Bible journaling is not as overwhelming as it may seem.
Whether you’ve been thinking about trying your hand at Bible journaling for a long time or you just heard about it a couple minutes ago, I’ll try my best to help you gain the confidence to take the plunge and get started.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but if you take it one step at a time, it’s really more exciting than scary.
What is Bible journaling, anyway?
Well, I can’t find an exact definition and I think the reason is because it’s different for every person. So, that’s cool.
I would define Bible journaling as an act of worship that incorporates art and creative thinking into your time of Bible reading.
It’s taking reading Scripture to another level by writing your thoughts and what the Holy Spirit is saying to you through Scripture. In addition to writing, art is also applied on the pages of your Bible.
Why should I consider bible journaling?
For starters, I believe worshipping God can happen in a variety of ways. Bible journaling is one of those ways. Singing worship songs, dancing, reading the Bible, praying, and serving others are a few other ways that come to my mind.
One of the key aspects in worship is attitude. When we do anything with a heart of praise, I believe God is pleased.
God created us to be a creative people.
We are thinkers, builders, artists, inventors. He’s given humans the ability to think beyond any other creation.
How cool is that? Why not use the gifts we are blessed with to worship Him? That’s what we were created for after all, isn’t it?
So, why wouldn’t we try multiple ways to worship Him? I believe God is pleased with all efforts to glorify Him.
But I’m Not Artistic….
That’s a fun excuse 🙂 I love how we put these limits on ourselves, making us feel inadequate and ill-equipped. (I don’t love that. I’m being sarcastic.)
Being artistic is not what Bible journaling is about, believe it or not. It’s about recording the conversations we are having with God while we read his word.
That may sound weird–that reading is a conversation, but when we are talking about the Bible, that’s exactly what it’s intended for.
Recording the Conversation Through Bible Journaling
When we read the Bible, the intention is not just to read but to pause.
To listen.
The Bible is a letter written not only to people from way back then, but to each of us today.
When you receive a letter in the mail (does that still happen?) you read what that person is telling you.
And if you care for them, you write back.
That’s what we are doing.
We are writing back to God. Letting Him know we heard him and learned something from the conversation.
And writing it down is proven to be a memory booster. That’s why we make lists or “write things down.” So we don’t forget.
Taking Bible Journaling a Step Further
You could definitely stop this process with simply writing back, recording what you heard or learned or what you are applying to your life.
But let me encourage you to take it one step further, with a little art.
Why? Well, let me give you a couple thoughts:
Have you ever read a book with a young child who is unable to read and yet they know the words on each page?
Why do you think this is?
It’s the pictures! Pictures put your memory on hyper-drive.
Just seeing an image can help you recall all kinds of things.
Advertisers know this! Just seeing a couple of golden arches may give you a craving for a Big Mac or a rainbow can make you think of both Noah and Skittles. It’s simple, but very effective.
How do I get images in my bible?
There are many ways to get an image in your Bible. You can freehand something; you can use stamps and/or stickers; or you can trace an image.
My favorite tracing hack is to look up an image online with my phone and then place my phone underneath a Bible’s thin pages to trace it. Voila! Instant light box!
It doesn’t matter if the image is an award-winning masterpiece or if it’s a couple of stick figures. The point is that you now have an image connected to a conversation, connected to a verse.
Holy moly, you did it!
Getting started With Bible Journaling
Now that we’ve settled the fact that you don’t have to be an “artist” to Bible journal, let’s get started!
What Bible Journaling Supplies Do You Need?
Well, technically speaking, all you need is any Bible and a pencil. So, really there’s no excuses here… unless you don’t have a Bible or a pencil.
Here’s more detail about my favorite Bibles and journaling supplies.
But for this post, let’s just assume we all have a Bible and a pencil.
5 Steps of Bible Journaling
1. PRAY
Before I begin Bible journaling, I start by praying. What do I pray?
I invite the Holy Spirit into the room and to speak to me through the Word.
I pray that I would have understanding and wisdom to decipher what I read and that the time I spend would be pleasing to God.
2. READ
What to read, what to read? There are a few ways to decide where to start reading.
If you are new to the Christian faith, I suggest starting in the New Testament, which is the second half of the Bible starting with Matthew.
