[NOTE: For Matthew 6 memorizers, get your printable journaling page here]
You read the Bible. Pray through some of the Psalms. Maybe memorize favorite verses here and there.
But have you ever tried journaling through the Bible?
Why journal?
Journaling is a spiritual discipline that leaves a tangible footprint.
Writing helps hone your thoughts now, clarifying and capturing the swirling ideas that rumble loose in your head. It’s listening and recording how your heart is hearing God’s love for you.
But journaling has the added benefit of laying down a record for later, too. Today’s lessons can be reused in future circumstances if you’re ever doubting God’s promises or need reminders of how He’s brought you through a tough time or want to celebrate again a victory He won for you.
What is Bible journaling?
At its most basic, journaling is simply writing down what the Spirit whispers to you as you read through scripture. There are no rules or requirements.
However, you have many options to guide you along the way.
• Journaling Bibles
Easy to find online or at bookstores. They have wider margins than a regular Bible, specifically designed to record your notes, prayers, or questions.
• Artistic Journaling
A hot trend. [Google “bible journal” and see.] Don’t just record words, but create your own art in the margins of your regular Bible or Journaling Bible. You don’t have to be an artist to do it. [Read Teri Lynne Underwood, “Three Reasons I Love Using my Journaling Bible”]
• Digital Journaling
If screens are your preferred medium, keep a digital journal as a regular Word document or via an app created specifically for Bible journaling.
• Notebook
Use a spiral bound notebook, a decorative journal, or loose-leaf paper in a binder to record your Bible reading and thoughts.
How to Bible journal
1. Write side by side in the margins
As you’re reading your Bible, jot down any insights or questions directly beside the verse you’re on. This has been an effective method for years and still works beautifully for many.
2. Pick one verse from many
I keep two kinds of separate Bible journals. For my daily Bible reading, I use my Kindle before I get out of bed each morning, highlighting verses of interest as I go. Later in the day, I return to the highlighted verses, and choose only one verse out of three chapters to journal about.
I copy that verse by hand on notebook paper, then write a few sentences about why it stood out to me. Perhaps it was reassuring or particularly relevant or maybe even confusing. I then file these pages in my Bible notebook (details on how to make your own Bible notebook). The whole process is quick but meaningful.
3. Go deeply with only one verse
The second type of journaling I do coincides with what I’m memorizing or studying. Here I look at only one verse for several days, writing on a double-spaced, printed copy of the chapter. On day 1 I write brief notes about the Hebrew or Greek roots using e-Sword.net or StudyLight.org. On day 2 I record anything significant from commentaries about the verse. Day 3 is when I record my own thoughts and experiences with the verse. Again, it doesn’t take long, but it creates a record of what God is teaching me.
But for you, what’s the best way to journal?
The one that you’ll use.
And one that you’ll occasionally re-read. It’s valuable to look back on your own personal history with God alongside the Biblical narrative from ancient times.
Experiment with different methods to find one that works for you. [Pinterest has tons of ideas.] It might include sharing on social media: Use Twitter as a 140-character journal about the verses you’re reading. Or blog or Instagram about the study you’re doing. Or keep it private: Write a one-line-a-day diary of love notes between you and God, tucked quietly in your sock drawer for no eyes but yours and His.
- Journal the lessons you want to remember.
- Write down memories of God’s goodness you don’t want to forget.
- Record the insights the Spirit gives you to use.
Your growing relationship with God is worth treasuring.
[Printable “Bible Journaling through Matthew 6” ESV]
Do you journal? What works for you? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.
RELATED LINKS
- How to Make a Bible Notebook
- Tips and Printables to Organize your Bible Notebook
- Journaling in Your Bible by Lizzy Jeffers
- Five Ways to Flourish in Journaling by David Mathis
Lisa, I’m visiting from the #OneWordCoffee linkup. Thanks for these great ideas on Bible journaling. Journaling is how I learn best, so I’m always looking for new ideas! I haven’t taken the “Journaling Bible” plunge, though. I prefer plain composition notebooks! :)
I’m like you, too, Sheri—I just use notebook paper for my journaling. :) One day I may branch out into a Journaling Bible but for now I’m just enjoying what others are doing with them. Quite amazing to me. Thanks for stopping by this morning!
Lisa, while I haven’t take to a journaling Bible per se, I do journal. My Bibles are full of notations in the margins. Mostly I enjoy having a notebook alongside of my Bible as I read. I’ve used spiral notebooks and beautiful journal notebooks that I’ve received as gifts. Writing definitely helps me to learn and solidify what God is saying to me. Wonderful & useful post!
Oh, I’m thinking what a treasure your Bible will be someday to your kids, Joanne. I have one of my dad’s old Bibles that he used to scribble notes in the margins, and I’m so grateful for the trail it leaves behind of his studies and thoughts and faith.
Writing definitely is an important way for me too to process my thoughts. So thankful for blogs now so we can read others doing the same!
This is wonderful. Thank you so much. I am blogging through my reading of Psalm 146 – pausing and pondering each verse. I would love to share that with you.
That’s awesome that you’re blogging through Psalm 146. Blogs are such a great way to journal online. Just visited there now and was encouraged by your thoughts on verse 3 to put our full trust in God alone. Thanks for sharing, Jeanne.
