Have you ever sat down to journal in God’s Word, but felt overwhelmed by the blank page? Like you’re just stuck, and not sure what to write or create for deeper study? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! These 15 Bible journaling prompts will help.
{ This post and the photos within it contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking an affiliate link, my ministry gets a small commission, with no extra cost to you. See my full disclosures HERE. }
Bible art journaling is such an awesome and creative way to study the Scriptures, y’all. Every time I open my journaling Bible, I marvel at how it helps me meditate on God’s Word. The stories and lessons in the Bible just really stand out and become that much more memorable!
Indeed, there’s something very special about using a journaling Bible to record spiritual insights, lessons learned from Scripture, encounters you’ve had with God, and so forth.
And yet, I know it’s not always easy to know what to write or create! Sometimes, even if you’re an experienced Bible journaler, the blank page is just overwhelming.
The most important thing to remember, though, is that there’s no right or wrong way to journal, as long as it’s enhancing your study of God’s Word, and helping you grow closer to Him. It’s easy to become paralyzed, thinking that journaling has to be perfect, or there’s only one good path to take. The key is to surrender to God, and trust Him to show you what He wants you to learn.
That being said, there are lots of Bible journaling ideas to choose from! You can write insights that you received about the Scripture, lessons you’ve learned that relate to it, key words from the verse, things you’re struggling with, prayers, and so much more. The prompts here will help you decide…
15 Bible Journaling Prompts to Help You Study God’s Word
Before we get into these Bible journaling prompts, let me just say: your Bible art journaling is unique to YOU! It’s a reflection of your individual relationship with God, and your journey of studying His Word. So, don’t look at the way someone else journals, and think you have to do it exactly the same as they do.
Through experimentation, you’ll find what works for you. Use these Bible journaling prompts as a starting point, to spark your creative study juices! Try asking yourself (and God!) these questions, to determine what’s most important to learn and remember about each Scripture passage.
OH, ONE MORE THING, BEFORE WE BEGIN: PRAY FIRST! It’s the best of all Bible journaling prompts: Always, always, always, begin your journaling by asking God to help you! He may have a particular lesson He wants you to learn, a nugget of wisdom, or just a word of love and mercy for you. Ask Him to show you what He wants you to see in His Word.
⇨ Check out the prompts in the video below, or keep scrolling for the full list + examples!
1) What is this passage teaching me about God, or about myself?
In your Scripture journaling, you’ll find that there are some passages that have a lot to say about who God is, and/or who you are in relationship to Him. Case in point, the story of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego and the fiery furnace in Daniel 3:16-18! I don’t know about you, but reading this taught me two things… 1) God can deliver me from trouble!, and 2) Even if He does not, I will still worship Him. That’s something learned about both God and myself too!
2) What do I most want to remember about this Scripture?
One way that Bible journaling can be so helpful, is by helping you retain the information you’re studying. So, what is it about this chapter or verse that you want to hang onto? What points will be beneficial to continue to refer back to later? Put that in your Bible study journal!
As with the example of 1 Timothy 6 below, you could come up with a few bullet points to write down. Or, you could write a whole paragraph or two! Whatever works for the things you want to remember is good.
3) What imagery would best bring this Scripture to life?
In terms of visual imagery, sometimes the Bible verse just truly speaks for itself. Other times, you might need to get more creative in your interpretation of it. You can use drawings of plants, animals, or people… abstract art styles, textures, borders, or backgrounds… or anything that seems good to bring God’s Word to life and make it more memorable for you!
With the Lamentations 3:22-23 page below, it was an easy decision to create a watercolor sunrise to represent God’s mercies being new every morning… and the lighthouse added the extra meaning of relying on God for guidance and direction.
4) What about this Bible character or story do I want to emulate?
