Adding Calligraphy to Your Devotion Time

What draws you to art? Is it the colors? the images? Have you ever been drawn to a work of art because of the words—not just the meaning of them, but how prettily the words are written?

There is a big calligraphy craze happening in the journaling community these days.  People are putting such care and thought are into writing something as little as just one word on a page. Imagine all the time that is put into making art out of one sentence.

Sometimes devotions can be difficult to connect to. There can be a benefit to writing down a word or a phrase about a devotion that stands out to you when you read it. It may lead you to reflect more fully on the word or phrase you have chosen and its meaning, connect more with the Word of God, and interpret how Scripture or the devotion applies to your life.

Pick out a favorite verse, one that stands out to you. Whether you go through a daily devotional like Portals of Prayer or whether you are reading right out of the Bible, write down what jumps out at you in that verse so when you see it again, you can think back on it. When you make a point of writing something down, you have more time to reflect on what that sentence or word means.

Calligraphy, time consuming as it may be, is beautiful to look at. Whether it is block letters or elegant script, it draws the eye. What is just as important as the letters are the words and their meanings, so take the time to meditate on the Word as you make art of Scripture. It will enable the meaning of the verses to stick with you in a lasting way.

Writing something down in a beautiful font makes it much more fun; however, calligraphy can seem intimidating. There are assumptions that you need to have a steady hand or amazing precision to make it look perfect. Other assumptions may be that you need to have the most high-end pens or pencils to make it look pleasing, which often means more expensive supplies. That’s not the case. If you are thinking about trying calligraphy, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Having an idea of what styles you want to try (block, cursive, bubble letters) is a good first step. When in doubt, look for inspiration. Pinterest is a great resource; make a board on Pinterest that you can always turn to when you are struggling. Finding some easy tutorials on YouTube will help you practice and become more confident in your skills too. 
• Don’t stress out over whether each letter you create is perfect. It is the message that means the most. Taking the Word of the Lord to heart and letting it resonate with you through what you write matters more than flawless lettering. 
• Revisit what you’ve made and add new thoughts and ideas as they come to you. Let your devotional art be a living thing—let it color your world!

Download the free Portals of Prayer Calendar for September to December and write down a phrase related to one of the devotions that resonates with you.

Be sure to tag @portalsofprayer in any Instagram photos of your word study!