Why Bible Journaling Can Grow Your Faith + How to Get Started

A Guest Blog by Jenna Parde of Scribbling Grace

Over the past few years, Bible Journaling has taken off as a new way to study the Bible.

If you haven’t heard of it, Bible Journaling, (or Bible Art Journaling), is where you use art to connect with the Word of God and express what you are learning.

This “art” can be anything from notes or doodles in a separate journal, to full-on paintings in your Bible.

There are no rules!

The goal is to use your creativity to grow closer to God in a way that works for YOU.

Bible Journaling is not about the result; it's about the process and the time spent with God. Click to Tweet

With that said, when it comes to getting started Bible journaling, it can be hard to know just where to begin.

So I’m going to go over all the basics you need to start.

Bible Journaling Step 1: Get in the Right Mindset

By far the most crucial step when Bible journaling, whether you are a beginner or expert, is to get yourself in the right mindset.

Bible journaling is not about creating the most beautiful page.

It’s not about the result; it’s about the process and the time spent with God.

Likewise, it’s important to gather the courage to start.

So often women tell me that what is holding them back is the belief that they are not artistic enough, or they fear that they will “ruin” their Bible.

I’m here to tell you that you do not need to be artistic to start Bible journaling.

You do not need to be artistic to start Bible journaling. As long as you are creating to worship and grow with God, you are doing it right! Click to Tweet

If you aren’t comfortable using paints, or expensive art supplies, skip it and color with colored pencils, or embellish your notes with stickers. Do what feels right to you!

And if you do want to get more “artistic” with it, remember you can do anything with practice!

You also need not fear that you will ruin your Bible, because as long as you are creating to worship and grow with God, you are doing it right!

I don’t believe the Lord is going to judge your page, He is just going to be thrilled you are spending time with him.

Bible Journaling Step 2: Gather Your Supplies

Now that your head and heart are in the right place, it’s time to gather your supplies.

First, you need a Bible.

You absolutely can use a regular Bible that you already have on hand and a separate notebook or sketchbook.

But if you want to create directly in the Bible (which is most common), I highly recommend getting a Journaling Bible.

Journaling Bibles have wider margins, (or even full blank pages), and thicker pages than a normal Bible, which makes them great for all kinds of art journaling.

There are a TON of journaling Bibles out there now.

They even make Bibles with pre-drawn designs to color! I have written a blog post that will help you decide on the best journaling Bible for you based on style and translation.

You will probably want to pick up a few supplies to start with as well.

Although journaling Bibles have thicker pages, they are still much thinner than a sheet of paper, so it can be tricky to find supplies that do not bleed-through the Bible page.

I recommend starting with colored pencils, watercolors, washi tape or stickers, and a micron pen.

But of course, there are so many fun materials to try depending on your comfortability level.

I have a list of all my tried-and-true Bible journaling supplies HERE.

If you have a supply you want you to use, but aren’t sure how it will react, you can always test it on a page in the back of your Bible; or you can prepare your page by painting on a thin layer of clear gesso. (Gesso is a glue-like substance that keeps supplies from bleeding or tearing the page.)

Bible journaling not only inspires creativity, but it also deepens your relationship with God and His Word as you do it! Click to Tweet

It never hurts to prepare your Bible’s page, but I stick to only the supplies mentioned in the post above that don’t bleed-through.

Bible Journaling Step 3: Find Your Inspiration

Now that you have your Bible and supplies, it’s time to find your inspiration.

Looking at that blank page and trying to decide what to do can be one of the most difficult parts!

I always recommend reading your Bible and then praying to see if God will provide guidance first.

But if nothing is coming to you, social media is a great way to find inspiration!

I love looking through Pinterest, or Instagram searching Bible journaling, Bible verses, or paintings for inspiration.

YouTube videos are also a great source of inspiration and tutorials!

You can find YouTube my channel HERE.

Bible Journaling Step 4: Go For It!

Now’s the time to throw fears away and jump in!

Start with what you are comfortable with.

You might want to jump right into using paints or take it slower.

I think a great way to start is by tracing a coloring page or image from online and coloring it.

This will help get your toes wet and grow more comfortable with the idea of art in your Bible!

Using creativity and art is such a special way to dig into Gods Word. And everyone can do it! Click to Tweet

A few other things I want to remind you of:

1.  Don’t feel that you have to finish a page all at once if you feel you don’t have enough time, or it gets overwhelming. (If it does get overwhelming though, don’t give up!)
2. Remember to have fun and enjoy the process.
3. Always try to keep focused on the scripture and worshiping the Lord; if we lose track of that and get caught up in the art, it defeats the purpose.

Using creativity and art is such a special way to dig into God’s word.

For me, Bible journaling has completely strengthened my faith and given me a love for the Bible that I had never had before.

It got me excited to read the Word and I know that it can be life-altering for many others as well!

So I encourage you to give Bible journaling a try!

If you have more questions, check out my Bible Journaling FAQ.

– Jenna Parde

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