Choosing a Bible for journaling can be daunting when there are so many note-taking Bibles available. Today, I will show you how to narrow down the choices so you will find a Bible that you love for journaling.
You Don’t Need a Special Journaling Bible
If you cannot afford a special Bible for journaling right now, I am here to say, you don’t need to buy one!
The first time I drew in a Bible, it was a regular Bible without the wider margins.
I have a friend who bought a used Bible at a thrift store to start her journaling journey.
It might be daunting to start in a Bible you purchased especially for journaling.
It scared me to draw in a Bible at first. What if I messed up?!
You might want to use a spiral sketchbook for your Bible journaling.
Choosing a Translation
This is not a discussion on which Bible translation is the correct or best one. I’ll leave that for theology experts.
There are a few things you might want to consider before going over to Amazon or a Bible bookstore to see what options are available.
There a gazzilion translations!
Choosing a translation doesn’t have to be difficult if you stick with the one that your church uses or your family loves best.
Here are some helpful tips if you still don’t know which translation to choose.
- Ask the Lord to guide you as you seek to study His Word.
- Ask your pastor. Not all versions are available in notetaking Bibles and your pastor can guide you.
- Compare versions online. Looking at the same verse in a couple different translations will help you know which one best fits you.
- Compare versions in art journaling Bibles. Different art journaling Bibles have varying layouts. One may have wider margins than another and that might help you choose.
Choosing a Bible for Journaling
The advantage of choosing a Bible specifically for journaling (or notetaking) is that the margins are larger. The largest margin is on the outside which makes it easy to draw and decorate to reflect the verse you are highlighting.
At first, I wondered how I could fit everything into such a narrow space. As I started to draw in my Bible, I realized that the space was adequate.
The versions that are most popular for Bible journalers are:
- New International Version (NIV)
- New Living Translation (NLT)
- King James Version (KJV)
- New King James Version (NKJV)
- English Standard Version (ESV)
Notetaking or Journaling Bibles
The good thing about journaling Bibles is that they have more space for drawing than in your traditional Bible. My Bible has a 2-inch (5 cm) margin with lines that make it easier to measure or ‘eye’ my design.
The lines are faint yet helpful for lining things up with a consistent height.
These Bibles come available in single or double columns per page just like most traditional Bibles. I love the single column best but that wasn’t available in my favorite translation.
Creative Journaling Bibles
These Bibles are just like all the other journaling Bibles except for one thing. They are a little like a coloring book where some of the pages are already outlined with a drawing.
This means that all you would have to do is color that page.
This wouldn’t work if you are a creative and wanted to do all your own drawings.
It would work if you are new to drawing and lack creative ideas. There are plenty of blank pages to express your worship.
The New Interleaved Bibles
I never heard of these before but this might be just the thing you are looking for!
There is a blank page inserted between each page of the Bible to give room for your artwork.
You would never have to worry about coloring over the words on the page. I have seen people paint over the words and this is just not my style!
Examples of Journaling Bibles
There are so many more journaling Bibles to choose from than when I bought mine just a year or so ago.
There is no way that I can give you a fair representation of all that is out there. What I will do is just give you a few to look at and you can go from there.
The Personal Reflections KJV Bible
This one is gorgeous! I love that it is in turquise!
My Creative Bible KJV: for Creative Journaling
Here is another one! Keep in mind that although this is in the KJV, this should come other versions.
HCSB Illustrator’s Notetaking Bible
I love the Holman translation for its clarity and ease for understanding. It isn’t one of the translations that is mentioned above but one I own and refer to often.
This Bible comes with illustrations already outlined on each page. This is great if you want to color but do not consider yourself artistic enough to draw your own designs.
My HCSB comes with no pre-made drawings. If you want this Bible with blank margins go HERE.
The Promises of God Creative Journaling Bible
This is a wonderful Bible that has a combination of illustrated drawings for you to color and blank pages for you to design yourself.
I love that it gives you a start to boost your confidence while leaving you space to start illustrating on your own.
This Bible is the Modern English Version (MEV) and is the most inexpensive Bible making it very affordable to get started.
Wrapping it Up
Bible journaling is an exciting way to reflect over how God has spoken to you. For me, it is a way to worship God through coloring.
Are you a Bible journaler? What draws (pun intended) you to journaling art? What is your favorite journaling Bible?