an envelope with their name. Anyone can drop in a prayer for them. Once a week, open them together.
- The fridge. Everyone opens it. Claim one side for prayer with strong magnets: requests on the left, answers on the right.
- Draw it. Little ones who can't write yet can draw: Grandma, a friend from school, a sick classmate. Pin the drawing up like any other card.
- Answered stickers. Let kids put a sticker or a star on answered prayers. It makes thanks something they can see.
- A grown-ups' corner. Some family needs (money, a marriage, a diagnosis) aren't for little eyes. Keep those on a separate card in your own Bible or on a private board.
- Blended and spread-out families. Pin photos of the people your kids love who live elsewhere: the other household, cousins, grandparents far away.
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
When a child's prayer isn't answered the way they hoped
It will happen: the hamster dies, Grandpa doesn't get better. Don't hide the card. Sit with them, tell them it's okay to be sad and that God was listening and loves them. Move it to Answered only when they're ready, or give it its own place for "things we're still trusting God with."
War room prayer board
"War room" comes from the 2015 film War Room, in which an older woman, Miss Clara, prays in a closet whose walls are covered with written prayers and verses. Since then, many Christians have used the phrase for a dedicated prayer space and the prayer wall inside it.
The idea is older than the film. Jesus told His followers to pray in a private place, with the door shut. A war room is simply a way to take that literally.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
To set up a war room prayer board:
- Pick a closet, a corner of a spare room or a window seat. It needs a door or at least a quiet hour.
- Use the wall itself: painter's tape, sticky notes or cork tiles at sitting eye level.
- Group prayers by area of life (family, marriage, work, church, friends), with a verse you're praying over each one.
- Add a cushion and a battery puck light; good light matters more than décor. Keep a Bible and a pen on a small shelf.
The battle language reflects Ephesians 6, where prayer is part of standing firm. Others call it a prayer closet. What matters is the meeting with God, not the name.
What to write on prayer cards
A good prayer card says who, what and when, in a sentence or two. Specific cards are easier to pray for and easier to recognize when they're answered.
- "[Name]: scan results on Thursday. Pray for peace while she waits and a clear answer." (Oct 3)
- "[Name] is starting a new school and doesn't know anyone. Pray for one good friend." (Aug 20)
- "Me: patience with [Name] at work. Help me answer kindly." (Mar 4)
- "[Name] and [Name]: a marriage under strain. Pray for honest talks and a counselor they both trust." (May 9)
- "[Name]: to know God loves him. He's far from faith and tired." (Feb 1)
- "Thanks: Dad's surgery went well. Recovery for the next six weeks." (Answered, Nov 2)
Keep private details off any board other people can see. "Pray for [Name]'s health" is enough on a family board. For forty more wording ideas, see our prayer request examples.
How to keep your prayer board going
Most prayer boards don't get thrown away. They just stop being looked at. A few habits keep yours alive.
- 1
Pray at it at the same time each day
Attach it to something you already do: coffee, brushing your teeth, the kids' bedtime. Two minutes is enough.
- 2
Do a weekly review
Once a week, read every card. Ask for updates from the people on it. Move what's answered, add what's new and rewrite anything that's changed.
- 3
Prune the board
If you've lost track of a card, text the person and ask how things are, then update or retire it. A crowded board is a heavy board.
- 4
Celebrate answers out loud
When a card moves to Answered, tell someone: your family at dinner, your friend who asked, your small group. Thanks is part of prayer.
- 5
Tell people you prayed
A short "I prayed for you this morning" means a lot. Our guide on how to pray for someone has ideas for letting people know.
Your 2027 prayer board: a January setup
January is when most people start a prayer board, often in place of a vision board. Instead of picturing what you want to get, you write down what you're bringing to God for the year. New Year's Day 2027 is a Friday, so the first weekend is a natural time.
- 1
Read last year's Answered envelope
Read every card before you start. It's one of the most encouraging hours of the year.
- 2
Retire or carry over old cards
Some requests are finished. Some you'll carry into 2027. Rewrite those on fresh cards with a new date.
- 3
Write a prayer for each part of your life
Write each as a prayer, not a goal: "Lord, help me be patient with my kids," not "Be a better mom."
- 4
Add photos of the people, not the things
Pin up the faces you'll pray for this year. Leave out pictures of things you hope to own.
- 5
Leave one column empty
Label it for things you didn't know to ask for. Many people find it fills up by December.
For words to begin the year with, see our New Year prayers.
