24 Bible Journaling Ideas for Beginners (+ Free Printable!)
Have you been curious about Bible journaling ideas but talked yourself out of trying them? Maybe you’ve scrolled through beautiful pages on Pinterest and thought, I could never do that. Here’s the truth: Bible journaling was never meant to be a competition in artistry. It’s meant to be a conversation with God — and you don’t need to be a talented artist to have one.
Bible journaling is about drawing closer to the heart of God in a new, creative way. The art on the page is just the vehicle. What matters is what happens in your heart while you’re making it.
Whether you’ve never picked up a colored pencil or you’re ready to fill entire pages with watercolor, this list of simple and easy Bible journaling ideas has something for you. And don’t miss the free printable Bible journaling template at the bottom of this post!
Before You Begin: Helpful Resources
New to Bible journaling? Start here:
- How to Begin Bible Journaling — a beginner’s guide covering supplies, Bibles, and first steps
- Bible Journaling with Kids — how to make it a family practice
- Bible Journaling with Teenagers — tips for keeping teens engaged
- Gift Ideas for Bible Journaling Lovers — great for birthdays and holidays
- Free Printable Washi Tape for Journaling — print, cut, and decorate your pages
24 Bible Journaling Ideas to Inspire You
Getting Started with Your Pages
1. Colorful Highlighting
One of the simplest ways to begin is with a highlighter. Choose a verse or passage that resonates with you, then highlight the keywords or phrases that stand out. Beneath or beside the text, jot a brief reflection or a short prayer in your own words. That’s it — that’s Bible journaling. Simple, meaningful, and easy to build on.
2. Doodle and Reflect
You don’t have to be able to draw to doodle. Pick a short verse that speaks to you, then surround it with simple shapes, patterns, or small illustrations — flowers, stars, crosses, vines. Use this space to visually sit with the meaning of the words rather than rushing past them.
3. Draw Over the Entire Page
If you have a dedicated journaling Bible (or a second Bible you’re comfortable marking up), try filling an entire page with art inspired by a verse, story, or theme. This is an immersive experience that lets you pour yourself fully into a passage. It may feel bold at first — but many journalers say it’s when their practice really comes alive.
4. Draw in the Margins
If covering scripture feels wrong to you, the margins are your best friend. Journaling Bibles are specifically designed with wide margins for this purpose, giving you more room to work while keeping every word of the text visible. You can use colored pencils, pens, stickers, small stamps, or washi tape to decorate without touching the printed words at all.
5. Draw with Translucent Paper
A beautiful middle-ground option: lay a piece of translucent or vellum paper over your Bible page and create your artwork there. You can use watercolor, transparent paint, or colored pencils, and the scripture will still be visible beneath. This is a wonderful approach if you love the idea of full-page art but aren’t ready to commit to painting directly in your Bible.
6. Create Dedicated Bible Journal Pages
Your Bible journaling doesn’t have to happen in a Bible at all. Many people use a separate journal or notebook alongside their scripture reading, creating pages filled with handwritten notes, illustrations, hand-lettering, and reflections inspired by specific verses or themes. Bible journaling printables and coloring pages work beautifully in this format too.
Art Techniques to Try
7. Watercolor Wash
Apply a soft watercolor wash to your Bible page (or watercolor paper) to create a dreamy, blended background. Let it dry, then add your text or doodles on top. Pro tip: Slip a piece of wax paper between the pages while you work to prevent bleed-through.
8. Bible Doodling
Love flowers? Doodle them. Prefer geometric shapes? Go for it. Simple illustrations like a cross, an ark, the sun and stars, butterflies, or waves are all thematically rich and easy to draw. Use a pen for your outlines, then fill in with watercolors, colored pencils, or crayons for a pop of color. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s presence.
9. Scripture Writing and Hand Lettering
Writing out a verse by hand is one of the most powerful ways to memorize and internalize Scripture. It slows you down. It gives God’s Word time to settle. Whether you print neatly, practice cursive, or try a lettering style you’ve seen on Pinterest, the act of writing itself is worshipful. Gel pens, watercolor pencils, and fine-tip markers all work beautifully for this.
10. Illustrate Your Favorite Verse
Choose a single verse that has meant a lot to you — one you return to often — and illustrate it. Add color, texture, and images that represent what the verse means to you personally. There’s no template for this. It’s entirely yours.
11. Paint a Biblical Scene
Pick a story from Scripture that has moved you and bring it to life visually. The Garden of Eden, the feeding of the 5,000, the empty tomb — these scenes can be represented in even the simplest way. If drawing from scratch feels daunting, Bible journaling templates can give you a starting point to trace or adapt.
