The Best Bible Study Tools
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When it comes to studying the Bible, I firmly believe all you need is a Bible and the Holy Spirit. So even if you walk away from this post without any of the items mentioned, but you have those two things, know that you are set.
There are, however, some additional tools that may also benefit you as you study. From Bibles, pens, and highlighters to journals and accessories, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite Bible study tools to keep your time in the Word both organized and meaningful.
Bibles
Before you study the Word, it is important to consider what version of the Bible to read from. There are over 100 translations of the Bible in existence today, and that’s just in English!
But there is a reason for all the different versions and no two are created equal. For help choosing a version, check out my post How to Choose a Bible Translation to understand the different types of translations and when to use them.
Once you’ve decided on a Bible translation, I highly recommend a Bible with wide margins for note-taking. These are commonly referred to as Journaling Bibles or Journal-the-Word Bibles.
A couple of my favorites include the English Standard Version (ESV) and the New International Version (NIV). I do also love the Amplified (AMP) version, but from my knowledge, they don’t offer it as a journaling Bible.
ESV Single Column Journaling Bible (Black)
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Pens & Highlighters
I typically don’t get too fancy or particular with my pens and highlighters, so long as they don’t bleed through the Bible’s thin pages, I’m pretty easy to please.
Note-Taking
For note-taking, I have one pen I have been hanging onto for a while that I really like, but I bought it when I was living in Thailand and they aren’t available on Amazon. I have heard some good things about the Mr. Pen brand for Bible journaling, but since I haven’t tried them myself, I’m not going to link it here. Whatever you choose, I would just make sure it doesn’t bleed or smudge easily and suggest testing it on a piece of paper before using it in your Bible.
hand-lettering
For hand-lettering, I may be a little pickier about my pens. My favorite calligraphy pen by far is the Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen. They offer soft and hard tip pens, but if you only plan to use them in your Bible, make sure you get the hard tip pens as the soft ones will bleed through your pages.
Depending on just how thin your Bible pages are, this could show a touch on the next page, but for me, it hasn’t been to the point where it makes anything difficult to read. Just be sure to apply light pressure (even on your more firm downstrokes) and you should be good to go!
Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen, Hard Tip
Another great option if you want to create beautiful hand-lettering but don’t necessarily know how or don’t want to risk a bleed when applying more pressure on downstrokes is the Sakura Pigma Micron 05. These have a fine tip which doesn’t allow for creating those heavier downstrokes unless you take the time to make them thicker by going back over them, but they do not bleed and are so fine that you can create a lot of detail in your drawings.
Sakura Pigma Micron Ink Pen Set Assorted Colors, 6CT
Highlighters
For highlighting, I use good ole Sharpie highlighters. I had already been using these in my Bible, and since I color code my notes, I didn’t want to switch. But I think once I start a new Bible, I may try out a nice pastel set for a nice aesthetic.
Sharpie Highlighters, Chisel Tip, Assorted, 12 Count
SHARPIE S-Note Creative Markers, Highlighters, Assorted Colors, Chisel Tip, 12 Count
Journals
I’m a sucker for a good leather (or at least leather-looking) journal, but I admit my style is pretty minimalistic, so I prefer solids over a design.
Moonster Leather Journal Lined Notebook Paper
If you are into bullet journaling, but go through journals quickly, this dotted grid two-pack may suit you better:
RETTACY Dotted Bullet Grid Journal 2 Pack
This list certainly isn’t comprehensive but contains a few staples that have helped me dive deeper into the Word and keep my thoughts on what God is speaking to me organized.
I hope some of these tools help you as you seek to study the Bible more deeply.
