Bible Journaling Techniques: 7 Places to Express Your Faith Creatively

At some point in the year 2014, a lady named Shauna Noel started a movement. Using a wide-margin Bible and craft supplies she already had, she documented the things she learned from Bible study, devotional time, and sermon notes in a creative way. Now, there are probably thousands of us out there, making beautiful things to celebrate victories, document truths, and worship the Lord, all in a creative way. This post shows you the most common places and techniques that people use in what is now called “Bible journaling.” See this video from Shauna Noel for more of what Bible journaling is all about :).

In a separate notebook or journal

The first place you can Bible journal is in a separate notebook or journal. This technique is the most obvious and the easiest for beginners. Any form of paper, from a $1 notebook to a fancy leather-bound journal, will do. Journaling in a separate notebook allows you to use different techniques, worry less about “ruining” your Bible, and look up related verses.

In a planner

This next Bible journaling technique might work best for you if you are already a planner girl. The Happy Planner makes planners and stickers specifically designed for faith journaling. You can use a planner (any brand) to:

• write Bible verses

• a specific study technique (like the SOAP technique), or

• prayer journal.

A benefit of the Happy Planner is the ability to take pages out and easily re-insert them. Check out this post to see how I incorporate daily Scripture writing into my bullet journal!

In a regular bible – micro Bible journaling

Another Bible journaling technique is to use a Bible you already have –one with normal-size margins– and write in the space provided. This technique is useful for those who don’t have a journaling Bible, or who don’t want to invest in one just yet. It helps to work in a smaller space if you feel like a less “artistic” individual, but still want to use color and some design to document your faith. It is also immensely easy to find a regular-size Bible in a bookstore or online, often for less than $10. Here’s a post from Hey Creative Sister that will tell you more :).

In a standard journaling Bible

The most popular techniques people are using for Bible journaling right now are done in specially made Bibles. A “standard” journaling Bible is one that has either one or two columns of text in your chosen translation, with an extra-wide margin for notes and/or artwork. My preferred format is the ESV single-column journaling Bible, which is easy to read and has plenty of space. Journaling Bibles are pretty widely available right now, and you can sometimes find them steeply discounted on Christianbook.com.

In an interleaved Bible

The next place where people document their faith is in an interleaved Bible. This type of Bible has two columns of text on one page, with a blank page on the other. An interleaved Bible is an excellent choice for someone who wants to create large images or designs without covering Scripture. The interleaved Bible can also allow for more in-depth studying and journaling.

In the Illustrating Bible

One of the newest Bible journaling techniques available today is the Illustrating Bible. This Bible was designed specifically with Bible journaling in mind. It has thicker paper, is spiral bound, and has extra-extra large margins for the absolute most creativity you could possibly fit into it. Because it’s so specialized, however, it is also quite expensive, usually around $100. A wish-list item perhaps, but probably not super attainable for college students or young adults :'(.

In the ESV scripture journals!!!!!

The last technique that I’ve seen for bible journaling is by far my favorite at the moment. It’s basically the same as the interleaved Bible, but with one major difference: instead of using an entire Bible, I love to use the ESV scripture journals! These journals are available in separate volumes, which run at about $3-$5 apiece, or as a set (Old and New Testament). Each volume in the set has one to three books of the Bible, with a single column of text on one side and a blank page on the other. The smaller size of these journals makes them super portable, and they’re also very easy to use with thicker paper than a standard journaling Bible. Seriously, I cannot say enough good things about these, and will probably devote an entire post to them at some point :).

Conclusion

Bible journaling is a great way to express your faith and your creativity at the same time. When I started this technique in 2017, the things I studied began to soak more deeply into my heart and my mind, both because I spent more time thinking about them and because I had connected them with visual elements. If you are considering starting Bible journaling in any of the places I’ve just listed, I’d love to know!

Happy journaling!