[Journal Reviews] Bible Study Journals

When I was in high school, there was a local pastor I would watch on TV. His sermons just had a way of capturing my heart and mind, and as I listened, I scribbled notes into a journal so I could go back and look at them later.

As I grew older, journaling during Bible study has looked different. Sometimes I jotted notes and questions in the margins of my Bible; other times, I worked my way through a guided journal.

Journaling through God’s Word is a great way to read, study, and actually engage with what He is saying to you.

And since the New Year is just a few weeks away, it’s a natural time to recommit ourselves to being in the Bible.

Psalm 119:16 (NIV) says, “I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.”

Not only are we to not neglect God’s Word, we are to take delight in it! Do you delight in it? Or has it gotten dreary and dull?

Wherever you are in your Bible study journey, I want to support you. So today, I want to share with you some different ways to journal through God’s Word. And then I’ll offer you some specific guided journals that you might want to consider as a tool to use in your Bible study.

As you listen, I really invite you to pay attention to if God is inviting you to try one of these. My hope and prayer is that He would kindle a hunger for His Word within you.

Bible Study Workbooks

Let’s start with Bible study workbooks. I’m counting these as journals because in Bible study workbooks, there are often questions for you to answer on your own—not just fill in the blanks, but reflection questions about how to apply it to your own life.

A Bible study workbook will walk you through studying one book of the Bible, or maybe one topic in the Bible. These are great if you want to really dive into one specific area or book.

Examples:

Samples of Bible study workbooks are like those you get from Beth Moore, Kelly Minter, and Lisa Harper.

There are also a lot of great Bible studies from Daily Grace Co. I have so many of them on my shelf!

General Bible Study Journals

There are also several general Bible study journals available online. Some are very simple, providing a framework for you to read and journal through a Bible passage. Others are more of a devotional/journal combo. They might offer some thoughts for you to read in addition to asking you specific questions about a Bible verse.

Examples:

For example, there’s the The 5-Minute Bible Study Journal for Women, by Emily Biggers (Amazon affiliate link), which is one of the more structured ones, with specific verses to read through and some devotional thoughts for you to consider.

There’s also the Bible Study Journal, by Faith Maslo (Amazon affiliate link). This one is more on the general side, with places for you to note which Bible passage you are studying, some values or principes to remember, something you’re thankful, and a prayer.

One final example is theSimple Bible Study Journal, by Eva Kubasiak (Amazon affiliate link). While most of Eva’s journal is filled with journal pages, she offers some introductory materials at the beginning to help you understand genres in the Bible. Eva was on the podcast back in episode 64, so be sure to check that out if you want to get to know her better.

SOAP Bible Study

Second, there are Bible study journals that walk you through a specific method of Bible study, like the SOAP method.

SOAP is an acronym that stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. And while you can certainly practice this in your own notebook, a guided journal can walk you through a specific Bible passage, pointing out some key words or including some prayer prompts or additional resources along the way.

Examples:

Journals that have a SOAP Bible study format include the Love God Greatly Journal: A SOAP Method Journal for Bible Study (Amazon affiliate link).

Horatio Printing also offers several SOAP Bible studies. They are broken up into seasons, like purpose, wisdom, anxiety, and joy.

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Scripture Writing

Scripture writing is another way for you to engage with God through His Word. When you write out Scripture, you handwrite it onto a piece of paper, but you do so slowly and thoughtfully, thinking about what God is actually saying to you.

Again, this is something you could easily do in your own journal, but sometimes having a guided journal can help you with accountability in following through and staying committed to the discipline, and it can also offer you some insight if it’s on a specific passage you are studying.

Examples:

Journals for Scripture writing include the Scripture Writing Journal, by Emily Fontes (Amazon affiliate link), as well as a Scripture writing journal from Daily Grace Co that walks you through Psalm 119—which is a psalm all about meditating, remembering, and obeying God’s Word!

Bible Verse Mapping

Bible verse mapping is another great way to engage with a specific Bible passage. When you map a verse, you’re considering its context, key words, and cross references. You really dive into a passage and see what God has to teach you through that specific word.

Examples:

Courtney Jensen just released her Verse Mapping Journal (Amazon affiliate link). It has an absolutely beautiful design, and I think more will be released here in the coming months.

There’s also the Verse Mapping Bible Study Journal from Kristi Cambron (Amazon affiliate link). Both of these are great options if you want to learn more about Bible verse mapping.

Sermon Note Journals

As I mentioned at the beginning, I often wrote notes from the sermons I listened to into a notebook and then reviewed those to see what I could learn. Sermon note journals are great for being able to revisit Bible passages and main points and see what else God might be saying to you through those.

If you’re not returning to your pastor’s sermon at some point during the week, I would really encourage you to do so. Don’t rely only on their message; dive into the passage yourself and see what else you can learn.

Examples:

If you want to buy a sermon notes journal, you might consider the Christian Women’s Sermon Notes Journal, by Christian Faith Gifts (Amazon affiliate link). This one has spaces for you to record the Bible passage preached on, your sermon notes, how it challenges you, and how you can apply it. It also has a space for prayer requests and upcoming events at your church.

Daily Grace Co also offers several sermon note journals for you to choose from. One of them is spiral bound and the other two are not, but each one offers plenty of space for sermon notes.

Journal Prompt: How is God inviting you to dive into His Word this next year?

So there you have it: six ways to engage with God in His Word through journaling: Bible study workbooks, general Bible study journals, SOAP Bible study journals, Scripture writing journals, Bible verse mapping journals, and sermon note journals.

Your journal prompt this week is, “How is God inviting me to dive into His Word next year?”

Was there a specific journal mentioned that intrigued you? Have you been wanting to learn more about one of these? This next year might be a great time to do that!

I would encourage you just to start with one. I know it can be hard to choose, but focus on really diving into one, and then when you’re ready, you can start to explore another one on top of that, okay?

Prayer

This week, I’d like to end with an excerpt from a prayer from Prayers for Your Day, from the Daily Grace Co. It’s a prayer for when you don’t understand a passage:

Father, I come to You confused by the passage I read, and I am unable to understand the meaning of the text. I pray my misunderstandings would draw me closer to seek wisdom and truth from You. Help me not to grow frustrated or weary in my limitations, but may my weakness propel me into Your strength…. Lord, I pray You bear fruit in my life from what I have read today even when I don’t understand. Amen.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

(Some are Amazon affiliate links)

• The 5-Minute Bible Study Journal for Women, by Emily Biggers
• Bible Study Journal, by Faith Maslo
• Simple Bible Study Journal, by Eva Kubasiak
• Scripture Writing Journal, by Emily Fontes
• Love God Greatly Journal: A SOAP Method Journal for Bible Study, from Love God Greatly
• Verse Mapping Journal, by Courtney Jenson
• Verse Mapping Bible Study Journal, by Kristi Cambron
• Christian Women’s Sermon Notes Journal, by Christian Faith Gifts
• Daily Grace Co
• Horatio Printing SOAP Bible Studies

RELATED EPISODES:

• Episode 47: 10 Ways to Encounter God Through His Word
• Episode 64: Approaching God Even In Your Anxiety with Your Bible Study Best Friend Eva Kubasiak
• Episode 72: Tending Your Soul with Bible Teacher Mariel Davenport
• Episode 127: How to Choose a Bible You’ll Actually Use

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