No Room For A War Room? What About A War Binder?!

As we sat in the dark theater, my daughter, my bestie and me, I couldn’t control myself any longer. I could clearly hear my friend’s sobs as the tears poured out of my own eyes too. However, I was not sad. Oh no. I was moved by the Holy Spirit.

The movie playing on the big screen, set off an array of emotions for each of us. You can find the trailer to the movie HERE. I’m hoping this short video summary will give you an idea why we were touched while watching War Room.

First, for those of you who have seen the movie, you all know every Christian woman could use the accountability of a Miss Clara in each of our lives. I lurve me some Miss Clara! If you haven’t had a chance to see War Room, my advice to you is SEE IT. At the very least, look on YouTube for clips of Miss Clara’s wisdom, just to see what I’m referring to.

In Wikipedia’s description of the movie’s plot, they write “Miss Clara shows Elizabeth a special closet she has dedicated to praying, and calls it her ‘War Room’ because as she puts it, ‘In order to stand up and fight the enemy, you need to get on your knees and pray.’”

Now I know many us don’t have an extra room to create our very own war room. As for closets, I barely have enough closet space for my clothes and things. I would love to have my own war room, but I have limited space in our small home.

So I thought long and hard about how I could create a more mobile and flexible war “room” for myself. I already had a scripture journal, a prayer journal, multiple spiral notebooks for study and sermon notes. I had so many tools I used for prayer and edification, which led me to think of a war room binder.

At first, I planned on keeping all my current tools and would simply add a war binder to my ever-growing list. This idea would’ve ultimately worked, but seemed complicated and like it would require a lot of work. I’m not really stoked about working harder. That’s when I thought, “why not combine all my journals and notebooks and things into one 3-ring binder.”

• Magnetic Self-Stick 3-Ring Photo Album 100 Pages (50 Sheets), Burgundy Red
• American Crafts DCWV 12″ x 12″ Burlap Scrapbook Album – D-Ring Binders, Archival Quality
• Avery Durable View Binders with EZD Rings
  • Coming soon! FREE printable cover for Avery View Binders.

Below you will find a list of materials you can use to embellish your binder, so it becomes a personal representation of who you are. Plus, don’t miss my ideas for binder sections toward the end of this post.

Embellishments For Your War Binder

1. fabric
2. wooden or metal accent pieces
3. cloth or paper flowers
4. beads and jewels
5. ribbons
6. enamel accents
7. buttons
8. alphabet stickers and diecuts
9. lapel pins
10. sequins
11. washi tape
12. tassels
13. charms
14. clips
15. patches

And anything else your heart desires! Your war binder can be just as customized as your art and journaling. Do whatever suits you to make it your own.

Wrap Your Binder (or Album) In Fabric

I love wrapping binders with a fabric cover. This is my personal preference and you do not need to do this to embellish your binder. If you are interested in getting a little help attaching fabric to your 3-ring binder or album, you can find the simple steps in the post, Wrap It In Fabric: Customizing Your Binder Cover.

What About Binder Sections?

This is a photograph of my own war binder sections. Of course, you don’t need all of these. Maybe you’ll want to section off your prayers into Prayers for Family and Friends, Prayers for My Children, Prayers for the Nation, or Intercessory Prayers. Maybe you don’t care to do inductive or topical studies. Take those sections out. Your binder sections, just like your war binder itself, should be based solely on your personal walk with the Lord.

Below you will find an Amazon link to the specific dividers I use (click on picture).

There are a myriad of different styles, colors, and customizations.  Even the dividers I use come in more and less tabs.

• Avery Customizable Table of Contents Dividers, 5-Tab Set (11840)
• Avery Ready Index 10-Tab Extra-Wide Dividers, Customizable Table of Contents, Multicolor Tabs, 1 Set (11165)
• Avery 31-Tab Binder Dividers, Customizable Table of Contents, Contemporary Multicolor Tabs, 1 Set (11846)

Finishing Touch…

One of the best things about making your very own war binder is it can literally go with you wherever you go. With two kids in college full-time and a husband who works long hours, I often find myself alone in the front room of my house. I grab my war binder and do my thing. Also, when I have doctor’s appointments, I bring my war binder. In those times they put me in an exam room and forget about me for 30 minutes or more, I am spending quiet time alone with God. It’s just me, Him, and the crackling sounds of the paper covering the examination table. LOL! We can find quiet moments in our everyday to use our war binders in all kinds of ways to converse with our Father.

Printables I use in my war binder:

[war binder tab ideas]

[war binder tab ideas – TN size]

[bible study color code system]

[word and verse of the year]

[His Palette’s step-by-step Bible journaling process]

Above is an ongoing list of printables, that we add to regularly. Enjoy!