Does any of this sound familiar?
"I want to study the Bible, but I don't even know where to start."
"I read it, but none of it makes sense to me. I get frustrated and just don't have the energy to try and understand."
"I barely have five minutes to myself; it would take me that long just to get settled down to study."
I talk to so many wives who want to study the Bible more, but they’re frozen before they even start.
Why? Because it feels like too much. Too hard. Too confusing.
And with toddlers tugging at your leg or teenagers needing rides every ten minutes, it’s easy to say, “I'll do it later.”
Let me give you three tools (plus a couple bonus ones!) that can completely change your Bible study rhythm—and make it doable even in the middle of real life.
A Bible Study Template:
Whether it’s SOAP or a printable worksheet with prompts, having something that guides your study step by step saves you from staring at the page wondering where to start.
I used to keep my template printed and tucked into the front pocket of my Bible study notebook. That eventually became paper overflow, and my sweet husband bought me an iPad so that I can keep everything digital.
Now I have digital templates that I duplicate and reuse. It’s like having a Bible study buddy right there with you!
If you haven't seen it yet, I've created a free Bible Study Toolkit for you, with several templates from which you can choose.
If you need help deciding which of those templates to try first, this blog post can help.
A Dedicated Spot:
I used to drag my Bible from the dining room to the couch to the bed—and honestly, I’d end up doing more moving and organizing than studying.
Then I was gifted a Bible Study Bag where I keep my Bible, journal(s), and a box of highlighters and colored pens, which stays next to the couch. That tiny space feels sacred. When my Bible has a home, it reminds me that study has a place in my life.
It's also an easy way to keep everything together when you want to grab it for church, or a group Bible study.
As I mentioned earlier, now I have my iPad so that all of my studying is digital, which helps me even more to keep all that I need in one spot.
A Go-To Translation:
Don’t underestimate how much your Bible translation affects your understanding.
If you’re constantly confused, it might be time to try something different. My recommendation is the ESV, because I have found it to be the most accurate AND the most understandable.
Find a translation that speaks clearly to you so you can focus on studying—not decoding.
BUT - you want to make sure the translation you're reading is one that is true to the original language. I strongly discourage you from making your go-to translation one that is a thought-for-thought version rather than an actual translation from the original language (e.g. The Message). With those, you are getting someone else's idea of what the text means, rather than reading what was actually written.
Those can be helpful when comparing translations, but it's imperative that the translation you primarily study is one that is true to what the authors actually wrote.
Bonus Tools:
Because we're in the digital era, there are many digital tools available that I would highly recommend you check into. The two that I use most often are:
Bible Hub is the first online tool I was taught to use with the original languages. Here's are a few things I love that you can do:
- compare multiple translations at a time
- look up words or phrases in their original language
- research where else the word was used in Scripture
- gain an understanding of the context in which the word was used in a particular passage
- listen to or read sermons from highly distinguished pastors and Bible teachers
- read book summaries, and chapter summaries
- research topical themes and see how they're connected throughout Scripture
- get a bird's eye view of the timeline of the events in the Bible
- look up difficult questions and answers related to a theme or passage
- get a list of Bible study questions for each chapter to help you think critically
BibleArc is a study Bible that I found recently with a lot of different features. It's free for the study Bible portion, but I do have a subscription for the courses. Here are a few of the features I use most:
- look up multiple translations
- access study notes from the different translations
- use tools to create markups, diagrams, notes, phrasing, and arcing
- receive daily insights that give deeper meaning to various passages or answer important questions
- take courses that teach multiple skills necessary to study the Bible deeply
- access a coach with courses that gives feedback on your assignments and helps ensure you grasp the material
While BibleHub is free and BibleArc does have a subscription to access certain features, I would highly encourage both of them.
Bible study doesn’t have to be complicated. It just has to be consistent.
These tools can help you go from overwhelmed and inconsistent, to intentional and transformed.
I'd love to hear which one you're going to start with!
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