Learning to pray is something most of us take little time for. I want to open your heart up to the idea of praying when you are Bible journaling by creatively expressing Scripture to God.

How easy is it to just draw or paint onto the page of your journaling Bible without giving a thought to the words you have selected to feature?

I’ve done that more than once!

What I want to share is about how you can create an atmosphere that invites God into your experience of journaling.

 

Creating a God-Atmosphere

 

• Draw near to God through your artwork.
• Create a God-Atmosphere.
• Creatively express Scripture to God.
• Learning to pray the verse to God.
• Worship as you draw and create.
• Turn on some music or devotional speaker.

Draw Near to God Through Your Artwork

 

 

I have been doing Bible journaling art for about a year now. The more I draw and learn techniques, the more I realize how little I know.

Drawing in your Bible is not just a coloring exercise. There are plenty of Crayola and relaxation coloring books on the market if you only want to color.

Sometimes they have their place and I will mindlessly color a design as I watch something wholesome on You Tube.

I love lettering too and that can be done purely for relaxation or used for developing journaling art techniques.

But if all this is only for relaxation or expressing techniques, we have lost sight of the purpose of Bible journaling art and what it can do spiritually as we draw near to God.

That being said, I hope that what I share will give you ideas on how you can learn to pray as you express yourself creatively to God.

 

Create a God-Atmosphere

 

The days that I create artistically in my journaling Bible, I first read my Bible and then move on to creating in the margin in God’s Word.

I have the tendency to feel that I am ‘done’ with my Quiet Time as I transition into drawing.

I have caught myself answering a chat on messenger or turning on a You Tube video that has nothing to do with worshiping the Lord.

I have even colored mindlessly without thinking about the words on the page. I am thinking more about keeping my Micron ink pen steady and coloring in the lines.

Just being real here!

I have been intentionally learning to create a God-Atmosphere in which I can worship and learn to pray and express Scripture to Jesus.

• This is a good time to charge my phone in another room.
• Tea or coffee so long as it doesn’t spill on my Bible.
• Turn on some soft praise and worship songs.
• Meditate on the verse or phrase as you draw.

Doing all these things will give you a good start in creating a God-Atmosphere while you are drawing (or painting or adding washi-tape.)

 

Creatively Express Scripture to God

 

Let’s get creative as we learn to journal to God!

I am not an artist. Maybe I am becoming one or maybe just through drawing and coloring, I am an artist even though I am an amateur.

You don’t have to be a talented artist in order to start journaling art.

You just have to be YOU and have a desire to express yourself in worship to God.

There are some ways that I am developing the few skills that I have. I get ideas by searching around for them.

• Pinterest is great. Just enter ‘Bible journaling art’ or ‘Bible doodling’ in the search bar on Pinterest.
• Collecting a few books on lettering or journaling art helps to get my creative juices flowing. You can always put a Bible verse into the design instead of the inspirational quote.
• Search for journaling art websites and blogs.
• Join a journaling art Facebook group like Jesus Journaling!!

In developing ideas on how to put together the lettering aspect of journaling art, think deeply about the verse you are illustrating and meditate on it.

Eventually, you will start to put all that you are learning into your own creative ideas.

 

Learning to pray the verse to God

 

Watch this movie on Prime about Jim Elliot who was murdered as a missionary!

I am learning to pray. I need to pray more.

Bible journaling art gives me the opportunity to pray while keeping my hands busy.

There is a kinetic connection to your mind as you draw and I would dare to say there is one with your heart too!

In learning to pray the Scriptures, we learn to pray.

There are many examples of prayer given in the Bible through Jesus, Paul, and simply praying a phrase, verse, or passage.

Since I don’t feel I know how to pray too well, praying the Scriptures as I draw helps to give me the words that I lack.

As you draw the phrase, you might think of a person or situation and apply that verse as you pray for that individual.

 

Worship as You Draw and Create

 

Learning to worship is a softening of the heart as we turn our heart to the Lord.

 

• Confess any sin in your heart and life as you start drawing.
• Praise the Lord for 3 to 10 things as you begin.
• Meditate and repeat the verse/phrase as you draw.
• Memorize the verse the phrase is from.
• Pray for your spouse and children while you draw.
• Worship God for His mighty power in answering prayer.

 

I am learning to pray. I like to think of how I am in the ‘school of prayer’ by asking God, “Teach me to pray!”

 

Turn on Some Music or Devotional Speaker

 

Remember that Bible journaling is still part of your Quiet Time. Even if you don’t have time to draw and create until the kiddos are in bed at night.

What really has helped me to create the God-Atmosphere as I am learning to draw closer to the Lord is through music.

Over and over in the book of Psalms, we are reminded to sing.

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy. Psalm 33:1-3

Creating an atmosphere of worship through songs will help you as you learn to pray as you creatively express Scripture to God.

 

Let me know how praying through Bible journaling has encouraged your heart today! Read more . . .

 

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