Time spent in the Word is quality time. Knowing where to start or how to keep track of what you are doing can be a little overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be 🙂
Hearing from God in His Word helps us to understand who He is, align our hearts with His and gives us a roadmap for life. Everything that God wanted us to know is in His Word, and knowing and understanding what He says helps us to recognize His hand working in our lives and the lives of those around us.
Bible journaling at its simplest is reading your Bible and writing about what you read.
But whether you are simple or elaborate in your Bible journaling, the time spent reflecting on God’s Word through written word, drawing, or even decorating pages keeps your mind focused on what you’ve read and helps both halves of your brain comprehend it.
Some journal by taking notes, some journal by drawing or painting.
There are stickers, stamps, stencils, templates special bibles and so much more at our disposal.
As a matter of fact, there has never been a more creative time to dive into God’s Word!
It doesn’t matter if you think you are a gifted artist or writer. All that matters is that you show up, ready to read the Word and really hear what God has to say to you.
The most important part of Bible journaling is really hearing what God is telling you through His Word. Personally, I learn by seeing and doing. So for me, I need to write out what I read, then write out a summary of what I learned. This helps my brain process what it is that I read.
Writing is my artistic outlet when I spend time in the Word. Yours may be different, so the beginning of this journey is about finding out what works best for you, dear friend ❤️
Angie GordonOwner Gathered & Sown
My favorite Bible study hacks
- Find A Bible- I guess this one is sort of a…duh… But we have to start somewhere! If you have a Bible, that’s perfect… Grab it, dust it off if you need to…
We are all friends here, so no one will judge you from where you are starting out. There are two options:
Bible APP: If you don’t own a Bible, it’s only an app away. Some great Bible apps are Bible Gateway and Youversion.
Or a physical Bible. One of my favorites (actually, it’s the one I use every day!) is the Life Application Study Bible.
HINT: If you have a BIble, but it’s getting worn, see the bottom of this post for a hack for that!
- Keep A Journal: It doesn’t have to be fancy. You just need a place to write what you learn. I’ve created a series of journals with prompts to help guide you through your time in the Word. You can find them here:
- Read your Bible in small chunks. Read enough to understand the context and use study notes to help you understand.(That’s why I like the life application Bible so much!! Lots of notes!) I like to read one book, chapter by chapter and writing in my journal what each chapter is about. It helps me grasp the meaning and message behind the whole book.
- Use art to inspire your Bible study time. Seeing scripture written out in a beautiful way can inspire us to want to dig deeper. When you see something that you love, open your BIble and read the verse in context. One of my FAVORITE places to get inspired is Blue Chair Blessing. Her facebook page is full of beautiful scripture art. Look there, or pick up a few sets of her scripture cards and use them as your jumping off point each day.
- Turn your Bible time into art .Grab inspiration for creative Bible journaling. My friend Amanda at Move the Moutains has tons of ideas, tutorials and courses specific to artistic Bible journaling. Check out her site or follow her on Instagram to stay up to date on the latest in artistic Bible journaling. She also sells art tools and journaling Bibles, so she’s a one stop shop
- Develop a habit. Here is a free printable I designed for you to use to jump start 2 weeks of Bible journaling. Use some of my favorite passages about God’s love to give yourself a place to dive into the Word.
- Read a devotional. Ask friends for recommendations or you can also check my blog. These short devos will challenge you to look up scripture and really apply it to your own life. This little corner of my website is where I share a bit of my heart and I love the friendships that I’m forming through the responses I get here. Feel free to reach out to me anytime if you need prayer or have questions. I’m here to help.
- Learn to understand the Bible. It can take some time to get used to different translations and ancient writing styles. A couple of translations will summarize what the more original translations are saying, in a modern and easy to understand writing style. A few I like to use when I’m stumped are The Passion Translation (TPT) The Message (MSG) and New Living Translation (NLT). You can find these in any Bible store, or on your Bible app. Use them to cross reference what you read in your regular Bible.
Is your Bible falling apart? Don’t replace it yet!
My Bible is well loved. I carry it with me in a tote bag, I leave it on the kitchen counter. I write in it, highlight, stick notes in it. So much of what I’ve learned over the past 15 years is literally written in my beloved personal Bible.
But all of the years of great use have left it looking a little less than beautiful. But I don’t want to replace it because I don’t want to lose all of the history that I recorded on those pages!
Gathered & Sown Bible covers are made to fit your Bible PERFECTLY. It doesn’t matter what brand, translation or cover type your Bible is, any cover that you buy from G&S is made to fit like a glove!
Gathered and Sown Bible covers are made with genuine full grain leather.
They feature front and back pockets to hold your Bible securely.
The leather will protect further damage to your cover and make your Bible beautiful enough to leave on your coffee table once again
How it works:
Tools to keep you organized
No matter what kind of bible journaling you do, it’s always helpful to have all of your favorite tools close at hand. At Gathered & Sown, you’ll find everything you need to keep your time in the Word organized. From bible covers to bookmarks and pouches and tote bags. Protect and carry your supplies and be ready to sit down and hear from God anytime, anywhere.
