Forgiveness Journaling Ideas to Heal Your Heart and Find Peace
Plus 5 forgiveness verses to use in your journal
Forgiveness has never been something I just “snap into.” I used to think I should be able to move on quickly if I prayed hard enough, but that’s not how the heart works. Hurt settles in deep places. It shows up in ways we don’t expect. And honestly, forgiveness often feels impossible until I slow down long enough to let God into the real story.
I have a free print out download for you at the bottom of this blog post! Be sure to grab it and use it in your forgiveness journaling.
That’s why journaling has become one of the most healing practices in my faith life. It gives me a place to tell the truth about what I’m feeling, to sit with Scripture a little longer, and to let God work gently on the parts of my heart I’d rather ignore. And because I never want to pretend I do things I don’t, this is a mix of what I personally do and what research shows can help us process pain and move toward peace.
One thing that consistently softens my heart is remembering that most people are doing the best they can with what they know or have lived. Their choices may still hurt, but seeing them through God’s lens instead of my own wounded one shifts everything. I’ve also learned not to wait for an apology that may never come. Your healing is between you and God. Restoring the relationship may or may not happen, and you can still move forward with peace either way.
Honestly, I am constantly floored by the ideas, thoughts and comfort spending focused time with God in art journaling can bring to any subject, including forgiveness. The pages I share in this post may not look like much to you, but to me they hold so many details, reminders, thoughts, things worked out and personal notes. It’s truly cathartic. I encourage you to give it a try, it’s such a private and personal way to process – just you and God!
Here are some forgiveness journaling ideas that may help you take small steps toward healing and forgiveness. If a blank page intimidates you, just start with a single color or just start slapping scraps down on the page. Just start. The thoughts, feelings and next steps will come.
1. Start with honesty—not resolution
One of the most healing things you can write is simply,
“I’m not ready to forgive yet, but I want to want to.”
God works beautifully with that kind of honesty.
Many of my pages have smeared ink or paint from teardrops.
2. Try questions that unlock clarity, not guilt
Instead of “Why can’t I forgive?” try:
• “What part of this hurt is still tender?”
• “What do I wish they understood?”
• “What do I need God to heal in me today?”
These questions help you understand your heart so God can tend to it.
3. Visualize the burden leaving your hands
Draw the thing you’re holding.
Name it.
Then sketch yourself placing it in God’s hands.
It sounds simple, but symbolic actions can shift your heart in big ways. Sometimes the act of just writing it out and “pouring” it all out creates more release than you could imagine.
4. Write a “practice forgiveness,” not a final one
Try writing:
“God, help me move one inch closer to forgiveness today.”
Forgiveness happens in inches more often than leaps.
5. Rewrite a verse in your own words
Take one of the Scriptures above and translate it into your everyday language. This helps the message sink deeper into your lived experience. Add your name into the scripture, really put yourself in it.
6. Journal a prayer for your own peace
Not for reconciliation.
Not for resolution.
Just for peace.
“God, steady my heart today. Show me the next small step toward healing.”
7. Create a timeline of tiny wins
Forgiveness isn’t a finish line—it’s a series of shifts.
• A day you didn’t rehearse the hurt
• A moment you felt compassion
• A thought that felt lighter
Write them down. Let God show you how far you’ve come.
8. Give yourself the same grace God gives you
You’re not weak for struggling to forgive. You’re human.
Forgiveness is a gift God grows in you, not a test you pass.
As you try these practices, remember that forgiveness is not about minimizing the pain or pretending nothing happened. It’s about freeing your heart from carrying a weight you were never meant to hold alone.
Here are some Scriptures that continue to guide me when I’m working through forgiveness:
If these scriptures don’t speak to you, try a word search on forgive, forgiveness, forgiven, etc. and see what turns up!
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as God forgave you in Christ.
Proverbs 17:9
Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.
Luke 17:3-4
If another believer sins and repents, forgive them… even seven times in a day.
Colossians 3:13
Make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you.
Matthew 6:14-15
If you forgive others, your Father will forgive you. If you refuse, your Father will not forgive your sins.
You don’t have to rush the process. You don’t have to feel ready. You just have to show up, one honest page at a time. Even the smallest step toward forgiveness is still movement toward peace, healing, and a softer, more open heart—a heart God can fill with grace and freedom.
