Journaling Bibles I Love
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There are so many journaling bibles out there! Which one do you use?
I’ve been there. There is a lot to consider when you are choosing your very first journaling bible. And there are a ton of different ones to choose from out there on the market. One thing I would consider before your first purchase is what is your primary goal for your new journaling bible?
Is it solely for art and creative worship purposes?
Or will you be studying from it and writing notes as well?
Do you plan on taking it with you to bible study?
Or will you keep it primarily at home?
After four years of bible journaling, I tend to rotate between bibles that I own. And I have narrowed it down to these five! Each one has specific characteristics and traits that make it special to me. And depending on what you are looking for, any one of these could be your new favorite.
So let’s see which ones made my list, shall we?
Holy Bible Journal Edition NIV Version by Zondervan
Ahhhh. The very first journaling bible that I ever owned. As you can see, it’s been EXTREMELY well loved and well used. I purchased this one from Amazon long ago and it definitely has been a wonderful journaling companion. But since it’s getting pretty full with entries, I have since retired this one to my office shelf.
Details
NIV version
Hard, leather cover
2-inch, lined margins
Ribbon book mark
Thin bible pages
What I Love
Elastic to keep bible nice and closed
Portable
Minor Hang Up
Very difficult to find as it is an older edition
NIV Journal the Word Bible by Zondervan
Once I started noticing that my first bible was getting pretty full with entries, I immediately started searching for a new one. I actually found this beauty at my local Ollie’s store (if you have one near you, check them out since you can find journaling bibles at great prices). The cover is absolutely gorgeous and makes an amazing gift for someone who is just starting their journey in bible journaling. It definitely has been the perfect 2-inch margin replacement for my first bible.
Details
NIV version
Hard, cloth-like cover with stitching details
2-inch lined margins
Ribbon bookmark
Thin bible pages
Words of Christ in red font
What I Love
Portable & Inexpensive
Contains 6 lined pages in the back of the bible for notes.
Exclusive Zondervan NIV Comfort Print® typeface. Great for reading.
Minor Hang Up
Not much to complain about this one!
ESV Journaling Bible, Interleaved Edition (Autumn Song Edition) by Crossway
Okay, y’all. This bible here is the one that I currently use probably 90% of the time. I will always grab this one first when I am looking to illustrate a bible verse. And the reason being is that it has a FULL BLANK page for every page of text. I absolutely love all the extra room that I have to create my journaling entries. And even if you are not using your journaling bible to create art in, you can always use all this extra space to write prayers or notes in. It is the perfect bible to act as a family heirloom that you can pass down to your children or loved ones.
Details
ESV version
Hard cover
Double, column
Every page of text has a blank page across it
Ribbon bookmark
What I Love
All the extra room to create journaling entries
There is a “Through the bible in a year reading plan” in the back of your bible. Great for studying.
Minor Hang Ups
This particular edition is also hard to find
Because of all the extra pages, this bible is not quite portable
BONUS: ESV Journaling Bible, Interleaved Edition (Printed TruTone, Summer Garden Edition) by Crossway
Okay, so I am sneaking in another bible here! And the reason being is that I can’t tell you how much I love my interleaved bible and then tell you that you can barely find it without giving you a replacement, can I?
Details
ESV version
Soft cover & durable binding
Rounded, cream colored pages
Double column
Every page of text has a blank page across it
Ribbon bookmark
What I Love
All the extra room to create journaling entries
There is a “Through the bible in a year reading plan” in the back of your bible
Minor Hang Up
Bible is not very portable
Having trouble finding one? You can even check out Crossway’s newest interleaved bible here on their website.
NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible by Zondervan
This bible is a great one to consider if you like the idea of coloring in your bible, but don’t want to draw anything yourself. With pre-drawn illustrations sprinkled throughout, this bible takes the guess work out of bible journaling. There are days when I really don’t want to overthink my creative time and I just want to jump in and color. This is the bible I will grab to do just that! And it is also great that this one has plenty of lined, 2-inch margins that you can still create your own unique bible journaling entries in.
Details
NIV version
Soft, leather cover with beautiful flower illustrations
thicker pages for note taking
lined, 2.25-inch margins
pre-drawn, lined illustrations throughout bible
What I Love
great recommendation for those who don’t consider themselves an “artist”
slightly wider margins
bible lays flat on your desk
Minor Hang Ups
Pretty big in size (measures 8 x 10 inches) Not very portable.
With the pre-drawn illustrations, definitely not for someone who wants to create their own entries
Illustrating Bible by DaySpring
If you are looking for a bible that DEFINITELY was designed with the bible journaler in mind, then look no further. When I heard that DaySpring was making a bible with thicker pages and margins that were twice the normal size, I had to try it out for myself. And to be honest, if I am not grabbing my interleaved bible, then this is the one I turn to next.
Details
CBS version
gold, spiral bounding
soft leather-like cover
thicker pages
large margins (3.75 inch) with no lines
What I Love
The pages lay completely flat when I am creating my journaling entries
Minor Hang Ups
Pretty pricey
Very large, heavy, and bulky. So I choose to leave this one at home.
Because of the spiral binding, it is pretty difficult to turn the pages. You do have to be careful not to tear them.
So to recap, here are all the bibles that I shared with you today:
BONUS: ESV Journaling Bible, Interleaved Edition (Printed TruTone, Summer Garden Edition) by Crossway
I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Did I miss any? What bible do you love and use?
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