It can be hard to know where to start, no matter if you’ve known Jesus from childhood or are learning about Him for the first time right now. Here are a few suggestions.
- Take sermon notes. Write down all the Bible references your pastor gives on Sunday. Or listen to a service online and do the same.
- Many times, sermons have stories or visuals that can kick-start what you may want to draw. For instance, our pastor had a spray bottle once that he sprayed out into the congregation to go alongside the verse about life being just a mist (James 4:14). Here and then gone. So, you know there’s an image of a spray bottle in my Bible now!
- Use a Bible app. Bible Gateway or The Bible are popular ones. Search keywords or topics in your Bible app to find a verse. If you are feeling like you could use some wisdom, then search “wisdom” and sift through the results until you find a verse that resonates with you.
- Open to a random page. Not my first go-to, but I have found some pretty interesting stuff doing this periodically.
- Listen to worship music. Most songs have biblical references. You can look up the lyrics online and find verses to go alongside the words.
- Use a devotional as a guide. Similar to a sermon, a devotional book can help guide you to verses and give you some insight.
- Work through a book of the Bible. Just work your way through Proverbs or another book, starting with Chapter 1. This is great when you just don’t know where to be. Again, if you’re new to the faith, I suggest starting in the New Testament.
How Much Do I Read?
When I journal in my Bible, I tackle one page at a time.
This has transformed my study habits. One page at a time is not nearly as overwhelming as just beginning to read with no end in sight.
I also read to listen when I journal. I take it slow and really dwell on each verse.
3. WRITE
When I read, I pull out a separate piece of paper and write down each verse that sticks out to me. I’ll typically have about 5 verses written after reading a page.
I narrow these verses down to the one I want to illustrate by seeing which one pulls at me the most or which one has a clear image that can go with it.
Got my verse, now what?
Let’s say the verse you’ve decided to illustrate is Psalm 119:105.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Close your eyes and think on these words.
What do you see? A lamp? A Bible? A light post? A path?
4. CREATE
Once I know which of these things I want to draw, I typically look up “images of lamps” on Google. I search through them and get ideas and inspiration for my own lamp.
Next, I draw it in my Bible. (You can trace, too.)
I finish with lettering. I may write the verse or I may underline the verse and write “Guide me with your word”. The verse is already there, so you don’t have to write it again.
This is a chance to journal your thoughts or write a song lyric or little note. Be creative. 🙂
And don’t worry, with more practice, this all comes easier and easier.
5. DATE
After each entry (drawing or journaling page), I date the page.
I didn’t do this when I first started out because I didn’t get the purpose. But now that I’ve been doing this for a couple years, I love going back through my Bible and reminiscing. Much like a photo album or a diary.
The dates help me remember what was going on and will one day help my children and grandchildren understand how old I was or they were when I did certain pages.
My first Bible has two miscarriages, a knee injury, and the birth of our fourth son recorded in it, among many other events.
How cool to look back on not just my life, but knowing that my life was lived looking to Christ during these times!
Bibles with pre-drawn images
Here are my personal thoughts on these Bibles. I may get a little backlash for this, but I would encourage you to not buy a Bible with pre-drawn illustrations.
I know they are confidence boosters and make this maybe seem a little less overwhelming, but when we realize what Bible journaling is really about, do you really want somebody else’s thoughts in your Bible?
It’s not about coloring and making a Bible look pretty (which is also why I try to not do too many flowers or decorating pages). It’s about recording your journey with Jesus on the pages of your Bible.
It’s personal. Someone else’s illustrations will never completely capture your thoughts every time.
Get confident. You CAN do this!
There is no failing at this because there is no competition.
Now, grab a Bible journal & go do it!
Don’t let this be “another tutorial” that you just read and never do. Don’t be afraid to go for it!
Satan would love nothing more than to keep you browsing and not engaging!
I promise you if you give this a fair shot (consistently for 3+ months) you will grow in ways you never thought possible.
But you have to start.
Subscribe to follow along on my Bible journaling journey 🙂
Other Posts You might like
Ready for the next step? Check out My Favorite Bible Journaling Supplies.
Looking for inspiration? Here are a few of my Bible journaling posts to get you started
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