Using a journal is a primary way I connect with God as I read His Word. I consider it to be one of the best Bible reading tools available. If you’ve never used one, let me clarify, I’m not talking about a diary. While it’s not wrong to record the happenings of your day, I’m much more interested in you using a journal to connect with God and make sense of His Word. Here are a few ways to make the most of a journal.
1. Pray
I find it helpful to pray out loud or to write my prayers. When I try to pray silently, or “pray in my head,” I get distracted and usually end up thinking about something else. A journal helps keep my mind focused on the One I’m talking to. One of my favorite things to do after reading a section of the Bible is to pick up my journal and write to God. I share my questions, my concerns, what I loved about the passage, and how I need His help. It keeps me crossing the bridge of the Bible to the Person on the other side!
2. Grow in Self-awareness
It’s surprisingly difficult to be aware ofour internal life—our thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and patterns of behavior. A journal offers space to explore your internal life so you can connect with God from a place of honesty. The first step in this process is simply identifying and putting words to what’s going on in your mind and heart.
Here’s a personal example. Sometimes I have a general sense of anger, hurt, or anxiety but am unable to discern what the root of that emotion is. Using my journal, I list all the reasons I think I might be angry. Sometimes that practice alone is sufficient to help me figure out the problem. Other times I simply ask God for help: “Search me, God, and know my heart” (Ps. 139:23). Through writing out a prayer to God and giving myself space to be quiet, He usually brings clarity. I’m then able to respond as needed through repentance, offering forgiveness to others, asking for faith to trust God more, and so forth. Often, just writing out an untrue thought strips it of its power.
3. Digest Scripture
It’s far too easy to read the Bible and move on quickly without allowing it to take root in your heart. Journaling about what you read in Scripture is a great way to move beyond “tasting” the Scriptures and begin to “digest” them.
Ideas to help you digest Scripture:
- Copy verses that you don’t understand or ones that you want to think on more.
- Make a chart to compare or contrast different ideas you’re seeing in the text.
- Summarize a particular chapter or book of the Bible.
- List ways you need to live out what you’ve read that week.
- Keep a list of repeated ideas, themes, or statements as you read a book of the Bible.
4. Meditate on Scripture
To meditate is to think deeply or carefully about something, to consider it from a variety of angles. As I read the Bible, I often sense God wanting to massage a specific truth into my heart. Instead of ignoring God’s prompting and rushing quickly into my day, I take time to meditate on the Scripture. My journal becomes a place to mull over verses or sections of God’s Word, to look at them from different angles, or to think on them for extended periods of time. Sometimes this looks like me doodling a verse as I think about it. Other times it’s putting certain concepts into picture form. Sometimes I write the verse out several times or write it in different Bible translations. Anything to help me consider it for a period of time.
5. Remember What God Has Done
My journals hold records of the most significant days of my life—days when God’s presence was nearly tangible, significant life events, answered prayers, meaningful dreams I experienced. God commands us to remember all He has done and to give thanks for His work in our lives (Ps. 103:2; 143:5). A journal can help us do that. It gives us a way to remember how faithful He’s been in the past, especially when we’re facing new struggles and beginning to doubt.
6. Keep Track of Practical Things
I also use my journal for sermon notes, to-do lists, and prayer requests. Since most of my journal is directed to God in prayer, what better place to keep to-do lists? It reminds me to put God at the center of my whole day and ask for His help with my responsibilities. Also, my journal is a place to write down the list of undone random tasks that assault my mind during my time with God. That helps me not forget them and enables me to continue my conversation with God undistracted.
This is an excerpt from the See for Yourself Bible study by Kelly Needham.
The See for Yourself 10-session Bible study from Kelly Needham is a comprehensive resource that tackles both the practical and psychological obstacles facing today’s Bible readers. With instruction and interactive tools, you’ll be equipped to explore Scripture with confidence and see the Bible for what it truly is—a gateway to know the living God. This hands-on learning method is accessible for any level of Bible reader, no matter your knowledge or experience. Come and see for yourself!