Faith-Building Practices
12. Write a Prayer or Petition
Before you start journaling, pause and pray. Ask God to guide your hand and your heart. Then write out your prayer — whether it’s praise, petition, confession, or gratitude — as your journal entry. You don’t have to add art. Sometimes words alone are the most powerful offering.
13. Track Your Spiritual Growth by Date
Start from where you are right now and document your faith journey over time. Write about where you were when you first believed, the moments God showed up unexpectedly, the prayers He answered, and the ways you’ve grown. Looking back on dated entries is one of the most encouraging things a Christian can do.
14. Use Bible Journal Prompts
Prompts are a gift when you don’t know where to start. Here are ten to get you going:
- What does grace mean to you, and how have you experienced it personally?
- Illustrate a scene from a parable that speaks to your current season of life.
- Write a prayer for someone you know who needs encouragement, and include a verse for them.
- Explore a verse about God’s faithfulness. How have you witnessed it in your own life?
- Draw a symbol that represents your faith journey. What does it mean to you?
- Reflect on a verse about peace. How can you bring more of it into your daily life?
- Choose a verse about love. How can you embody that love toward others this week?
- Meditate on a passage about perseverance. How can you apply it to a current challenge?
- Illustrate a favorite worship song or hymn. Write down the lines that move you most.
- Write a letter to God expressing gratitude for specific blessings. Illustrate it with symbols or drawings.
15. Write Down Your Worries
Philippians 4:6 tells us to present our requests to God with thanksgiving. Your journal is a place to do just that. Write out your fears, anxieties, and biggest concerns — then illustrate them being surrendered. There’s something deeply freeing about visually placing your worries in God’s hands on a page.
16. Document Answered Prayers
Keep a running record of prayers you’ve prayed and the ways God has answered them. Add small drawings, color-coding, or stickers to mark answered prayers over time. This becomes one of the most powerful tools for building your faith — especially in seasons of doubt.
17. Create a Gratitude Journal
Dedicate pages to what you’re thankful for. List them, illustrate them, or both. A gratitude journal is a beautiful companion to scripture study because it trains your eyes to see God’s goodness in ordinary moments.
Creative and Devotional Variations
18. Journal in a Hymnal
A vintage or collectible hymnal makes a stunning journaling space. Write reflections in the margins, add watercolor illustrations beside hymn verses, or use the pages as a backdrop for hand-lettered scripture. It’s a unique and meaningful approach to faith journaling.
19. Illustrate a Praise or Worship Song
Write out the words to a worship song that has carried you through a difficult season, then illustrate it. This can be done in your journaling Bible, a separate journal, or even in a hymnal. The combination of music and visual art often unlocks something that words alone can’t reach.
20. Decorate with Washi Tape, Stickers, and Embellishments
Not every page needs to be a painting. Sometimes Bible journaling looks like pressing a piece of floral washi tape along the margin of a page, adding a sticker beside a meaningful verse, or stamping a simple design near a passage. These small additions are still acts of intentionality — and they make flipping through your Bible a joy.
21. Illustrate a Bible Story That Changed You
Which story in Scripture has shaped you most? The prodigal son? Esther? Ruth? David and Goliath? Create a visual tribute to the story that has had the greatest impact on your faith. When you return to those pages, the memory of what God taught you through it will come flooding back.
22. Illustrate an Entire Book of the Bible
This is a long-term project and a beautiful one. Choose a book of the Bible — Psalms, Proverbs, or one of the Gospels are great starting points — and work through it slowly, adding artwork, notes, and reflections page by page. It becomes a deeply personal commentary that’s entirely your own.
23. Record Your Weekly Sermon Notes
Bring your journaling Bible to church and jot down notes from the sermon in the margins of the passage being preached. During the week, come back to those notes and add illustrations or color. This practice reinforces what you heard and keeps it alive throughout the week.
24. Use Journaling Templates
If you’re new to Bible journaling and don’t know where to start artistically, templates are a wonderful tool. Bible journaling templates give you a pre-drawn framework — borders, banners, illustrations — that you can color in, personalize, and add your scripture to. They lower the barrier to entry and build confidence as you go.
Download Your Free Bible Margin Journal Template
We’ve created a free printable Bible journaling template to help you get started. It’s designed to work in the margins of your Bible or as a standalone journaling page — simple enough for beginners, beautiful enough to be proud of.
One Final Thought
Bible journaling is not about the art. It never was. It’s about the relationship — the quiet, creative space you carve out to sit with God and His Word. The most important thing you can bring to your journal is an open heart.
So start simple. Find a verse. Pick up a colored pencil. And see what God does with the rest.
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