When your people aren't in the same room: a digital prayer board
A wall board works for the people in your house. It's harder when the friends you pray with live in another city.
That's what we made PrayerBoard for: a free app where a few close friends share requests, see who prayed and mark answers together. Many people keep both, the wall board for their own daily prayer and a shared one for friends far away. A group text with a weekly "how can we pray?" works too; our guide on how to pray with friends has more.
Prayers to pray at your prayer board
For the day you hang it, ordinary mornings and the days you stand there without words.
When you first hang your prayer board
Father, here is a board full of names and needs. Some of them are mine and most of them belong to people I love. You knew every one of them before I wrote them down.
Help me come back here, not out of duty but because You're here too. Teach me to pray honestly, wait patiently and notice when You answer, even when the answer isn't the one I wrote on the card. Let this wall become a record of Your faithfulness. Amen.
An ordinary morning at the board
Lord, good morning. I don't have much time, so here's what I'm carrying: [Name], [Name] and the thing I keep worrying about. Hold them today. Do what I can't. And help me be kind to whoever I meet before lunch. Amen.
When the board feels heavy
Holy Spirit, there are too many cards up here. Sickness, money, kids who are struggling, a friend who's grieving. I can't carry all of it, and You never asked me to. Help me hand them to the Father one at a time, and give me peace while I wait. Amen.
Moving a card to Answered
Jesus, thank You. I asked, and You answered. I want to remember this day, so I'm writing it down. Help me trust You with the cards still waiting, the way I trust You right now. Amen.
For a prayer that's still waiting
Holy Spirit, this card has been up here a long time. I'm tired of asking, and I'm still asking. You pray for us when we don't know how. Pray for [Name] now, and keep me from giving up on them or on You. Amen.
A family prayer at the board
Dear God, thank You for our family and for everyone on our board. Please help [Name] with [what they need], and be close to [Name], who is sad. Thank You for answering our prayer about [something God answered]. Help us love each other well this week. Amen.
One-line prayers to write on your board
- Lord, You know what [Name] needs better than I do. Amen.
- Father, not my will, but Yours. Amen.
- God, give [Name] rest tonight. Amen.
- Jesus, be near the ones I've forgotten to pray for. Amen.
- Holy Spirit, pray in me when I run out of words. Amen.
Bible verses for a prayer board
Write one across the top of your board, or print a few as verse cards (the printable kit has twelve). These are from the King James Version.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Pray without ceasing.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Jesus' promise in Matthew 7 ends with a Father who gives "good things" to His children (7:11). That's why a prayer board can hold a "no" as honestly as a "yes."
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
Habakkuk 2:2 is popular on prayer boards, so a note on it: God was telling one prophet to write down one message clearly so it could be read and carried. It isn't a promise that what we write will happen. It still fits a prayer board, because it reminds us to write plainly and wait on God's timing (the next verse says "though it tarry, wait for it").
Coming soon to the App Store
A prayer board your friends can see too
PrayerBoard is a private circle for the few people you pray with. Share requests, see who prayed and mark prayers answered, even when you live miles apart.
Free, with no ads. We'll only email you about the launch.
Questions people ask
What do you put on a prayer board?
Cards with the names and needs you're praying for, each dated, plus a few Bible verses and photos of the people you pray for. Most boards also have a place for answered prayers, like an envelope or a column marked "Answered."
What materials do you need to make a prayer board?
An 18×24-inch corkboard is plenty, plus push pins, index cards, a pen and three envelopes. Washi tape, clothespins, printed verse cards and photos are nice extras, but none of them are necessary.
What is the difference between a prayer board and a vision board?
A vision board pictures the things you hope to get or achieve. A prayer board holds the people and needs you're bringing to God, and leaves the answers to Him. Many people now make a prayer board in January in place of a vision board.
What Bible verses are good for a prayer board?
Philippians 4:6, James 5:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and Matthew 7:7 are the most common, because they're about bringing requests to God and praying for each other. Psalm 77:11 ("I will remember the works of the LORD") is a good one for the top of the board.
Is a prayer board biblical?
The Bible doesn't mention prayer boards, but it's full of people writing down and remembering what God has done (Psalm 77:11, 1 Samuel 7:12), and it tells us to keep praying for each other (James 5:16). A prayer board is a tool for remembering. Pinning a card doesn't make a prayer more likely to be answered.
Is there a prayer board app?
Yes. A notes app or a Trello board can hold the same Asking, Waiting and Answered lists. PrayerBoard is a free app made for sharing a prayer board with a few close friends, so you can see who prayed and mark answers together.
