Highlight Your Bible Guide

“How do you study the Bible?”

It’s a question I get and hear so often, and I love it! It gets me so excited about the possibilities because I know first hand the power it has to transform your life!

My hope today is to share some tips to help you take your study of the Word to a new and deep level. Whether you are just starting out with Bible study or if you want to breathe some new life into a stale routine, I hope this will challenge you to make time in the Lord’s presence a priority and that it will become something you look forward to!

Have you ever picked up your Bible to read and completely froze because you didn’t have a plan or know what to do??? Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the size of the Bible, the old language, or historical references that seem to make no sense???

I have and I’m sure some of you have too! Years ago I undertook the challenge of reading the entire Bible in a year. (And completed it only 2ish years later. Lol!) The idea of going through every book of the Bible was really intimidating at first – I had no desire to read Dueteronomy and to be completely honest I was scared to read Revelations. But a friend of mine completed the challenge, so I was encouraged that it was something I could do to.

Reading through the Bible on such a consistent basis was new for me, in that I was consuming more of the word than I ever had before and it led me to see certain themes that were woven throughout the Bible. I was able to connect passages to create a more thorough view of what the Bible said on specific topics. And I did all this just by highlighting!

I LOVE HIGHLIGHTERS!!!! (in my best “Oprah loves bread” voice)

I love the colors, I love the smooth feeling of running the highlighting across the page, I love the anticipation of holding the highlighter and not knowing what the next great point will be …. I guess you might say I’m obsessed. So when I found a way to combine my love of highlighters with my Bible study reading, I was in heaven.

At the time I was thinking about writing the Wholeheartedly Devotional, so I began by highlighting verses that had to do with the single life in pink. Next, I thought about writing a devotional on relationships, so I started highlighting verses that could be useful for teaching on relationships and marriage in blue. I continued to do this with 2 more devotionals that are in the works, when I realized that this could be useful for so much more!

Highlighting by topic… such a simple idea, but as I started to do it my quiet times changed. I found that just by implementing the little plan I’m sharing today, I was able to eliminate a few of the roadblocks I experienced as I tried reading the Bible and set me up for success.

• It Gave Me a Plan : Each morning when I started, I didn’t have to wonder what I was going to do. I just continued through my 1 year plan and kept my topics and colors in mind.
• It Got Me Engaged : Instead of passively reading, I was focused on the text and searching for what the main point was of each paragraph and chapter.
• It Gave Me Confidence : This plan was so simple and easy! As I connected more dots and understood overall themes, my confidence was built. I began to feel less intimidated or lost when I sat down to read, which meant I wasn’t making excuses not to do it.

In the guide, I share the exact tools I use during my quiet time and where you can find them, a color coded system with tons of ideas for topics and themes, and even a blank guide so you can create your own! I hope that you can incorporate it as a fun new way for you to study that will give you confidence to dig deep into the scriptures and maybe even spark some creativity for other fresh ways to study!

Let me end by saying that there are so many great methods out there for Bible study and there isn’t only one right way. The important thing is that we are digesting the word and seeking God’s heart and His voice through scripture!

Bible study is such a personal thing and I find that the times we quit (or don’t start) reading is when we try to do something we think we need to do just because someone else is doing it! You may find that some methods work better in different seasons of life or for different people based on personality types.

For the busier seasons, highlighting and taking notes in your Bible might be ideal. But in seasons where you have more time to sit in the Word, you might want to try a more intense study like Precepts or the S.O.A.P. method.

As far as personality goes, if highlighting is not your thing, figure out what is and incorporate that into your study! Maybe you enjoy journaling. You might try writing out the word or writing out prayers using Bible verses. Or if music is your thing, you might sing through the scriptures or play worship music as you read.

Doing some experimenting with the different methods would be beneficial to help you figure out a plan you enjoy and will stick with! The perfect method is the one that you will actually do!

Be encouraged and remember …

• The more you read the more comfortable you will be there, so just start it! Don’t wait to feel super confidant!
• Realize that this is a crazy opportunity that we get to sit in the presence of the God the universe and hear the words He is speaking to His people. The access we have to God is unlike any other!
• Know that God is not waiting for you to come like a theologian who knows and understands everything. His desire is for a heart that is seeking to know Him wholeheartedly.
• You aren’t doing this alone! Pray that the Holy Spirit will illuminate the eyes of your heart to understand

Happy studying and be sure to download your free copy of the Highlight Your Bible Guide! If you post on Instagram, be sure to use #highlightyourbible , so I can all see how you are using them!

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