Bible journaling is a creative, devotional practice that combines Scripture reading with personal reflection, allowing individuals to engage with the Bible in a more active, visual, and personal way. It is a way to slow down and "savor" the Word, often involving writing notes, prayers, or artistic illustrations directly in the margins of a Bible or in a separate notebook. Here is an introduction to the core concepts of Bible journaling: 

Bible Journaling Navigation Menu

• What is Bible Journaling?
• Want to start a journal? How? Why? Inspiration?
• Bible Journaling Prompts

What is Bible Journaling?

• A Personal Response: At its core, Bible journaling is responding to what you read in the Bible, whether through words, art, or prayers.
• Beyond Just Art: While often associated with beautiful, colored-in pages seen on social media, Bible journaling does not require artistic skill. It can be as simple as highlighting verses, underlining key phrases, or writing notes in the margins.
• A "Living" Document: It transforms your Bible into a personal record of your spiritual journey, documenting how God has spoken to you over time.

Why People Journal the Bible

• To Slow Down: It helps overcome passive reading, encouraging you to linger on a passage and reflect on its meaning.
• To Deepen Understanding: Writing or illustrating a verse aids in memory, retention, and deeper comprehension of the text.
• As Worship: Many view the creative process as an act of worship, using color and design to express their love for God’s Word.

How to Get Started

• Choose Your Bible: Many people use a "Journaling Bible," which has extra-wide margins, but a regular notebook or even a digital app works just as well.
• Gather Simple Supplies: You don't need expensive materials. Pens, highlighters, colored pencils, or just a journal are enough to begin.
• Pick a Method:
  • SOAP Method: Scripture (write it out), Observation (what it means), Application (how to apply it), Prayer (write a prayer).
  • Art Journaling: Using watercolours, stickers, or stamps to illustrate a verse.
  • Verse Mapping: Studying the context, original language, and related verses of a single verse.
• Start with Prayer: Before you begin, pray for God to reveal Himself through the text

Ultimately, Bible journaling is about creating space for a more meaningful relationship with God. There is no wrong way to do it, as long as it helps you connect with the Scripture. 

So you have decided to begin a journal? Well at least by the fact that you are viewing this page you must at least be interested in starting one. I hope that what is shared below will assist you in getting started.

What to use for your journals

Some people find it easier to type their journal. You can use a word processor such as Microsoft Word and save the files by date and keep in a special folder. There are also a lot of computer programs available for journal writing. Many are shareware or perhaps cost under 50 dollars. Some people find it difficult to truly put their thoughts into their journal by typing and prefer to keep a handwritten version instead.

The most common way of writing in a journal is handwritten. What you use to write your journal in doesn’t really matter. Some people use notebook paper and store their journal papers in notebook binders, while others may use spiral notebooks. There are also books available that are specifically created for journal writing. Some people like to purchase pretty decorative books for their journal writing. Those may make them feel that they are doing something special for themselves and often it will help to make their journal writing time a very special time in their day. Whatever you decide to use to write your journal is ok. All that is important is that it inspires you to write and is affordable so you won’t be hindered in the future from writing. The main objective here is getting the most out of the experience of writing in a journal.

Inspiration for writing

Many people feel lost when they begin thinking about how they will write in their journal. If this is a problem for you, then perhaps you’ll want to begin by using prompts which if you google “journal prompts” there are a multitude of sites with tons of prompts organized in different ways to focus on what you’d like to write about or to choose a topic at random. I have included some journal prompts I’ve come up with at the end of this blog post. There are also sites with writing template to get you started. Most people find that if they need to use prompts or templates in the beginning that they soon form their own routine for writing.

Most find that they are able to write better if they choose a comfortable and quiet spot and try to make this a time of solitude. Perhaps have a nice cup of herbal tea and just use it as my relax time. Sit for a moment and reflect on your day, your week and what has happened to you recently. Sometimes this will help you to get started. Sometimes just writing at random listing the days events, what is in the news, the weather for that day, what book you are reading, etc will get your thoughts flowing and before you know it you’ll just writing up a storm. 

