How to Study the Bible WELL For Yourself

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Grab a pen and take notes! I’m about to share with you the best tips for how to study the Bible for beginners.

I shared this collection of Bible Study Tips last week via my community newsletter and my blog BLEW UP!

My first thought: God, this is amazing! So many women seeking after You!

My second thought: I hope the server doesn’t crash! (Thankfully, it didn’t.)

Anyway, it blew my mind. If you were one of those readers, I want to say thank you! Your response is one of the reasons I am so dedicated to serving this community with my writing. Since these tips were so well received by  I decided to make them even more accessible to women wanting to dig into the Bible by placing them on the blog.

On this page you’ll find:

• Simple Bible study methods
• Tips for how to study the Bible for yourself
• Where to start studying the Bible
• Advice on creating Bible study habits and how to study the Bible daily
• Books and resources that make learning the Bible for beginners approachable
• How to study the Bible in context

We’ll answer questions like, Where is the best place to start studying the Bible? How do I discern the meaning of each verse? What simple, practical methods are there for note-taking? And more! 

Ready to get started?

How Best to Study the Bible

Consider this page and the info on it your guide on how to study the Bible. I spend a lot of time talking with women about how to study the Bible. There’s lots of advice to give. Let’s start by answering some of the basic questions. If questions come up as you read, feel free to ask them in the comments! I’ll answer them as I see them.

What is the best way to study the Bible for Beginners?

One thing to understand before you dig into the “how-tos” is the “why” behind studying the Bible. The Bible has been described as a rule book, a love letter, a book of heroes. While there are bits of truth to each of these when we study the Bible we come to it with the intent and desire to learn more about God. The Bible is His story. Through its pages, we learn about His heart, character, intent for mankind, what He honors and what He hates (and WHY), His hope for us, and eternity.

Every story you read in the Bible will point back to one of these areas. The Bible isn’t a rule book, but it does teach us how to find life in Christ and how to live Christ-like. The Bible isn’t a love letter, but it does teach us about the incredible unfailing love of God. When it comes to the heroes of the Bible, there is only one – Jesus. You’ll discover real fast that most of the people in the Bible that God used are just as sinful, broken, and human as you and I are. Their accomplishments are a testament to God’s goodness and might – not their own.

The best way to approach reading the Bible

What is the best way to study the Bible? The best way to start studying the Bible is with a sincere desire to discover and build a relationship with the God who wrote it. I

Maybe you don’t know anything about God but you picked up a Bible hoping to start putting the puzzle pieces together.

Or you’ve known about God but are looking to the Bible to help you start an actual relationship with Him.

Maybe you have doubts, and you’re looking to the Bible to clear them up.

All of those are perfect starting places! So long as you are sincere. Sincerity positions us to gain real understanding. God promises that if we search for Him diligently we will find Him (see Deuteronomy 4:29, Proverbs 8:17, Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7, Acts 17:24-28). 

Ready to seek Him diligently? I’m excited to help! Let’s pick a Bible and get started!

What Is A Good Study Bible for Beginners?

When it comes to choosing a good Bible there are so many options! My favorite Bible to read through has been the One Year Chronological Bible; it’s the easiest Bible to read and understand. The books and pages of it are organized in a way that allows you to effortlessly follow the storyline of the Bible. If I were to recommend only one Bible to you, it would be the One Year Chronological Bible. If your heart is set on a traditional Bible, start with one of these:

• She Reads Truth Study Bible
• NLT Life Application Bible
• ESV Women’s Study Bible
• MacArthur Study Bible

Click here for our list of best Bible journaling Bibles for beginners. 

What is a good study guide for the Bible?

If you’re going at it on your own you might find it helpful to use a Bible study guide (or reading plan) to help you navigate key parts of study. What are the best Bible study guides for beginners? Here are some of the Bible study guides we’ve seen recommended regularly.

• The Bible in 52 Weeks
• The Bible Recap: A One Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible
• Woven: Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story

How do I start studying the Bible?

Grab a Bible, plop yourself down, open it up and start reading. Starting is literally that simple.

Read until you have a question.

Write your question down and read a little bit more.

What I have found in my experience learning the Bible is that most of the questions we have as beginners studying the Bible are answered as we keep reading. Others are answered as we grow and learn. The goals of learning the Bible for beginners should be to build a foundational understanding of:

1. Who God is.
2. Who we are.
3. How sin affected our relationship with God.
4. Who Jesus is.
5. What the gospel is and why it matters.
6. How to make Jesus our Lord and Savior

Once that foundation is laid and you’ve taken the steps to make Jesus your Lord and

Savior, that is the time to start going deeper.

How do I study the Bible deeply?

There are layers to the Bible. There are some principles that are written plainly on the surface of the page but there are also many instances where the message isn’t so clear and we have to dig. This is what people are referring to when they talk about “going deeper.”