Thank you for stopping by there to read my post.
Great post, Lisa. I keep a journal in a notebook (usually purchased at the dollar store unless a friend gifts me a fancy one). I start by reading the passage and writing down whatever attributes of God or His character that I see (I call is “contemplating His goodness and glory.” Then, I pick one verse from the passage and write it down and write an observation and try to finish off with an application. I end by spending some time in prayer. Somewhere in there, I also make a quick list of things I am thankful for and jot down a few things about my day just to keep a record of how God is working in my life. — I’ve been at it since college, so I have about 3 boxes full of journals at this point. I usually tuck it in my purse when I head to work each morning and do it on my lunch hour (because I am not a morning person).
I bought the ESV journaling Bible last year and did a little of that in January, but then life got crazy, and I stuffed it in a drawer. Need to find that thing and pick it back up again. I was thinking I could do it once a week on my Sabbath day.
Wow–what a beautiful way to journal, Lyli! Thank you for spelling it out here; I’m sure it will be a help to many who are looking for fresh ways to journal. We all need new ideas to keep us inspired. I hope you’re keeping those 3 boxes in a special, dry, and secure place! Treasures indeed.
Great tips, Lisa! I’m glad to see e-sword mentioned here. It’s such a great program! I use the journal feature every morning and use a bible.com (you version) reading plan every evening. I love Lyli’s method! I’m so glad she shared, I may incorporate some of her ideas! The artistic journaling is really neat. (I’ve enjoyed Elizabeth’s – Just Following Jesus) Bu I don’t have the talent :) I’m hoping to go deeper with memorization this year. I’ll be revisiting your #write30days posts for sure! Good stuff!
A fellow e-sword lover! Yay! :) I’ve used it for several years and love, love, love it. I don’t think I have the talent either for artistic journaling, but I’m guessing if we’d just doodle without judging ourselves, we might be better than we think. ha. But for now, I’ll just admire others’ work. Blessings to you, June, as you memorize more this year! It’s taken a lot of discipline for me to do it but God more than pays me back with benefits from it.
I decided after Christmas that I would focus on the gospels this year – I love “doodle” art with my notes but haven’t managed to create pictures yet – just starting with notes. I think it’s hard to get used to adding “art” to my bible! I won’t give up – just grow into it! Thanks, Lisa!
~Maryleigh
I hear you…I’ve had “art” drawn in my Bible before but it was when my oldest daughter was a toddler. And it wasn’t intentional. ;-) But now, we have permission to draw all we want! I’m glad. I’m sure your notes are works of art in themselves using words. Thanks for sharing here, Maryleigh.
Beautiful encouragement to abide in the word and let it abide in us. This was interesting to me because I’m working on a post about verse-mapping for next week. Similar to what you describe here, but different too. I love reading how others do Bible study and journaling!
I’ll look forward to reading your post about verse-mapping, Betsy! I’m glad that we can learn so many new ways to approach scripture from each other. One of the blessings of the internet.
Love this, Lisa. I have a couple of journals I write and work in artistically. My art journal doesn’t get as much attention as my writing journals–and the one that gets the most is the one I use on Sundays at church. Blogging and book writing become my journals–the files of notes and verses placed where they are easy access for cutting and pasting. But, I do love the art of longhand notes. I did have my eye on one of the new journaling Bibles with the wide side margins–but the font was too small. Not practical for my eyes anymore. This year I hope to make more time for the devotional art journal. I love to meet with Him there.
Joy!
Kathy
I understand the too small font thing. ha. I have a love/hate relationship with my glasses. But VERY thankful to have them. :) Yes, blogging has become a journal of sorts for me too. It’s where I keep a record of the real-life stories I’ve seen God interacting with us. I feel like we’re in such an in-between stage between using both “real” Bibles and digital Bibles, journals, etc. There is still something about writing things out longhand, but I also love the convenience of digital. No reason we can’t still do both, right? Hope the devotional art journal works out for you this year. Thanks for sharing, Kathy!
What a great post! I love how you explain about Bible Journaling. My first Journaling Bible was a gift from my husband 4 years ago and I love it because I can just write it on the side of the verses I read. And I started Artistic Bible Journaling last year, I love it! How we can include art in our devotion time, we take time to make art or write the word in artsy way and we ponder it in our heart and mine.
Thank you for sharing it the how to dig deeper into God’s word!
Blessings to you!
Helen, it’s encouraging to hear how Bible journaling has been working for you for quite awhile. That’s always a good sign of something’s effectiveness. (And how thoughtful of your husband to give you a Journaling Bible as a gift!). I’ve been enjoying seeing pictures of other people’s artistic journaling but haven’t given it much of a try yet; maybe this will be my year to begin. :) Thanks for sharing here!
Great post, Lisa! Thank you for sharing such detailed ideas for getting our reflections on God’s Word down on paper…I didn’t know there was an app for digital devices, I’ll check into that! Many blessings to you ❤️
I guess there really is an app for everything, right? ha. I haven’t used any of the journaling apps yet but I have been looking at several online and reading reviews. Waiting to hear a personal recommendation before I bite the bullet. Let me know if you find one you like, Beth!
Check out my new video on Biblical journaling. You will be blessed!
https://youtu.be/1IHFzs2Yyj4