Storing Your Journals

Storing your journals may be an option you’ll wish to consider. Some people only keep their journals in written form while others keep electronic copies because they type them and then they store those by date on their computer or on discs. People who keep their journal in written form may prefer to throw them away or destroy them right after finishing one, however the majority do store their journals. Some store them only for a few years while some people like myself have boxes of journals that date back into their childhood. If you choose to archive your journals you can date each journal on the cover by putting the date of the first entry through the date of the last entry and store them by date. You can also date every entry when you begin writing for that day which will help you to go back and review what you’ve written in the past.

Why Keep a Journal?

People who have never kept a journal may wonder why someone would keep one. Everyone who writes in a journal does so for their own unique reason(s).

Some keep a journal as a way to document their daily activities, some only keep a journal for special reasons such as medical related documentation. Some use it to record notes from school or a class they are taking, internet passwords, notes on how to do something or record what they learned on the computer, Links they want to visit again, ideas for creating a website, etc. Some write their favorite poems, quotes, stories and scripture in their journal.

For some it is a place to store their questions and thoughts about events and they only write in it on certain occasions or only part time while others will use it to document every thought and it will become like a best friend that they can go to and open their soul and share anything with. Many use it as a space where they can reflect on their life, who they are, events, experiences, hopes, doubts, fears, joys and anything in between.

When a person is contemplating the idea of beginning a journal they wonder what they should write in one. Some people use Prompts (100 prompts shared at the end) to inspire their writing and for many this is how they begin writing in a journal. Some people prefer not to use any sort of template and to just write from their heart and let their thoughts flow rapidly out onto the pages in their journal. Whatever works for you is ok. There are no hard and fast rules about how to write in a journal and the format in which to do so. It is your special space to write in as you wish.

Writing in a journal can be very therapeutic. It can help you begin to put situations in your life into proper perspective. It can help you to sort out solutions for situations in your life. It can help you to maintain a record of events that you can go back to at some later date to review or for times when you need such information for some important purpose.

Some people never share their journal and make certain their family members know that their journals are not for their eyes. However, some people have even put their journals online for the world to read as their way of expressing themselves. Some have used their journals to write books and memoirs. Most people feel that their journal is their private place where they can go and cleanse their thoughts, ideas, goals, hopes, dreams, fears, joy and emotions without every having to worry about someone reading them and them being judged by what they wrote. 

Whatever your reasons are for being interested in writing in a journal I’d like to encourage you to begin one.

Here are 100 Journal Writing Prompts to help you get started. Use the ones that speak to our hearts to share with The Lord in our own personal thoughts and feelings. 

These can help us to build a closer personal relationship with The Lord and help to form better communication with Him during our prayer time.

