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Summary:
Hear about five of my favorite quiet time resources plus a new resource from me releasing this Friday, April 26th!
Podcast Transcript:
Hi friend, I’m Brigette Henry. I’m a Spiritual Formation Coach and I help women develop a deeper relationship with God. Welcome to my podcast, Journey Together, where I explore topics related to spiritual growth and formation. This month, we’re focusing on creating an intentional and effective quiet time. (music fades in) And today, I’m sharing my favorite quiet time resources.
(music fades out)
Introduction
Today’s episode is a little more laid back. I am absolutely exhausted from all of the organizing and unpacking so I want to keep today light. I’m going to share my top five favorite quiet time resources. And I’ll link all of them in the show notes in case any of them interest you. All of these resources have helped me grow closer to God during my spiritual formation journey. And as a bonus, a lot of them are free!
Before we start talking about resources, I want to remind you to enter the Quiet Time Bundle giveaway! There’s only one week left to enter the giveaway. The prize includes a collection of resources for your quiet time, including my favorite book on the attributes of God, and my new ebook that is coming out April 26th, The Quiet Time Guide. There is a video on the Journey Together Facebook Group with more information about the bundle. You can find the link to the giveaway entry page and the Facebook Group in the show notes.
My Top Five Favorite Quiet Time Resources
Alright, let’s dive into my favorite resources.
I keep a running list of my favorite resources on my website. You can find the link to that post in the show notes. Today, I’m just going to share my top five since we don’t have time to go over them all. I will also link each of these resources in the show notes for you.
Disciplers Bible Studies
The first resource is the Disciplers Bible Studies. Back in 2017, I joined a women’s Bible study at my church. They were doing the Disciplers study on Romans and it was intense! It was 23 weeks long, split into two semesters. You do one lesson a week, and each lesson contains six days of assignments, including an introduction to the topic and questions about parts of the passage. The studies are in-depth and not for the faint of heart! Most days, I spent a minimum of thirty minutes on Bible study. Sometimes, it was more than an hour. It was definitely a commitment, but it was so worth it!
Why I Love Disciplers Bible Studies
After doing the study on Romans, I did the study on Job, and the study on Ephesians on my own. I have so many good things to say about these Bible studies. First, the references are incredible. There is so much research and so much information provided. You really get a chance to understand the author, the circumstances, and the culture around the passages you’re studying. Second, these Bible studies make you think. You refer to other parts of scripture, draw conclusions based on the text, and answer personal questions about what scripture reveals to you. There’s a lot of knowledge and a lot of self-reflection. Third, these studies are FREE. So if you’re looking for something low-cost, this is an affordable option.
More Products Coming
Also, I looked at their website as I was preparing for this podcast, and it looks like they’re starting to do devotionals and video series as well. I haven’t had a chance to try any of them yet. But, their Bible Studies are excellent so I would expect their other resources to be excellent as well. I’m also super excited to see them expanding! When I did the Romans study back in 2017 there weren’t as many Bible Studies available. Now they have more, but they still don’t have studies for all of the books of the Bible yet. So, if you have a specific book in mind, you will have to check their website to see if they’ve written a study for it yet. I think the work they do is incredible, so I’m hoping they’ll publish more Bible studies soon.
Highly Recommended
To this day, Romans is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I think that’s because I know it better than other books of the Bible. And I owe that knowledge to Disciplers. So, if you want to understand scripture more, or if you’re looking for an in-depth Bible study, I highly recommend checking out Disciplers Bible Studies.
Bible Project
Next I have Bible Project. It has taken me years to realize it’s just Bible Project, not “The Bible Project”. I was introduced to the Bible Project videos when I started the Romans study. They make these amazing videos outlining books of the Bible. You may have seen one of their videos before. The videos feature an animated sketched outline of the book as the narrator explains the outline. And you can print a copy of the completed sketch and stick it in your Bible for reference.
Other Videos and Projects
I also found out recently that Bible Project makes videos on other topics like theology and the Sermon on the Mount. I like them a lot because I can watch them around my daughter. And I don’t have to worry about the content. There are lots of YouTube playlists of their videos, so sometimes I just play them in the background. Since their videos are on their website and on YouTube, they’re free and easily accessible.
