I love Bible Journaling and wanted to share with you what Bible Journaling is and what makes it extra special. Also it’s important to note, that you don’t specifically need to create art and prayers in your Bible, you could do it on a separate piece of paper or notebook/sketchbook or even online just as easily. The goal is just time with Him and let Him personally lead you in whatever that personally looks like for you. You can use a single pen or implement a multitude of crafty items. But fundamentally, you want to spend time with God and document it visually. (Writing a prayer, paraphrasing a verse, drawing an image, responding to a worship song, recording something He said to you, sermon notes, etc.)
How I learned about it
I learned about this amazing tool to learn and grow in my faith in December of 2015. I think I came across it on Pinterest where after a little research, I learned that a kind lady named Shanna Noel had created a blog called Illustrated Faith and was teaching people how to make art in their Bible that reflected their growing relationship with Jesus. She had found it so helpful to make art and illustrations about what God was teaching her, that she felt inspired to tell others. You can find her blog here and follow her on Instagram here. I love her creative style and how sweet and encouraging she is to everyone she meets.
My Beginning…
I made my first entry in my normal reading Bible to try it out and was immediately hooked. But I also desired more space. I found a 2 inch margin journaling Bible. This allowed me some space on the edge of each page to record what I was learning. As well as space to create some art that allowed me to retain the verses I was studying. I prayed about this method and felt God encouraging me to try to implement it into my life as another way to learn about Him. Along with my daily Bible study and quiet time. While the name “Bible Journaling” sounds new… Historically a lot of Bibles had artwork in them that made the Bibles artistically beautiful too.
My Findings…
After attempting a few entries, I was amazed to see how much this form of spending time in God’s Word allowed me to retain what the Bible said. One of my first entries I created (pictured above,) was [Jeremiah 29:12. It’s about seeking God with all of our hearts and how he listens when we pray to Him. (Me paraphrasing.)] I wrote a few words that described that verse, used a colorful rub-on arrow image from a craft store to point upwards. This indicated to me that my prayers would reach God in Heaven. So simple and yet every time I think of that page I immediately remember what that verse was about. So powerful for retaining Gods’ Word in our hearts.
Looking Back and Seeing His Presence in My Life
I love that I’ve gotten to record my walk with Him through the years with this extra special tool. I now flip back through the pages of my past journaling Bibles and see the prayers I’ve prayed. How He has answered them. Different tabbed entries show me what He’s been teaching me in different seasons. Or what I’ve been learning about His character/ studying about a certain topic. I’m now midway through my 3rd journaling Bible, along with other projects I’ve done besides. It is so powerful to see where He has met me. The days I was vulnerable and showed up. How He met me there. I can flip to an entry I did when I lost my kitty Blackie. Immediately, I can feel those same emotions that I was processing on that day when I showed up lost and heart-broken to be with God for comfort and healing.
Familiarity with God’s Word and Character
Journaling through the Bible verse by verse has made it a safe space for me. I’ve become so much more familiar with God’s word because I spend more time in it now than ever before. This has helped me so much also understand God’s character better and Who He is to me. I’ve read verses about how He loves me and Cherishes me. And You too. How He created us specifically and intentionally to reflect Him and be a blessing to this tired, hurting world. How He desires for me to get to know Him better, so I can see more clearly how He is interacting with me daily.
My Own Resulting Character Growth
This has helped me grow in my character and relationships too. I can now more fully bring His truths into my life. By learning His promises, I can become aware to ask for His help in making me more like Him and thus flourishing. So much better and healthier than living reactively to whatever life throws at me. I can choose what to think and believe and speak His Word / Truths over my life. Because He tells me I can.
Spending Time with God is Peaceful and Fun
I love sitting down at my desk to Bible Journal. First I ask Him to bless the time I’m spending with Him. I also ask Him to open my heart and help me hear His Voice via the Holy Spirit. I might turn on some worship music. Sometimes I’ll listen to a sermon / pull out a devotional to help me shed clarity on a passage I’m studying and journaling through. Or I will quietly meditate on whatever verse I want to think about while spending time with God. When I leave that desk afterwards, there is usually a sense of peace and inner joy in my soul afterwards. 🙂
Growing in My Art and Community
Other amazing benefits is the fantastic community of people I have found online and in person who are also Bible journaling. They are kind and encouraging and have made my life so much more joyful. Secondly, I’ve learned I love art through this journey. In the beginning I just wanted to add a little color to a page. Now I’m learning to draw and watercolor and having so much fun learning so many different artistic method of creating. I love seeing the different ways God has illustrated intentional creation in my world. Through the beauty of leaves, patterns, variety of animals, features of people etc. The fact that God is the Ultimate Creator and I get to create too, like Him gives me such pleasure. Because I share that with Him on some level.
Conclusion
There are lots of ways to Bible Journal and lots of different styles of Bibles to do it in. I hope you were encouraged through reading this, to pray about it and explore this method of Creative Worship for yourself. It’s not about perfection but instead about process and learning more about God. Thanks for reading. Have a blessed Day.
Have you tried Bible Journaling? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have a blessed day. 🙂
If you enjoyed this post, check out my craft room tour here, to see how I store my art supplies I use for this hobby. 🙂
*Disclaimer: This video and post isn’t sponsored. Some links are affiliate links which means if you buy something I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Leave a Reply