1. Write about any family heirlooms that exist in your family or that you have in your possession. Write about how you came to have them and the history behind them.
2. Write about any keepsakes or childhood memorabilia that you’ve saved.
3. Write about your thoughts concerning the little things in life that mean the most to you.
4. Write about an event or something that is forever etched in your memory.
5. Write about your family. List them, tell about them, share memories of your times with them.
6. Write about a moment in your life when you were really happy and tell about what brought you to that moment. Explain the emotion you felt during that time.
7. Write about any turning points and stepping stones that have altered the course of your life.
8. Write about things that you feel have truly molded your character.
9. Write about those things you appreciate in your life.
10. . Write about a treasured memory from your past.
11. Write about a memory that you wish you didn’t have or could remove from your memory. Write about the reasons you feel this way about this memory and jot down ideas you can think of to resolve these feelings you have regarding this memory.
12. Write about something you would like to see come true for yourself.
13. Write about something you would like to come true for someone else.
14. Write about your child or children and the stories of their lives.
15. Write about the firsts in life such as the first pumpkin you carved, the first kiss you gave or received, etc.
16. Write about what holidays feel like to you.
17. Write about what the change in seasons feels like to you.
18. Write about your favorite things, collectables, colors, perfume, books, movies, TV shows, etc.
19. Write about the values and beliefs that you hold dear and practice in your life.
20. Write about special dreams you’ve had.
21. Write about places you’ve been in your life, reasons you went there, sites you saw while there, people you met.
22. Write about why you believe you exist.
23. Write about your disease or medical condition(s) and what you have learned from it.
24. Write about an experience in each of the different seasons. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.
25. Write about a time where you believe that you’ve made a difference in someone else’s life.
26. Write about a secret in your life that you’ve never told anyone and write about a secret in your family that you’ve never shared. Write about how you feel about keeping these secrets and how they have affected your life.
27. Write about what silence means to you. Enjoy it or does it annoy you?
28. Write about your personal interests.
29. Write about relationships with important people in your life, spouse, partner, co-worker, employer, parent, sibling, friend, etc.
30. Write about what the words “Beginning” and “Endings” means to you and apply those terms to a relationship in your life.
31. Write about things you never thought could happen but did happen in your life.
32. Write about things you fear may happen.
33. Write about a frightening episode in your life, how did it make you feel, how did it get resolved, what residual effect did it have on your life.
34. Write about a special event with your child or children.
35. Write about places you’ve always wanted to see.
36. Write about something you regret in your life.
37. Write about an event that you have no regrets about.
38. Write about something that if you had it all to do over again you would? or wouldn’t?.
39. Write about your fears.
40. Write about things you’ve overcome.
41. Write about your thoughts about doing things the hard way.
42. Write about what you’ve learned about life, love, relationships, sense of purpose, sense of meaning.
43. Write about moments of honor in your life.
44. Write about moments that stood still in time.
45. Write about moments you wish would come again.
46. Write about moments you hope will never return.
47. Write about your thoughts concerning the afterlife.
48. Write an outline of what your life would be like without limitations.
49. Write about what holds you back from being yourself.
50. Write about what keeps you grounded in life.
51. Write about what hurts you.
52. Write about what heals you, your comfort elements.
53. Write about moments that took you by surprise.
54. Write a love letter to someone that is or has been special in your life.
55. Write about separations you’ve experienced in life
56. Write about a reunion with someone special after a separation.
57. Write about scars you have and explain how they occurred, physical or emotional Scars.
58. Write about needs you have.
59. Write about ways you can carve out your own personal solitude.
60. Write about what family means to you.
61. Write about what you would do if you knew tomorrow would not come.
62. Write about what attracts you to the one you are with.
63. Write about what keeps you from being close to others.
64. Write about what you’ve learned from getting angry.
65. Write about what you’ve learned from judgments about you.
66. Write about the price you’ve paid in order to have your life the way it is.
67. Write about elements of contentedness in your life.
68. Write about elements of discontent in your life.
69. Write about your thoughts about poetry, do you like it, or not, share a favorite poem.
70. Write about the picture of life in your mind’s eye.
71. Write about the picture of death in your mind’s eye.
72. Write about something you don’t expect to happen in your life.
73. Write about moments of intuition.
74. Write about what you would change about yourself.
75. Write about what you wouldn’t change about yourself.
76. Write about how you would define yourself.
77. Write about how others would define you.
78. Write about a mentor in your life.
79. Write about something that left or you think would leave a lasting impression.
80. Write about a love story in your own life or in the life of someone you know.
81. Write about a fairytale ending of an event in your life or someone you know or perhaps one that is only a dream.
82. Write about something in your life that you feel is a double edged sword.
83. Write about something you said that you wish you could take back.
84. Write about something you wanted to say but didn’t and wish you had.
85. Write about something you want to let go of or wish you could let go of.
86. Write your definition of your soul and the very essence of your being.
87. Write about your thoughts about getting to know someone in your life in the present or your past.
88. Write about things that make you cry.
89. Write about happy tears.
90. Write about sad tears.
91. Write about something special that was given to you.
92. Write about what you collect and why, how many, etc.
93. Write about what romance means to you.
94. Write about what would be a cause for celebration.
95. Write about the meaning behind your name.
96. Write about the meaning behind names you have given to someone else.
97. Write about things that have been handed down to you.
98. Write about things you have handed down to someone else.
99. Write about changes in you, changes in life.

100. Write a question you wish you could ask, who would you ask it.