The Value of Journaling through Scripture

High on a closet shelf and under the bed, there are boxes stuffed with journals. Hardback, soft cover, and spiral bound. Floral, plain, classical, and whimsical, the journals chronicle most of my life story. Though the outsides vary, the insides are basically the same: my handwritten attempts to express takeaways from time in God’s Word.

Journaling has been a “journey” for me. What started as a place to diary life when I was younger, at some point, became a place to process Scripture as a growing Christian. Entries contain Scripture passages, thoughts, prayers, poems, life issues, venting, etc.

My Journaling Process

I like to begin each day with quiet time, when I review memory verses and read a portion of Scripture. (Kudos to The One Year Bible reading plan.) Then, I choose the passage that stood out to me the most and write it at the top of a fresh journal page. I write out thoughts and feelings the passage evokes. Sometimes I analyze important words, or I might connect the passage to other places in Scripture that relate to the topic. There is no set of rules. The journal pages are a safe place to freely express myself, either for my own processing or as a prayer to the Lord. Oftentimes, it’s easier for me to express emotions through a pen on paper, rather than speaking them.

Prayers

Toward the end of the entry, I like to write out a prayer that relates to the Scripture passage. My individual entries don’t always tie up with a neat pretty bow. Sometimes there are questions left unanswered. Concepts to process. But usually, there is peace where there had been unrest. There is perspective on the day or the issue, and affirmation that God is in control.

Poems

Sometimes a poem emerges that relates that day’s Scripture to my life. The poems are where God’s Words meet real life and explode into an honest reaction. Or, the poem might be an expression of worship or praise, expressing fresh awareness of the character of God.

The Word Speaks to Me

I am amazed how often a Scripture passage speaks to an issue I’m working through, especially when I have asked for help with that particular dilemma. The Lord will show me a new way to look at a problem. He will lift the weight of the issue. Time and time again, His Word has cut through the murky mire of my thinking and freed me by revealing truth. 

We read in Hebrews 4:12, “ For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (ESV). 

Journaling gives a place to record these truths as a reminder of God’s handiwork in my life.

No Judgment

I want my journal time to be focused on God and His Word. Other than that, I write with a lot of freedom. There is not a certain way the entry has to look. Someone with an artistic bent might draw pictures illustrating a lesson from the passage. My journal is for personal growth and a place to process Scripture, not a showpiece for the world.

Benefits of Journaling

Journaling helps me make sense of life’s complications. It gives me a place to lay Scripture over real life. Journaling keeps me focused on God and His Word, bringing His perspective to what I’m going through.

Deuteronomy 4:9 says, “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children” (ESV).

Journaling gives me a reference place to go back to, to see where I’ve grown and how God has worked. It provides a treasure trove of His-story in my life. This written record also keeps me humble by revealing those lifelong hangups that don’t easily go away.

Journal entries can become a greenhouse of seedlings for other writing projects. The ideas for posts on my personal blog, Beside Quiet Waters, as well as some of the prayers in The Prayer Book, began in my handwritten journals.

When You Don’t Love to Write

I love to write, so I don’t know what journaling would look like for someone who doesn’t love writing. Maybe the sentences would be fewer and prayers spoken, rather than written. I do think that for everyone, there can be value in writing out Scripture passages and writing a few sentences about them. Maybe that will be as far as it goes, but maybe, just maybe, the words will begin to flow and a few sentences will become paragraphs that morph to fill a page . . . or more.

It’s worth a try. Go ahead. Write out a Scripture passage, write your thoughts, and connect to God by writing out a prayer that relates to the passage. You. Can. Journal.

Patty Perkins is the Discipleship Coordinator for Humble Faith Ministries and the author of Prayer: Inviting the Lord Into Everyday Life. She enjoys long walks with her husband and gathering friends and family around her kitchen table. She and her husband love living back home in Kentucky and are grateful for their growing family. They have two grown sons who are married and two grandchildren they adore.