5 Simple Bible Study Journal Ideas - Growing a Content Heart

Do you feel stuck when it comes to daily Bible reading? Need to refresh your routine for studying the Scriptures? Here are 5 simple Bible study journal ideas. Grab a notebook or journal and try one or two this week!

How do you journal when reading the Bible?

This really ties into one of my 6 Keys to a Solid Bible Reading Habit: PICK A SPOT. The place your Bible will live or where you will place it the night before, so you see it and it reminds you. The place where you sit every day to open your Bible, and your body and mind get into the rhythm of being there to do that. Pick a spot.

And since you’ve picked a spot, your journal or notebook can live there too. I am simply using a spiral notebook right now, and it is living where my Bible lives, so I remember to use it. If a pretty journal motivates you, do that.

You will notice I am not talking about “Bible journaling,” the practice of drawing in your Bible itself. It is not my style, and I find it distracting from the text itself, the next time I come to read. When I say “Bible study journal,” I mean a journal or notebook you take notes in as you study the Bible. So let’s talk about that.

What to write down when studying the Bible

These are suggestions… ideas to get you going if you need help refreshing your routine. They can be a place to begin if you do not currently write things down in response to reading God’s Word.

1. Copy verses

A good starting place is to read a chapter a day. Then, you can pick 1 or 2 verses to copy that stand out to you, or the Lord seems to be speaking to you through. As you write them, you will think through the words slowly and end up meditating on them. Also, writing things down improves your mind’s ability to recall them later. (So technically, you have just taken a step toward memorizing those verses.)

2. List the main things

Increase your retention of truth by writing down all the important details or main ideas from your chapter. There may be two things, or there may be ten. And what you list will be different if you are reading a Psalm than if you are reading Matthew. There are no rules here. You are just taking notes in list form.

3. Draw it

Not a list person? Feeling creative? Draw what you read about. Draw a setting, an event, illustrate a concept… anything! Maybe even combine this idea with the copy verses idea. Copy a verse in beautiful lettering you can decorate and color in.

4. Answer “What does this teach about God?”

This takes it to the next level of Bible study. I teach 7 Bible Study Questions for Any Passage, but this is arguably the most important. If you need things simple, stick to this question.

Free Printable “20 Prayers You Can Pray Before Reading Your Bible”

5. Write a prayer

Often, prayers I write are prompted by the text, but you could write anything on your mind. Again, this is easily combined with the copy verses idea. You could begin by copying a verse, and then write a prayer in response to it, or using some of the wording. Praying God’s Word is the sure way to know you are praying in a biblical manner.

Your journaling can be a combination of any of these things, or whatever you can think of. Try using a Bible study journal in your Bible routine. Dig into God’s Word and record what you find!