I write journals and would recommend journal writing to anyone who wishes to pursue a writing career. You learn a lot. You also remember a lot. . . and memory is important
Prayer is not a stratagem for occasional use, a refuge to resort to now and then. It is rather like an established residence for the innermost self. All things have a home: the bird has a nest, the fox has a hole, the bee has a hive. A soul without prayer is a soul without a home.