Have you ever thought about keeping a Bible study journal? Writing your thoughts and reflections in a journal is a great way to get deeper into the Word and take note of what God is revealing to you.
What is a Bible Study Journal?
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A Bible study journal is a book or Word processing program that you use to document insights from your daily Bible study time.
I know what you’re thinking, you see the phrase “Bible study journal” and Pinterest images start popping into your head. You want to tell me unimaginative and uncreative you are and start listing reasons why can’t keep a Bible study journal.
I get it. Pinterest and Instagram have made Bible journaling into a scary thing for us non-artistic types. But I want to tell you it’s not like that. Journaling your thoughts based on what you read in the Bible can be very simple. Having a Bible study journal can help you keep those thoughts organized.
Why you should use a Bible study journal
A Bible study journal can be a helpful resource for your Bible study time for a number of reasons.
1. Journaling helps to focus your thoughts. Let’s face it, sometimes your mind wanders when you sit down to read your Bible. The act of journaling is a great way to capture every thought and focus it on the matter at hand.
2. Serves as a record of your growth. The Bible is living and active. It changes you as you read it. When you journal through the Bible, it leaves a record that you can read at various times throughout your life.
You’ll be surprised and awed by how you’ve grown in your Christian journey.
3. Keep a record of what God reveals to you. The Bible is living and active. It’s our instruction manual for living the way God wants us to.
A Bible study journal will help you to keep track of what the Holy Spirit has revealed to you.
4. Leave a legacy for your children. One of my favorite books long before I became a Christian is The Marked Bible. A man got to read a copy of a Bible that had been read and notated by his mom. He got to see her thoughts, prayers, and what the Holy Spirit had revealed to her as she read the Bible.
Can you imagine having the words and notes of a loved one that documented even a portion of their walk with God?
Just imagine, you could pass on your thoughts about what you studied in the Bible to your children!
How Do You Write a Bible Journal?
So how do you start this life-changing practice that you could pass on to your children one day (maybe)? It’s a simple process to begin keeping a Bible study journal. Here are a few tips.
1. Choose a medium to document your thoughts. Decide whether you’re a paper and ink or a Word processing program kind of girl.
2. Acquire your resources. As you begin the process of acquiring your supplies, here are some questions you might ask:
If you’re into digital journaling:
- What program will you use?
- Will you keep it in a plain document, or will you get a PDF editor so you can use a beautiful Bible study journal PDF?
- How will you secure your documents so you don’t lose them I the event of a system failure?
- How could you ensure that your Bible study journal is passed on to tue next generation?
If you’re into physical journaling, you’ll also have some decisions to make:
- What type of journal will you use? For example, do you want to use notebooks, loose paper, or a PDF Bible study journal?
- What type of pen will you use? Personally, I recommend using a pen with archival ink like the Sakura Micron pens.
- How will you preserve your Bible study journal for the next generation?
3. Start writing. I recommend that you begin your Bible study time with prayer. Also, if you decide to write a Bible verse in your new journal, include the translation.
How you write in your Bible study journal is up to you. But here are some ideas of things you may want to include:
- Prayers that flow out of your day’s reading and meditation
- Poems and/or psalms
- Drawings or sketches
- Snippets from sermons related to the text
- Quotes that relate to the passage
- Your thoughts on the passage
- Questions related to what you read that day
- Answers to questions that you researched based on what you read the day
- Notes form commentaries or study Bible notes that increased your understanding
- Definitions of key words
- Aramaic, Hebrew, and/or Greek words for key words and phrases
- Try out differently Bible study methods
As you can see, there are tons of ways you can use your Bible study journal. As you write, try to be as open as you can, after all, it’s just you and God.
I know, I know, one day you may pass your Bible journal on to a family member…but that day is a future date and a tentative plan at best. Right now, your Bible study journal is a conversation between you and your Heavenly Father. Enjoy it.
Bible study journal PDF
I hope you’ve begun to see the benefits of keeping a Bible study journal. If you have or are at least a little bit curious to try, I’ve created a free journal that you can download.
Simply download the Bible study journal PDF and start documenting your conversation with God today.
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