by Victoria Tiegert

Created on: March 11, 2011   Last Updated: March 12, 2011

If you are a Christian or just someone who has an interest in studying the Bible, you may find that it is not always an easy book to study.  In order to really understand the Bible and get deep meaning out of your time reading it, you are going to have to do more than just casually reading a passage.  While there is nothing wrong with that, you are going to get much more out of your Bible by actually studying it.  For an effective Bible study time, you should have the following tools on hand which will serve to enhance your experience in the Word of God. 

*Study Bible

There are all sorts of Bibles that a person can purchase, but a good study Bible will help you exponentially when it comes to your learning and discovering.  Study Bibles have added features, such as maps, side notes, geographical and social information, word meanings, and other things that will help you gain a deeper understanding.

*Bible Map Book

When you have a map of places as they were in Bible times, you are going to be able to get a clearer picture of what is being explained.  This is especially true when you are studying the Old Testament because there are a lot of stories that involve travels.  There is also a benefit when you are reading prophecy books because you can see that some places were called something else in Bible times, but have since been renamed. 

*Highlighters

Having a pack of highlighting pens or pencils will allow you to mark passages that are especially meaningful to you.  You will be able to find them easier and they will stand out for you in the future.

*Journal

When you are studying the Bible, you may find that you make new discoveries or find deeper meanings in certain passages than you have in the past.  You may also feel that God is communicating certain truths to you.  When you want to remember something that you have learned during your Bible study, you should take a moment to write about it in your journal. 

*Pen and/or Pencil

Of course, in order to write in your journal, you are going to need to have a pen and/or a pencil handy.  You may even want to have several in case one runs out of ink, breaks, or gets dull.

*Concordance

When you are studying the Bible, you may come across a passage that you are having trouble understanding.  With a concordance, you are going to be able to easily find other passages that will relate to what you are reading and expand your understanding of what is really being said. 

*Study Guide

There are many study guides that you may want to use when you are reading your Bible.  Some are based on certain books of the Bible, while others are based on particular topics of study. 

When you are studying the Bible, it is helpful to have items other than only the book itself, so that you are going to be able to get the most out of your time in the Word of God.  It is great to put together a little Bible study kit in a tote bag or other container.  This way, everything you need will be ready to go and you won’t have to interrupt your study time to get something that you need.  The Bible is an amazing book and when you are studying it with the proper tools, it becomes even more so.

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