My Favorite Bible Study Tools

I shared some of my personal Bible study tips here and some methods I use here. I'm going to wrap up this series today by giving you a few of my favorite tools. I hope they will be as helpful to you as they are to me.

Frankly, I don't have a lot of room for bulky commentaries and Bible study books. As a busy mom, it's sometimes difficult just to locate my Bible and sit down without gathering a plethora of other things as well. This is all I use for Bible study:

• The King James Study Bible for Women. Although I am not a Calvinist, which seems to be the bias of the commentators for this Bible, I like the conservative views of most of the King James Study Bible for Women on issues that pertain to women. Commentary is always good to read after you have derived your core doctrinal beliefs from the Word itself.

• A notebook. Nothing fancy, just one of the spiral-bound notebooks I can purchase at back-to-school sales for 20 cents a piece. I record all Bible study notes, prayer requests and often, even actual prayers in these. When it is full, I mark the date range on the front with a sharpie and keep it in a file box for future reference. These are great to look back and see prayers answered and how much I have grown even when it feels like I haven't. 

• My computer. I love the E-sword program. First of all, it is totally free! Secondly, it is available for instant download. Can't beat the convenience.They also have an online, interactive version that I haven't used but looks really neat. This one program includes the Scripture from several different versions, several commentaries, Bible dictionaries and the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. My favorite feature, being a KJV lover, is the KJV+ option with the Strong's numbers within the text. All I have to do to find a meaning of the word is hover over it and a box will pop up with the definition. The search option is great for word studies and much more.
• The occasional devotional book. Sometimes a book I'm reading is so deep and convicting, I feel like I should be taking notes as I read. I will often save these for my Bible study time and read them along with my Bible, taking notes on parts that God shows to my heart.

That's it. I'm a pretty simple gal, I suppose. I'd love to hear about some of your favorite tools and study tips as well!