Going deeper in Scripture requires us to search out and consider things like;

• historical context
• frame of reference
• prophecy
• the big picture storyline of the Bible.

Most of this information can be found pretty easily if we ask the right questions. These questions are commonly referred to as inductive Bible study questions. Learn more about Inductive Bible study questions and how to use them here.

How Can I Motivate Myself to Study the Bible?

In my experience, consistent study is more about discipline than it is motivation. I am not always motivated to sit down and study. But I know my relationship with God is more essential than anything else in this world, so I do it (most days).  Sometimes I  listen to it instead of reading it. Sometimes I talk with a friend about it instead of listening to it. There are a lot of ways to take it in and each of them is valuable; so long as we are diligently taking it in and allowing God the space to do the work in our hearts and lives.

If you’re struggling to create a daily Bible study routine this article has tips on how to study the Bible daily.

What Part of the Bible Should I Study First?

The question of where to start reading the Bible as a beginner doesn’t have to be a complicated one. Wherever you start God will meet you. Every passage of scripture is just as essential to our walk as those that come before and after it. So don’t stress about what you don’t know. That being said – if having a road map helps you take those first steps, I’m all for getting you one. This article will help you answer the question, where should I start studying the Bible?

 How Do I Start Studying the Bible? What are some Easy Bible Study Methods For Beginners?

Friend, you have options! This section will summarize some of the different Bible study methods available to us. When you find a method that piques your interest, simply click the highlighted link to get the scoop on “how to.”

The Verse by Verse Bible Study Method. Some people also refer to this as verse mapping. Verse Mapping is where you take one verse at a time and examine it in depth. It’s a popular way for beginners to study simply because it allows you to digest Scripture in bites sized parts instead of huge gulps.

What is the SOAP method of Bible Study? SOAP is a four-step self Bible study method geared towards helping readers apply the principles of the Scripture to their lives. Read the scripture. Write down your observations. Consider how the passages you read are applicable to life here and now. Use the passages you read to inspire your prayers for that day. Super simple!

The Color-Coded Bible Method  – This article breaks down how to use our most popular tool, the Bible Scripture Key! You’ll hear the heart behind it, the struggle that birthed it, and what our community gains from using it. In short, all the things we LOVE about this tool, you’ll see in this post. We’ve made the guide, the worksheets, and the different study keys available to print! We joke about it being the Ultimate How to Study the Bible pdf, but really, it’s a pretty spectacular way to keep Bible study simple, significant, and life-giving.

Simple 6 Step Study. This Bible study method is about as basic as it gets. 6 Simple steps. We walk you through it in this 6 Step Bible study guide for beginners pdf available to print (for free) here. –  No strings attached. 😉

How to Understand the Bible for Beginners

Of all the study tips available to us there is one piece of advice that made understanding the Bible stick for me. Ready for it?

Follow the single-storyline. 

Creation → The Fall → The Battle → Redemption → Reconciliation

In the beginning, through creation, God shares His intent for an eternal relationship with mankind.

The fall is when sin enters the world and we begin to see the barrier sin creates between people and God.

From the moment sin entered the world good and evil have been at war. Sin tries to create distance and God works relentlessly to close that gap. He has a plan for redemption and the devil persistently tries to stop it.

But God wins. He restores us to Him. Not just for a moment but for eternity.

When we understand the storyline, everything about scripture becomes that much more significant.

I’ve found the best way to keep this storyline front and center is to study the Bible in chronological order (order of event). You can find a free chronological Bible reading plan in this article.

Books On How to Study the Bible

• Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible With Both Our Hearts and Minds
• Learn the Bible in 24 Hours by Dr. Chuck Missler
• How to Study the Bible John Macarthur Workbook
• The Bible for Beginners (And the Rest of Us) by Arlington McRae
• How to Study the Bible Book by Dwight L. Moody

Best Bible Study Apps:

These apps allow you to switch between various translations of the Bible. Many include commentary and added online study materials. The fact that they’re free is just icing on the cake.

• Blue Letter Bible
• Bible Gateway
• YouVersion – This is the best free Bible app in my opinion. It’s got TONS of free Bible reading plans, Bible translations, highlighting, and note-taking options AND you can invite your friends to dig in with you!
• E-Sword
• Bible Hub

How to Study the Bible for Free

I mentioned earlier that there are multiple ways to study the Bible. As you grow in faith and understanding you’ll likely find yourself adjusting the way you studying or looking for brand new study methods altogether. That’s why we started the Bible Study Help page. It’s a free page on a website that walks women through various learning strategies along with some of our favorite resources for solid Scripture study (free and otherwise).

In addition, we provide free Chapter Notes and a private FB group for our email community! We’d love to have you join us! Sign up for our weekly emails and Facebook community through the form below. You’ll receive an invite to our Facebook group soon after!

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