Is It Okay to Write In Your Bible? The Simple Habit That Deepened My Bible Study

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Do you feel comfortable writing in your Bible?

Maybe you’re afraid that writing in your Bible is sacrilegious or somehow offends God because you’re desecrating His Word.

In this post, I’ll show you exactly what I write in my Bible, how I mark passages, and why it has helped me get more out of my Bible study than almost any other habit.

Over the years, many women have asked me if it is okay to write in their Bibles.

My answer is always the same:

Not only is it okay, but learning to interact with Scripture this way completely transformed my Bible study.

What began as simply reading my Bible became a deeper study of God’s Word, and today my Bible is filled with notes, insights, cross-references, and reminders of what God has taught me over the years.

The Bible study method I’m showing you today took me from simply reading my Bible to truly studying it. Instead of forgetting what I learned a week later, I began creating a record of God’s work in my life and the truths He was teaching me through Scripture.

Throughout this article, I will include pictures from my personal Bible to show you how I write in my Bible and why it makes reading so much more impactful and meaningful.

Is It Okay to Write In Your Bible?

Often, when we read the Bible, we only hit one layer of comprehension.

However, when we include writing, underlining, and marking the things that stand out to us, we hit a deeper layer of comprehension.

Deeper still, when we write why something stood out to us, a corresponding verse in another passage of the Bible, and a date that marks when this verse became life-changing for us.

Each time we open our Bibles to that page, we’re reminded of what God said, why He said it, and how it became real to us.

This is the beginning of learning to study the Bible.

How Writing in My Bible Changed the Way I Study Scripture

Let me show you exactly what I mean.

Proverbs 2 is one of my favorite examples because it contains a series of connecting words that completely change how we understand the passage.

I start out by reading the passage and marking important words – oftentimes they are prepositions that give a lot of meaning to the verse.

However, the meaning is often missed when we don’t pay close attention to their importance in the passage.

Let’s look at verse 1:

My son, if (What an important word! You can’t claim God’s promises without fulfilling His commands!)

• You receive my words,
• And treasure my commands within you,
• So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
• And apply your heart to understanding;

Yes, if (That if again!)

• you cry out for discernment,
• And lift up your voice for understanding,

If

• You seek her as silver,
• And search for her as for hidden treasures;

Then (and only then!!!)

• you will understand the fear of the Lord,
• And find the knowledge of God.

>>Because<<

• The Lord gives wisdom;
• From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
• He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
• He guards the paths of justice,
• And preserves the way of His saints.
• Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.

Once I started looking for these connecting words, entire chapters began opening up to me in ways I had never seen before.

What I Write in My Bible

• Key words
• Repeated phrases
• Cross references
• Personal insights
• Dates when God spoke to me
• Sticky note summaries
• Historical background notes
• Important lessons learned

Afterward, I will often grab a notebook and outline the entire chapter I’ve read, and then write a summary in my own words.

Or, on a sticky note and stick it in my Bible so that each time I turn to that passage, those notes are right there for me to see.

This makes my Bible a rich resource for me each time I read it, because often when we read a passage and something stands out, or we gain insight through a commentary, or Bible study, we forget what we’ve learned.

Then, when we go back and re-read that same passage later on, we’re disappointed to realize that the insight we gained is now lost.

By writing in our Bibles, those insights remain right at our fingertips. Years later, we can revisit a passage and immediately remember what God was teaching us in that season of life.

Do you see how writing in our Bibles actually makes our Bibles and Bible study more meaningful? I don’t think God is offended by this at all.

He wants us to comprehend His Word. He wants us to take joy and pleasure in His Word.

Your Bible doesn’t have to remain a book you simply read.

It can become a record of your walk with God.

Every note, underline, sticky note, and cross-reference becomes part of the story of how God is teaching you through His Word.

Do you write in your Bible?

Do you use color-coding, highlighting, or sticky notes in your Bible study?

Years from now, you’ll be able to open its pages and remember not only what God said, but how He used those truths to transform your life.

If you would like more information on studying the Bible, you can check out all of my resources that I’ve made available on quiet times, reading, and studying the Bible.

I have many free resources, including free challenges for enriching your quiet time and reading the Bible effectively.

You can find all of those resources right here, and all of the Bible posts I’ve written on those topics at the buttons below.

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