Have you ever considered Bible journaling? It’s proven that writing things down through journaling can help retain memory and relieve stress.
Talking to God is one of the most important conversations you can have. This one-on-one dialogue allows you to connect with him in a profound way and re-examine the life you are living in. His words, we might not hear them physically, but they are seen in the Bible. The Bible is a sacred book that has the answer to all your questions. It offers solutions with divine intervention that leads you to God’s plan for your life.
What better way can we be reminded continuously with His words than documenting His messages in a bible journal. This method is now picking up a trend in social media. It revolutionizes the way we read and reflect on the words of God.
Table of Contents
What Is Bible Journaling?
Bible journaling is a new and creative way to read, study, and reflect on the scriptures or word of God. It is combining two of the things most people loved, which is to write a journal and read the Bible. Now reading and studying the Bible doesn’t have to be daunting or tedious anymore because now you can put a creative twist to it.
A bible journal serves as a visual representation of all your learnings and conversation with the Lord. Bible journaling is also a great way to familiarize yourself with the scripture. And also, to memorize certain verses creates an impact in your life.
Why should you get into Bible journaling?
A lot of people have been writing their journals and also praying separately. But now, with bible journaling, you can combine these two together.
Bible journaling has different purposes for various people. You can use this time to worship and praise God. It can also serve as a private devotion or one-on-one conversation with God. No matter what your reason is, this kind of journal allows you to experience God’s words and listen to His messages. One of the best takeaway in starting one is deepening your relationship with the Lord as you journey in Your spiritual life together.
What do you need to start your Bible journal?
In starting a bible journal, you don’t need to spend too much time and money in purchasing items. Remember bible journaling is not an art gallery but an outlet for you to creatively express your learnings and insights about the scripture.
The most essential component of bible journaling is your Bible. So depending on your comfort level, you can either choose to write on your Bible or get a separate notebook for it.
Nowadays, you can purchase a Bible journal online or at a bookstore. The Bible journal is a bible that has margins on both sides to give you space to write your own thoughts. Some though cringe at the thought of writing on the Bible, thus, we recommend getting a separate journal to write down with.
For decorating your bible journal, you can use the following necessary art supplies:
- gel pens
- washi tape
- highlighters
- watercolor
- oil pastels
- ribbons
- colored pencils
- crayons
- stickers
- sticky notes
- page markers
Unlike the bullet or travel journals, you don’t need to be too artsy. Depending on your preferences, you can choose between watercolor or colored pencils. Some people are good at working with watercolor, while others don’t want smudges in their journals. If you have the artistic prowess, you can play with oil pastels and colored pencils, drawing landscapes or figures reminding you of the verse you just read.
For those who don’t have any confidence in using these coloring materials, you can simply highlight the phrase, line, or verse that speaks to you. And then use colored gel pens to doodle your insights. Or, add some stickers and cut-outs for added inspiration.
Also, you can mark the pages or verses you have read as reference. Here, you can either use sticky notes or page tabs. Add the date when you wrote on the journal to keep a record of your feelings or emotions that day.
It’s not about perfection. Instead, it’s instilling the habit of reading and learning about the scriptures and embracing the word of God that matters most.
Where Should You Begin?
Starting a bible journal doesn’t have to be daunting. The most important thing is that you’re able to express your interpretation and reflection on the word of God. Remember the words that you will be reading and writing are reflections of God’s message for you.
There are no absolute rules in starting a Bible journal. You can choose whichever template or just let your imagination run freely. You can also select any time that suits you. Some people do it in the morning as soon as they wake up or in the evening before they go to bed. Or, as soon as inspiration hits you through a Bible verse, you can write them away. But regardless of the time, what is crucial is that you start the habit of reading and understanding the Bible.
Pray before you start
Before you start writing down anything, praying is a must. Allocate a time where you can stay silent and uninterrupted to invoke the presence of God. Praying is an intimate conversation with God. And bible journal allows you to document those conversations. Be in the prayerful mode where you allow God to speak through you. And let His words flow through the scriptures that you will be reading at that particular time.
Read a verse in the Bible
Second is to read the bible verse so you can do it several ways period
You can flip a random page on the Bible and read an excerpt or verse. You can also use guided scriptures which you can get from your local church or from your regular bible study group or you can download mobile applications or purchase books that give you daily devotions of certain verses that include stories and reflection questions.
Interpret and Reflect
The third thing to do is to study and reflect on the word of God. Everything that is in the Bible is written in a parable or story. You have to find the meaning of each of the verses and how it relates to your life.
So if you’re a beginner and you find interpreting the Bible too daunting, you can always make use of daily devotions like daily bread or Didache. You can use this as reference material to understand or explain certain verses in the Bible. These applications come along with reflective questions aligned with the verse, which you can reflect and answer in your journal. Since there is a verse per day, you can instill the habit of reading the Bible every day.
More often than not, God answers your question through a verse in the Bible. Use that opportunity to keep a tab on those inspiring messages.
Write your insight
The fourth thing that you have to is to write or doodle away. This is the time when you put your creativity and artistry come into play. Use calligraphy to emphasize specific phrases that speak to you. Or, clip-on pictures, stickers, and drawings that represent the verse that you just read. Or, you can simply highlight a portion of the Bible that speaks to you at that particular instance. And put a reflective note next to it and explain how it impacts you.
Familiarize and memorize the verse
Writing is a great way to memorize things. When you write the verse that inspires you, it would be easier to remember whenever you encounter another circumstance in your life where the scripture is applicable.
Share the word
And lastly, we encourage you to start sharing your bible journal with other people via your social media accounts. By doing so, you’re essentially making disciples for the word of God. Inspiring other people about his word and encouraging them to start their own Bible Journal.
The world is too noisy as it is. Allow this silent and sacred time to flourish your relationship with God. Often, we get trapped in a chaotic world, we fail to listen to God’s messages. This is the reason why most get derailed thinking that they can always get away with things. They rely too much on their own understanding capability.
Bible journals are a great way to keep you grounded, inspired, and reminded of God’s love for you. No matter what your circumstance or struggle in your life, the Bible nudges your heart, pointing up to the sky. When you are down on your feet, and the world is crumbling down, your Faith in Him shall bring light to the wounded soul.
In this day and age, where a lot of people are suffering from depression and mental health problems, a Bible journal can be a way to release their internal turmoil. Rather than just listening to secular music or advice, the Word of God can shed light and hope to their anxiety and anguish. When you feel no one is there you, God’s words will bring comfort to your soul. Reading the Bible and allowing the words to fill you in is like allowing God to embrace you and assure that everything will be alright.