Scripture journaling means reading a short passage of the Bible slowly, noticing what stands out to you, and writing a few honest lines about it. You don’t need colored pens, lettering skills or a special Bible with wide margins. A plain notebook, a pen and about 10 minutes are enough.
This guide is Bible journaling for beginners who want words, not art. By the end you’ll have a simple three-step method (read, notice, write), a sample page to copy, a short list of passages to start with, and a plan for the days when nothing seems to happen.
What scripture journaling is, and what it isn’t
At its heart, scripture journaling is a way of paying attention. You let one passage slow you down, and you write down what you see in it and what it stirs up in you. Over weeks, your notebook becomes a record of how you’ve been reading and praying.
It isn’t a Bible study course, and you don’t have to explain every verse. It isn’t a test of how holy or disciplined you are, either. If you skip a week, you just open the notebook again.
It also doesn’t have to look pretty. Some people love decorating their pages, and if you ever want to try that, our guide to art journaling for people who cannot draw is a gentle place to begin. But a page of messy handwriting is just as much a scripture journal as a painted one.
What you need to begin
Keep the setup small so it doesn’t become a reason to wait.
- A Bible you can read easily. Any translation you understand is fine. On this site we quote the World English Bible, a modern English translation its publisher has placed in the public domain, so it can be freely quoted and shared.
- A notebook. Lined, dotted or blank, whatever you already have. A notes app works too if you’d rather type.
- A pen. One is plenty.
- A regular time. Morning coffee, a lunch break or the last 10 minutes before bed. The same time each day helps, but it isn’t required.
You might also keep a short list of passages on the inside cover, so you’re never stuck deciding what to read.
The read, notice, write method
This is the whole practice. It takes 10 to 15 minutes, and you can shrink it to five on a busy day.
- Settle (1 minute). Write the date and the passage reference at the top of the page. Take a breath. If you like, pray one plain line: “Help me pay attention.”
- Read slowly (3 minutes). Read the passage once all the way through. Then read it again, more slowly, out loud if you can. Short passages work best, often just two to six verses.
- Notice one thing (2 minutes). Look for the word or phrase that catches you. It might comfort you, puzzle you or bother you. Copy that phrase into your notebook by hand. Writing it out slows you down in a good way.
- Write (5 to 8 minutes). Write whatever comes. Some questions that help:
- Why might this phrase have caught my attention today?
- Where does it touch my life right now?
- What do I want to say to God in response?
- Close (1 minute). End with one sentence of prayer, thanks or honest uncertainty. “I don’t understand this yet, but I want to” is a perfectly good ending.
If this rhythm feels familiar, it borrows from lectio divina, an old way of praying with scripture that many Christians use, built on slow reading, listening and response. Our guide to lectio divina with a journal goes deeper if you want more structure.
A sample page
Here’s what one page might look like, using a verse many people already know. This is only an example, so yours can be shorter, longer or completely different.
October 27. Psalm 23:1
“Yahweh is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing.” (Psalm 23:1)
Phrase I noticed: “I shall lack nothing.”
What I wrote: “Honestly, I feel like I lack a lot this week. Sleep, patience, money for the car repair. Maybe this isn’t saying I’ll have everything I want. Maybe it’s about not being alone in the lacking. I want to trust that more than I do.”
Prayer: “Shepherd me today, especially at work.”
Notice that the writing is honest, not polished. You aren’t writing a sermon. You’re writing what’s true for you while you read. If Psalm 23 speaks to you, our Psalm 23 page with reflection prompts lets you spend several days with it.
Good passages for beginners
Short, personal passages are the easiest place to start. The Psalms are especially good, because they’re prayers people actually prayed, full of trust, fear, thanks and complaint.
| Passage | Why it works for beginners | A first question to write about |
|---|---|---|
| Psalm 23:1 to 4 | Familiar, short, full of images | Where do I need rest or guidance right now? |
| Psalm 139:1 to 2, 14, 23 to 24 | Personal and searching | What would I want God to see in me today? |
| Lamentations 3:22 to 23 | Hope spoken in a hard season | What feels new this morning, even something small? |
Psalm 139 ends with a prayer that fits a journal well:
“Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.” (Psalm 139:23)
You might copy that line at the top of a page and simply write what’s on your heart, without trying to tidy it.
Lamentations was written out of grief, which makes its moment of hope all the more striking:
“It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22 to 23)
When you’re ready for more, our guide to using the Psalms as journal prompts walks through many more of them, one psalm at a time.
When it feels dry, confusing or hard
Some days you’ll read a passage twice and notice nothing. That’s normal, and it happens to people who have read the Bible for decades. On those days, try one of these:
- Write the dryness. “I read this and felt nothing. I’m tired and distracted.” That’s an honest prayer, and it counts.
- Copy the passage word for word. Writing out the verses by hand is a full practice on its own.
- Ask one question. “What is one word here I don’t understand?” Write it down and leave it.
- Go smaller. Read one verse instead of six.
Some passages may confuse or upset you. You don’t have to resolve that in one sitting. Write the question down, date it, and come back later. Doubt and struggle have always been part of a life of faith, and the Psalms themselves are full of hard questions spoken out loud.
If you miss days, don’t try to catch up. Start with today’s date and today’s passage. If you’d like a ready-made starting point, browse our scripture journal prompts and pick one that fits where you are.
Three prompts to try
- Read Psalm 139:14 slowly and write about one way you find it hard to believe you’re “fearfully and wonderfully made.”
- Copy Psalm 23:2 by hand, then describe what your own “still waters” might look like this week.
- After reading Lamentations 3:22 to 23, what is one small mercy you can name from this morning?