In the Bible, there are so many great lessons to learn from the mistakes, downfalls, successes, bravery, or wisdom of the people. So, when you’re reading such a story, what about that person do you want to learn from? (Or, what mistake did they make that you want to avoid?) Case in point, in the story of David vs. Goliath, I admire David’s confidence. He had such bold faith! So, that’s how I responded to the Bible journal writing prompts… I want that same bold confidence in God!
5) What lesson do I most want to take away from this passage?
It’s the simplest of Bible journaling prompts: What’s the most important message or lesson I want to take away from this? Look for that profound truth that you want to carry with you… like in the Revelation 3:11 example below. Jesus says “I am coming soon. Hold onto what you have, so that no one will take your crown”. And that’s what I most wanted to remember: to “hold onto faith in Jesus”!
6) How does this relate to my life/what I’m going through?
To use journaling as a spiritual discipline, it can be helpful to record where you’re currently at in life, what you’re struggling with, etc. If a Bible story really resonates with you, then write down why it does, and maybe where you’re at in your relationship with God, and how He’s growing you. You could write about successes, triumphs, setbacks, or anything in your life that this Scripture is helping you through.
Case in point, this 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 journaling page is very personal to me, since I have narcolepsy. I very much identify with everything Paul says in this passage. Every day, I lean heavily on the fact that God’s grace is sufficient for me, and I can boast all the more gladly that He gives me strength when I’m weary.
7) What emotions does this Scripture evoke in my heart?
Next up in our Christian journaling prompts, is one that will tug at your heartstrings. What emotion(s) does the Scripture inspire in you? Does it make your heart leap with joy, make you so grateful for God’s mercy, or send you to your knees in prayer? As an example, the story of Jesus’ birth always evokes feelings of awe and wonder for me. The fact that God would send His Son into our messy, broken world, to do the job of reconciling us to Him, is amazing. So, that’s what I recorded for this page: Love Came Down.
8) How can I study this passage more in-depth?
As you go through these Bible journaling prompts, don’t forget to look deeper at each Bible story or lesson. For example, look up definitions of words that are complex to you. Or better yet, look up the original Greek or Hebrew meanings of the words too! Research, ponder, and pray on anything that can help you expound on that Scripture, and what it’s telling you to do. For complex passages, like Ephesians 6:10-20 (the armor of God), this kind of deeper study can be very helpful!
I created the art for this page, and then actually went back over a year later to further clarify the meaning of each piece of armor. After reading devotionals about the armor of God, and pondering and praying over it, I used the available space in my Illustrating Bible to write more about each piece.
9) Is there a song, poem, or quote that would help bring this to life?
If you’re like me, and you listen to Christian music or read books written by Christian authors, you might find that there are some great songs or quotes that really capture a particular Bible passage well. In which case, you can use a snippet of that in your Bible journaling!
For this Psalm 118:24 page (which I did a whole tutorial on – click here for that), I felt that the lyrics from Brandon Heath’s song “That’s Enough” were very fitting. Verse 24 says “This is the day the Lord has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it.” But, sometimes, it can be hard to rejoice if things aren’t going well. So the lyrics 🎶 I am here // I am loved // God is good // and that’s enough 🎶 are an appropriate reminder of why we can still rejoice!
10) What stands out, or delights my heart, about this Scripture passage?
Next up in our Bible journal prompts, is to simply explore your natural reaction to the Scripture. If there is a particular aspect of the story, character(s), or message that you’re drawn to, then journal about that! I love it when God shows me something that really speaks to me about a particular Bible passage, and I just can’t wait to journal about it.
With the example below, it was God’s words from Isaiah 43:1 that really struck a chord with me. He says “I have called you by name; you are mine”! Which is so profound, especially at times when I’ve felt ‘less than’ or ‘unseen’ or ‘unheard’… that God calls each of us by name, and is with us, is a balm to a weary soul.
11) If I could choose one word or phrase to summarize this, what would it be?
