10-Minute Journaling Ideas

By now most of you are familiar with my journaling journey, and if not, you can read about it HERE. 

Honestly, it’s not important. No matter how I arrived here, I can now truly say that, “I love journaling. Journaling is my favorite.…”

The Benefits of Journaling

The benefits of journaling as a spiritual practice are many. For starters, journaling helps to make thoughts and prayers more concrete.  It helps provide focus.  It also serves as a spiritual record of God’s working in one’s life.

And did you know that the discipline of journaling when incorporated with other spiritual disciplines increases their benefit to the soul? 

Think about it for a moment. We know that Bible reading is important and that it is “good” for us. But when we journal our Bible reading the benefits are multiplied. And the same holds true for journaling our prayers and our thanksgiving and our times of solitude.

Best of all, journaling helps to draw me to God and bring me into daily conversation with Him.

The Snag

Yes, journaling is a soul-nourishing tool.

Of that I am convinced, and, honestly, I could spend hour upon hour with my journal, if…

• the laundry wasn’t waiting for me.
• dinner didn’t need to be cooked.
• groceries appeared without need for shopping.
• my toddler-aged grandson could take care of himself.

Truth is, we all have relationships that need tending, chores that need doing, and errands that need to be run.

The question is: How do we journal (nourishing our soul and reaping the benefits) when schedules are full and time is in short supply?

We adjust – our process and our expectations.

10-Minute Journaling Ideas

Bullet Journal

Record key thoughts from your Bible reading, prayer time, or other spiritual practice in bullet form using single words or brief phrases.

Draw/Doodle

In your journal, draw or doodle the main points from your Bible reading.

Micro Bible Journaling

As you read your daily Bible passage, respond to God’s Word in the margins of your Bible.  Use words, drawings, or symbols to record your reflections, applications, prayers, and other thoughts. All you need is your Bible, something to write with, and a few minutes to respond to what you have read.

One Sentence

Whatever it is: Bible reading, prayer, thanksgiving, self-reflection, write it out in one sentence. Read your Scripture passage for the day and summarize it or reflect on it in one sentence. Likewise, record your prayer or thanks – in one sentence.

Question It

After reading a passage of Scripture, answer the 5 W’s and an H (Who? What? When? Where? Why? And How?)

Or if you prefer, answer one of these questions:

• What does this passage reveal to me about the character of God?
• How should this change the way I live?
• What is God calling me to do?

Alternately, write out any questions you have about the passage or for God.

Reword It

• Rewrite the passage in your own words.
• Using your own words restate the passage for sharing with a child or a new believer in Christ.
• Outline the main points of your Scripture passage.

Scripture Writing

Many are coming to understand the benefits of writing out the Scripture by hand, including the practice in their Bible studies and other works.  It is an excellent way to focus and think on the Bible text. As well, it’s an excellent tool for Scripture meditation and memorization. On days when you don’t have the time to write out lengthy passages, choose instead to write out a single verse. Write it on a notecard and carry it with you for the day or jot it in your daily planner.

Bonus: If you want something “pretty,” add flowers, hearts, or any doodles you like to your hand-written verse.

Title It

Read a passage of Scripture and give it a title. Feeling creative? Try giving your time of prayer a title or titling your gratitude list.

Verse Map

Verse Mapping is one of my favorite Scripture study tools. If you are not familiar with it, you can do a quick Google or Pinterest search or read more in my blog post, Verse Mapping: Luke 12:32. Only have 10-15 minutes, shorten the length of the passage you are working with to a single verse or two. Another option is to stretch your “mapping” out over several days. Only do the mapping you can fit into your available time. (For example, Day 1 – Substitute your name for all pronouns. Then on Day 2 – highlight words that jump out at you. Continue, adding a step or two each day until you have completed your verse map.)

Word Study

Write out a single verse of Scripture and do a word study. Yes, you can pull up the Bible Tools and search out the Hebrew and Greek meanings, but that’s not necessary. A good old English dictionary will shed much light on a verse of Scripture. Simply look up words, even if you think you know them, and record their meanings on your page.

The Key

No matter the process you choose, the key to incorporating the practice of journaling into your other disciplines is to shorten the length of the passage you are working with and/or the amount of journaling you do each day.

These simple journaling ideas and many more can be found in Journaling for the Soul. This book includes a wide range of different journaling methods to suit a variety of personalities and/or seasons of life. Topics include: gratitude, simplicity, vision boards, timelines, journaling for friends, fears, self-reflection, attributes of God, names of Christ.