When I first began studying the Bible, I always felt like I couldn't understand or actually learn anything without a secondary source to go along with it. Let's be real, the Bible can be intimidating! So many different versions, translations, sizes, etc. Where do you even start? The beginning? The New Testament? What about those minor prophets? I quickly got caught up in only reading books about the Bible without even opening my Bible to begin with and relying ONLY on what was in the text for that chapter/study. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Bible study resource, but it's hard to beat the primary source! So, with that being said...number 1!
1. Bible
How awesome is it that we don't actually need all this other stuff to go along with the Bible. We have access to the original!
- ESV study Bible - this is my favorite study Bible. Of course, you can use whichever translation is easiest for you to understand, but for me, it's the ESV (English Standard Version). I highly recommend a study Bible when diving deep into the Word. The context is explained and everything you could possibly need/want to know is at the beginning of each book. The bottom of each chapter explains verses in detail for a deeper understanding.
- YouVersion Bible app - this is a great resource for a few reasons - it's an app you can download on your phone for immediate access, it's ideal for those who don't particularly like to sit and read a book because it includes audio streaming, and it's super easy to search things quickly by key words, etc. I love this for when I'm driving!
- Journaling Bible - I've never actually used a journaling Bible, but I've heard so many great things. It's great for jotting down notes and reminders out in front of certain scriptures. The ones I've linked are hand painted (gorgeous) and customizable!
2. First 5 app - this is an app through the Proverbs 31 ministry. It's a short, 5 minute (ideally to start your day) devotional that I always find easy and enjoyable. I've tried to get in the habit of going to this app first thing when I wake up before checking my social media accounts #millennial. These devo's usually go through books of the Bible at a time, so it can be a great starter to diving into a certain book on your own.
3. Proverbs 31 devotionals - There are 'Daily Devotions' posted on proverbs31.org that mesh scripture and "real life" together. Sometimes it's easy to read the Bible and think "How does this relate to me?" or "I don't have a clue what this is talking about." These devo's give a real life perspective from things we all go through and struggle with daily.
4. Write the Word journal - I've recently discovered this and I LOVE it! Each page provides a space to write out specially selected verses depending on which journal you go with (cultivate gratitude, faith, hope, joy, renewal - you can't go wrong with any of these!) along with space to write out what's on your heart that day. This is particularly great for scripture memorization or just simply praying out scriptures and reflecting on major truth bombs!
5. She Reads Truth / He Reads Truth - This is another Bible + Devotional app that is a great resource. This app includes the Bible and Bible reading plans for both men and women from reading the Bible in a year, plans through different books of the Bible, certain topics, etc. I also love the graphics you can download as screen savers or to post on social media.
This list just BARELY scrapes the surface of all the resources out there, but my hope and prayer is that this will give you a good start! I know reading and studying the Bible can be overwhelming, intimidating, and down right boring sometimes (is that ok to say??) but there is true JOY to be found in God's word. Along with prayer, it's the ultimate form of communication with God and discerning what He wants you to do! And it's right at our fingertips! So cool!!!
What are some of your favorite resources to study the Bible?
Stay sunny,
Katie
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