Scripture Journal Recommendations
Recommendation by Ashley Davis
Are you a notetaker or a journal junkie? Do you enjoy taking notes in your Bible, or are you a student that enjoys taking a deep dive into a specific book of the Bible? If your answer is “yes,” you’d love a set of scripture journals or a Bible designed specifically for extensive notetaking. We’ve got four recommendations for that very thing today!
As we mentioned in the introduction, there are a variety of ways you could use a scripture journal. The sets we’re going to recommend today are designed with the Bible’s text printed on the left side of the page and the right side of the page being left blank for notetaking. Each book of the Bible has its own mini-book; these scripture journals are not the whole Bible bound together (that’s coming in recommendations 3 & 4!) The two recommendations we have for scripture journals would pair perfectly with one of our Ladies on Track Bible studies that focuses on a specific book of the Bible. We’ve got James, Exodus, Acts, Titus & 1 John, Luke, Acts, and Job! They’d be the perfect place to keep all your LOT notes and thoughts.
Our first recommendation is the ESV Illuminated Scripture Journal that is published by Crossway. I started to describe them in my own words, but Amazon just flat outdid me! Here’s the basic description: “ESV Illuminated Scripture Journals pair the entirety of individual books of the New Testament with a lightly dotted blank page opposite each page of Bible text, providing space to creatively engage with and reflect on the Word of God. Hand-lettered, gold-ink illustrations by renowned artist Dana Tanamachi are interspersed throughout the blank pages, inviting readers to add their own artwork or reflections to each page. These thin, portable notebooks have unique gold-foil stamped covers and are great for art journaling, personal Bible reading and prayer, small-group Bible study, or taking notes through a sermon series.” This set is also available in an Old Testament set, in individual books of the Bible, and in all black covers.
Our second recommendation, also from Crossway, has much the same design as the first, but the aesthetic of this set is totally different. The ESV Scriptural Journals are designed by artist Ruth Chou Simons, and they are truly beautiful! The designs are inspiring and there’s no way around the fact that we girls love to use pretty things!! So if you’re into a feminine, floral design, this set of scriptures journals would be right up your alley. One difference to note is that the pages for writing in this version of the scripture journals are lightly lined. In the Illuminated version, they are lightly dotted.
Our third recommendation transitions us into the world of Bible Journaling specifically. Dayspring’s Illustrating Bible is a large (and I mean huge) spiral bound Bible with a beautiful leather cover, giant margins, and a handy spiral binding. While it is available on Amazon, it looks like it’s on sale right now on the Dayspring website! They have this Bible available in a couple different versions, colors, and translations. I believe you can find it in NIV, with pink or white covers, and in some other sections of the Bible like the Gospels, Psalms & Proverbs, and more! From a more personal perspective, I would recommend using an inexpensive CSB version of the Bible for a while before committing to the price tag of this Bible. I used a CSB Bible daily for nearly a year and never truly grew to it enjoy the translation as much as I prefer ESV. That being said, I have several friends that love it and use it daily! Give it a try!
Our final recommendation is for Crossway’s for ESV Interleaved Journaling Bible. Interleaved Bibles are the ultimate Bibles for the notetakers because they have the full text of scripture in one binding along with blank pages for notetaking. This Bible is the notetaker’s dream! It’s also the most gender-neutral color scheme of our recommendations.
It likely goes without saying, but these Bibles are all on the pricey side! If you consider that you’re paying for the cost of a quality Bible along with the price of a quality notebook/journal, it may be a more feasible purchase. While you certainly don’t have to have one of these scripture journals to be successful in your walk with God, any Bible, resource, or tool that increases your commitment and time with God is worth the cost – as long as you use it!! One of these would certainly make an awesome gift for the Bible/journaling junkie in your life.