Ooh, challenge accepted! Forget all your other Bible journaling prompts for a moment, and just ponder… if you could ONLY use one word or phrase to describe this Scripture, what would that be? Sometimes, a single word or phrase can speak volumes, as is the case for 2 Peter 1:5 ~ “respond to God’s promises”.
For this passage, I chose the phrase “be zealous to grow” (written at the bottom of the page, and on the tab), because it best summarizes the whole message of 2 Peter 1—which instructs us to cultivate more godly qualities like moral excellence, self-control, and patient endurance. {Notice that, for this page, I also used prompt #2 which is “What do I most want to remember?” to make a list of key takeaways!}
12) How can I simply give God praise for this truth?
Next up in our Bible journaling prompts, is the concept of SIMPLY WORSHIPING. With some Bible passages, the best response might be to just PRAISE THE LORD! Certainly, it is good and right to praise God, and Bible journaling offers such a great medium for that! You may find that certain Scriptures, like the Psalm 147:4 “He counts the stars” example below, are prime opportunities for worship. No extra words needed!
13) What prayer might I pray in response to this verse?
I think sometimes it’s easy to get so lost in Bible study, that we forget to pray for understanding, help, or just thanksgiving to God (or is that just me?). So, consider if perhaps a written prayer would be a great response to that Bible passage you’re reading. You could write to God about how thankful you are for that truth… or ask Him for help applying it… or lament about a struggle you’re having that you want to trust Him with.
Looking for a great Scripture journaling plan? My FREE Bible Journaling Challenge includes a weekly guided Bible study journal with creative prompts, to help you get in the habit of journaling God’s Word on a regular basis.
14) What symbolism or colors come to mind, when I meditate on this Scripture?
Up next in our Bible journaling prompts, is a question to help you bring the Scriptures to life through art! Symbolism may not be obvious with every verse, but certainly there are some symbolic things you can use for Bible journal ideas. For me, anything having to do with new beginnings, I automatically think of butterflies (as a symbol of transformation and renewal of life). For hope, I often think of rainbows. So, if something symbolic comes to mind for you, then draw (or stamp, stencil, or trace) that imagery in your journaling Bible.
Colors make great Bible journaling prompts as well! Once you decide on the best colors to symbolize the Bible passage, that can set the tone for your journaling. For the 1 Peter 5:7-11 example below, I chose the lighthouse first (to represent keeping my eyes on God for guidance), and then it just made sense to have blue for ocean, plus yellow, red, and green which corresponds with verses 7, 8-9, and 10-11 perfectly.
15) And finally, how will I apply this Scripture in my life?
You know that old saying: ‘keep the main thing the main thing’? Well, I think you and I can agree, that the main point of studying God’s Word, is so we can apply it in our lives! So of course, this is absolutely a great thing to write in your journaling Bible. What actions will you take going forward, to apply this Scripture in your daily life? What changes do you need to make…old sins to let go of…new, better habits that you need to start…? Write it down, give it to God, and let Him change you from the inside out through His Word and His Holy Spirit. (Certainly, it’s important to take action, to cut out sin, or love your neighbor more, but you’ll need His help to accomplish that!)
For this 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 page below (in my NIV pocket New Testament), I wanted to remind myself to be disciplined spiritually. But my favorite application point, came from the NLT version of verse 26: “run with purpose in every step”. This is such a great principle to live by! And it’s something I can always do a better job of.
I hope you found these Bible journaling prompts helpful! Remember, there is no right or wrong way to journal; as long as you’re doing what works for you, and is most beneficial for your study of God’s Word.
Hi! Thank you so much for visiting Divine Creative Love. I’m a Jesus-lovin’ girl, lettering artist, designer, and general creative-at-heart. And, I have narcolepsy. I blog about faith in God, overcoming challenges, and creative topics such as Bible journaling. If you’re new here, be sure and subscribe to my list so you won’t miss anything!
Thank you so much, this is so helpful!
You’re welcome! 🥰