I get a lot of customers who have purchased one of my devotional coloring books, creative Bible studies, or coloring prayer journals, asking me what are the best pens to use when writing in my books. As a woman who loves Bible journaling and conversing with God in a prayer journal, I know firsthand how important it is to have the right tools for the task. When it comes to journaling in your Bible or prayer journal, the pen you choose can make a big difference. Not only do you want something that writes smoothly and won’t smudge or bleed through the pages, but you also want a pen that inspires you to get creative and express your thoughts and feelings in a meaningful way. In this post, I’m going to share with you some of my favorite pens for journaling in a Bible or prayer journal, so you can find the perfect one for your own spiritual journey.

PaperMate InkJoy gel pens in a rainbow of colors

These are my go-to pens for everything from writing a quick note, to journaling in my Bible and in my prayer journal. I love how smoothly they write. They do not bleed. And they come in lots of different colors. And you know that I LOVE to add lots of color to whatever I do.

(photo above pictures my Lamb of God Bible Study Scripture Writing Journal)

In my prayer journals, I like to use one color for the words I am praying to God, and a different color to write down his response to me, so these pens work great for that.

Go HERE to buy them on Amazon.

Glitter Gel Pens

I remember using Sakura Gelly Roll pens as a teenager to write letters to my friends. They were really cool because they write on black paper and they are so bright and sparkly.

They are more expensive than other glitter gel pens, but when you write with them you can understand why. They glide over your paper like butter, without having to push down hard. And the colors are so rich and glittery!

Here’s why I like using Sakura Gelly Roll pens

• They flow so smoothly, and do not show stroke marks
• No smears, feathers, or bleed-through on most papers
• The colors are so bright and sparkly
• Did I mention how smoothly they glide over your paper?
• Great for adding “pops” of color, or for writing your entire entry

You can see in the pic below how the gold is a very beautiful, metallic, shiny gold.

Other Brands of Glitter Gel Pens

There are lots of different brands of glitter gel pens that you can find on Amazon or craft stores. I like using them too because you can get a wider variety of colors, and because they can be less expensive than Gelly Rolls. But they still work well in my journaling Bible and don’t bleed through the page.

(page from my Delight in the Word of God, Vol.1 Devotional Coloring Book for Adults)

Tombow Dual Brush Pens

(page in my Inspire Praise NLT Journaling Bible)

Like the name suggests, these pens have two tips. One end has a fine tip, which is great for just regular writing, and the other end is a brush tip, so you can create “fancy” lettering. In the photo above, I used the brush tip to write “Delight” and the fine tip to write the rest of the words. (The word “flourish” is a sticker.)

I like to use Tombow dual brush pens for journaling cards and tip-ins, and in my sketchbook that I use for a prayer journal, but you need to test these before you use them in your Bible or on thin paper, because they might bleed through the page.

I love that these pens also come in a wide variety of colors and packs, including bright, pastel, bohemian, celebration, and more. Check them out HERE.

Black Pens for Bible Journaling

For doing lettering with black pens, there are several different brands that I like:

• Staedtler pigment liners (I really like the clear case these come in!)
• Faber-Castell pitt artist pens
• Micron pens (I like to get a pack of assorted tip sizes)

These are all like felt tip pens and come in a variety of tip shapes, sizes and thicknesses. They all work well for Bible journaling, lettering and for writing in your prayer journal.

Some of these also work for coloring illustrations in my coloring books and prayer journals, but I actually have a separate list of my Favorite Coloring Supplies for Adult Coloring Books​.

So there you have it. These are my favorites. I encourage you to try different pens and make up your own mind as to which are the best pens for journaling in a Bible or a prayer journal, like my coloring prayer journals and Bible study books. What are your favorites? Let me know in the comments.