How to use Color Coding to study the Bible

For the longest, I had been wanting to have some guidance in my Bible study.

Something that gave me more depth to my bible reading than journaling “how a verse spoke to me” or meditating on a verse that “stood out” in my reading or “how the story speaks to my current situation.”

It didn’t feel like that was enough.

I don’t know about you, but those things felt shallow and I wanted to understand God. I also have a lot of questions when I study my Bible:

• Why did God do this?
• How come He allowed that?
• Why did the people do that?
• How does God view this?

And sometimes I get lost with how I should mark up my Bible.

What do I highlight? What do I write on the margins?

I just got this awesome new Bible with space in the margins and I struggled so much with what I should draw/write because I am NOT artistic. I also don’t want to mess it up!

Can you relate to this?

Simple Bible Highlighting Guide or Bible Marking Guide

Now, I use this cool color coding guide during my Bible study and I don’t feel overwhelmed.

It’s gotten easier to know what to annotate in the margins of my Bible. I still don’t draw anything, except clouds lol… I can draw those! 🙂

A Bible color coding chart is great for beginner’s studying the Bible or if you are looking to get serious with your Bible study time.

Trust me, if you are having a hard time spending 30 minutes reading your Bible, doing this will keep you glued!

On some days, I don’t even want to stop reading my Bible!!

How to use Color Coding to study the Bible

To begin with this bible study method, I find it easier to follow a Bible reading plan. This saves you time trying to figure out what to read.

If you are unsure of which Bible plan to start, consider choosing a “Bible in One Year” plan. 

This one is my favorite: YouVersion’s Following Jesus One Year Bible Reading Plan.

It helps to study 1 chapter a day or if you are up for it, try 4 chapters a day!

First: Start with prayer. Ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and for God to speak to you!

Second: Read the entire chapter. Don’t highlight anything just yet because you want to have a grasp of the chapter first before highlighting.

Third: Go through the Bible passages again with your highlighter, following the Bible highlighting guide.

Fourth: If you have any questions on a verse, use a Bible Commentary, Concordance, Scripture References. Here is a good resource: BibleHub.

Also, pray again and ask God to clarify any doubts/questions you may have. He will guide you to an answer.

Using the Bible Highlighting System:

Here is how I color coded my Bible in Numbers 11 and my thought process as I was studying my Bible.

Numbers 11: Complaining in the Bible

The sin of the Israelites here was that they complained and were ungrateful people.

They had God guiding, providing, keeping them safe and fed with a better future in perspective – the Promised Land.

And yet, they still complained! (Sounds so much like me!)

My Bible has references in the inner margins to other bible verses with a similar message, so I read a few of those too.

It showed me that in Deuteronomy 8:4 NKJV, God said that their clothing didn’t wear out on them, nor did their feet swell those forty years. 

Further proof that they had NO reason to complain. BUT they had been murmuring since they left Egypt!

Do everything without complaining

And Moses was their intercessor because when the people complained, Moses prayed and God heard his prayers. Numbers 11:2.

I highlighted this yellow because it’s an answered prayer.

But Moses also sinned against God in this chapter.

You see, Moses also complained about the Israelites complaining! When I read this, I did the palm to forehead move lol.

I’m not judging him! I do this too!

I highlighted this in orange for sin/disobedience.

He also magnified himself and said he wasn’t their guardian (he forgot God had called him to lead them). Check out Numbers 11: 10-15.

Ultimately, God keeps His Word and what He says happens whether we believe it or not. See Numbers 11:23, Proverbs 30:4 and Isaiah 40:12.

I highlighted that purple because here we see God’s actions/characteristics.

God gave the Israelites what they wanted and removed some of the burden from Moses by placing the Spirit on 70 elders (Numbers 11:26-30 and Numbers 11:31).

***I totally missed this blue highlight, but here we see the Lord’s Spirit in ACTION in the OT! Numbers 11:25.

And God showed them that pleasing the flesh doesn’t satisfy (for reference see 1 John 2:17). 

But if God hadn’t answered their requests, what would they had thought about God? Maybe that he wasn’t able to give them quail? That He was withholding good from them?

Here is a picture of my Bible showing Numbers 11:

Bible Color Coding Chart:

I didn’t include all of my notes on Numbers 11 in this post, but I think you get it! There are so many lessons to learn just from 1 chapter.

And trust me, you will have fun while reading your Bible!

I get bored easily and disinterested if I am not engaged.

But now, my daily Bible study time has become so interesting and I am learning about God, about His people, and life lessons, too.

I find that incredible!

What’s so great about this guide anyway?

Well, aside from ALL that I mentioned above, it includes the following:

• 3 different sizes (one should fit inside your Bible!)
• Add your own colors to the guide, OR
• Use the colors provided

Want to experience this during your Bible study?

Leave your email below to grab this FREE Bible Highlighting Guide or Bible Color Coding Guide! 

Let me know which Bible chapters you plan on reading with this guide!

I hope this helps you as much as it has helped me! Thank you for reading!

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Here are a few other posts:

An Example of a Biblical Hypocrite

Things To Do When You Are Bored and Stuck At Home

My YouTube Channel — still working on the courage to speak in front of a camera!

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