6 of The Best Bible Study Tools Every Christian Woman Should Have
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If you’re looking for inspiration on the best Bible study tools you can be using during your quiet time, you’ve come to the right place. Over the years, I’ve tried so many different things, and I’ve narrowed my favorites down to 6 of the best Bible study tools that I currently use.
The trick is not to make Bible study too complicated. Early on, I would try too many things all at once. I thought that by having all the fancy things that it would mean my Bible study time would be super enriched and my knowledge would grow exponentially based on the number of tools I was using. Spoiler alert, that’s not what happens. Instead of growing more, I was getting overwhelmed trying to do too many things.
Before we get into talking about the best Bible study tools that I use, I want to encourage you to keep it simple. The best Bible study tip I can give to you is to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you and speak to you as you read your Bible. Bible study tools are just that…tools. They cannot, and should not, replace the gifts of wisdom, enlightenment, and discernment that we receive directly from having a close relationship with the Lord.
Today, we’ll walk through 6 of the best Bible study tools that I use for diving deeper in the Word.
1. Get a Study Bible
The best Bible study tool I own is my very own Bible, itself. I have really loved my study Bible in the New Living Translation (NLT). NLT Bibles are thought-for-thought translations, which makes them the best Bible study tool for those who may have a difficult time understanding what the Bible is trying to say. Because it is a study Bible, it also includes commentary at the bottom of the pages. Commentary is a useful Bible study tool for helping to explain certain passages that might be confusing; giving insight on cultural practices at the time the text was written.
However, I do also recommend making it a habit to read a thought-for-thought translation Bible alongside a word-for-word translation Bible. It’s just as important to familiarize and challenge ourselves with the Bible’s original text as possible, and word-for-word translations are helpful for that exact reason.
Common Word-for-Word Bible Translations
- King James Version (KJV)
- New King James Version (NKJV)
- English Standard Version (ESV)
Common Thought-for-Thought Bible Translations
- New Living Translation (NLT)
- New International Version (NLT)
A study Bible is just my preferred way of reading the Bible. However, there are a lot of options out there for all types of readers. I’ve also recently come across some amazing journaling Bibles. Be careful with journaling Bibles, though. I’ve found that a lot them are not red letter Bibles (Jesus’ words are in red text instead of black). So if that is important to you, I suggest you do your research before purchasing. The one I linked above is a red letter, journaling Bible.
2. Download a Bible App
Because Bibles can be very expensive, I highly recommend that you invest in just one Bible at first. In order to supplement your reading, using a Bible study app like the YouVersion Bible App gives you access to many Bible translations in over 2,000 languages.
This Bible study tool allows you to highlight text and take notes. It even offers a wide range of devotionals that you can use as Bible study tools.
3. Invest in Commentary Books
Studying the Bible can feel overwhelming at times. That’s where commentary books come in. A good commentary is one of the best Bible study tools you can own. Even though my Bible has commentary of its own, a designated commentary book provides incredibly deep insight, explanations, Hebrew translations, and definitions that will absolutely take your Bible study time to the next level.
My husband and I have loved using the Dallas Theological Seminary commentary books. They have written one for both the Old Testament and New Testament.
7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
2 timothy 1:7 esv
4. Find Devotionals You Love
In my early years of getting serious about my Bible study and walk with the Lord, I heavily relied on devotionals to help guide me through focusing on specific topics. The Bible is a big book. It can be very intimidating. I often felt like I didn’t know where to start. So to help with that, I found that investing in devotionals helped give me some direction in the beginning.
The Daily Grace Company has been a long-time favorite resource for devotionals over the years. The company started out being strictly geared toward women. However, they have since begun to branch out into offering Bible study tools for women, men, and children.
As helpful as devotionals are, I would also encourage you to challenge yourself by studying the Bible on your own from time-to-time. Devotionals are wonderful and helpful tools for guiding us through scripture when we need a little help with direction and concentration. However, try not to discount the ability of the Holy Spirit to lead you in your own studies.
5. Pens and Highlighters
Now that you’re all set up with your Bible, commentary, and devotional, you’re going to want some great writing tools to go with them. Right? Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to writing tools, but I’ve found my absolute favorites and I want to share them with you.
The best non-bleeding highlighters that I have found are those made from wax. Yes, you heard me correctly. Wax highlighters. I’ve tried a couple different brands, but the ones I love the most are made by The Daily Grace Co. They don’t flake and leave chunks of wax behind (which is actually a problem with some brands). Wax highlighters also don’t bleed through your Bible’s pages. My study Bible has extremely thin and delicate pages. Finding writing tools that don’t bleed through is very difficult.
My favorite Bible study pens are just simple BIC gel pens that I get on Amazon. However, I have also come to enjoy these pastel pens for Bibles as well. They tend to bleed a little bit through the pages of my Bible. But because they are pastel colors, it’s not a big distraction.
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.
proverbs 31:25 esv
6. Color-Coordinated Ribbon
Hear me out first. I’m not totally crazy. I was recently noticing that the one ribbon my study Bible came with was just not enough. I was feeling like I needed to be able to turn to certain passages over and over again, and I wanted a quicker way of doing it. So I thought, “Why can’t I just add more ribbons?” So that’s what I did.
I tried researching on Amazon, but didn’t find exactly what I was needing. I ended up going to Walmart’s sewing section and grabbing some thin, black ribbon in various designs. I’m now thinking I want to get actual colors so I can use a color-coding system. But for now, I’m just using black ribbons with different designs on them to keep the place of some of my most visited verses in the Bible.
These are 6 of the best Bible study tools that I have found that work well for me as I deepen in my faith and walk with the Lord. These specific Bible study tools may not work perfectly for everyone, and that’s okay. I encourage you to find what works for you and keep it simple. Ultimately, our deepening understanding of who God is comes from God, himself. And the only way to know God more is to read, meditate, and fill your mind with the truths of his Word daily.
