What is Life Journaling?

Watch this video to see Scot Longyear explain the basics of what Life Journaling is, and how it can transform your life as a Christian.

How to Life Journal

Watch this step by step video on how to do Life Journaling on your computer, or skip down to read about it instead.

First, hit up the official Life Journal reading plan for today by clicking here (thanks New Hope). This site is based out of Hawaii so the reading plan doesn’t change each day until 6am Eastern time.

Read through today’s scripture, taking the time for your eyes and mind to catch verses that stand out to you.

If you’re new to Life Journaling and find the daily reading plan a bit overwhelming, just stick with the New Testament reading for that day. If that’s still too much, just read a paragraph or two (or at least until you find a verse that really sticks out to you).

Once done reading, pick the verse you want to journal on for today.

Next, you’re going to need somewhere to keep your journal entries. You can use any blank journal and a pen, but we also have Life Journals available for you in the MCC Scroll Shop bookstore if you’d like.

If you’d rather use a computer to do your reading and journaling on, then YouVersion.com is a GREAT resource. Once you set up a basic profile you can select to do the Life Journal reading plan. YouVersion makes it easy to track where you’re at in the plan, and also add journal entries while reading from a number of Bible translations. It is a super online Bible tool that is also available on most smart phones.

If you’d rather read from your traditional Bible while still journaling on a computer, your best bet is to use Evernote. It’s free and available for both Mac and Windows. Evernote indexes your entries in real time so it’s fast and easy to search and find information from your previous entries. Copy the verse or verses you want to journal around today and paste them into Evernote.

Now, taking the verse that stood out to you, use the SOAP method. Below is the official description for Life Journaling in a paper journal using the SOAP method but the directions easily translate to journaling on your computer. You may notice some of the instructions below duplicate some of what I’ve written above but it’s still good to get exposure to the process.

S for Scripture
Open your Bible to the reading found under today’s date of your Bible bookmark. Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. Highlight, underline or place a mark in the margin of your Bible, next to the scriptures that stand out. When you are done, reread the verses you marked, look for one that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in your journal.Helpful hint: If you are having difficulty understanding what you’ve read, you may find a study Bible useful.

O for Observation
What did the scripture mean to the original audience? Rewrite this scripture in your own words.

A for Application
Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.

P for Prayer
This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Now, write it out.

As you become more familiar with the process, don’t be afraid to move away from the SOAP method if you find alternatives work for you. This is simply a method to use if you don’t already have one.

That’s it! That’s all there is to it, so get started and let the Word of God begin to transform your life into what he has created it to be.