Bible Project also has other resources, like a podcast, reading plans and an app. I’ve never used any of those resources before, but I’m excited to check them out! I’ve been watching their videos for years and I’ve found them really helpful. They’re great for anyone who wants to learn more about the Bible, but doesn’t know where to start. Just pick something that sounds interesting and start watching! Or, if you’re studying a specific topic or book of the Bible, these videos make great references.
Val Marie Paper Prayer Journals
Next up are the prayer journals from Val Marie Paper. I read Valerie’s book, The Finishing School years ago and at the end it mentioned something about prayer journals. I was intrigued, so I checked it out. And her system of keeping track of prayer requests worked for me. It was the first time I felt confident about praying for others consistently.
Her System
Valerie’s system has you write prayer requests down every month. The prayer requests are separated into categories like, My Church, Friends, and Family. There’s also a page to keep track of answered prayers. And, some of her journals have extra space for prayer and gratitude journaling. I’ve used three different prayer journals from Val Marie Paper and loved every single one.
Why I Don’t Use One Anymore
Now, if you purchase The Quiet Time Guide when it releases this Friday, you’ll notice I don’t use the Val Marie Prayer Journals anymore. But it’s not because I don’t like them! I asked my mother-in-law to get me a prayer journal for Christmas three or four years in a row. But, after a few years, God moved me into a new season of life. And I needed something different.
My biggest issue is I struggle having my things in multiple places. One of the reasons I wrote The Quiet Time Guide was to share my system of using ONE journal to keep track of prayer lists, sermon notes, random musings and more. All in one place. I didn’t have room to do all of that in the Val Marie Journals. Now, I use a similar system of tracking prayer requests monthly and separating them in categories. But, I use different categories, and my structure is a little different.
It’s Worth The Cost
Even though I don’t use them anymore, I credit Valerie and her prayer journals with teaching me the prayer habits and skills I have today. I don’t think I could have learned those things without the guidance her journals provide. So if you’re looking for a dedicated prayer journal or you want to learn how to practice healthy prayer habits, splurge on a Val Marie Paper Journal. They are absolutely worth it.
The Faithlife Study Bible on the Logos Bible Study App
Next, I like to use the Faithlife Study Bible commentary on the Logos Bible Study app. That’s kind of confusing, so let me explain. When you get a Study Bible, there’s a section on every page that explains what you’re reading. That’s the commentary written by the author, or authors. The commentary from the Faithlife Study Bible is on the Logos Bible Study app, and it’s free to access.
So now let me explain the Logos Bible Study app, because it can be hard to use. Logos is a Bible Study software. You can use the app on your phone, tablet, or computer. It’s a platform to keep digital Bible Study references like commentaries or study Bibles. The app is free, and there’s a limited number of resources available for free. The Faithlife Study Bible is one of those free resources.
The app is a little odd. When you download it, you’ll have the option to create an account. Then, the app works like its own internet browser. There’s a library of resources and when you open a resource, it opens in a new tab. So you can have lots of resources open at once, which is really convenient. The app will reopen resources though. So if you choose a resource you already have open, you end up with two tabs with the same resource. Which is nice if you want to look up multiple things in one resource. But if you’re a tab fiend like me, you might end up with too many open tabs.
Lots of Options
You can purchase individual resources or bundles on the app. So, basically, you can keep expanding your reference library. And because it’s digital, you can take it with you. The app also recommends relevant resources while you’re studying. For example, while I read the John 1:1 commentary in the Faithlife Study Bible, the app recommends three other commentaries on relevant topics. You just have to click on the recommendation and it takes you to a new tab. The downside to this is that there are only so many resources available for free. So you may notice a lot of the resources you want to read are locked. You can purchase new resources if you want. But if you’re looking for something cost-effective, you’ll want to stick to the free resources.
I also love that you can click on verse references mentioned in the commentary and the app will show you the verse without taking you to a new page. So you can read through the reference and then continue scrolling. Overall, Logos is a great Bible study app and the Faithlife Study Bible is an easy-to-use and helpful resource.
Blue Letter Bible
The last resource is Blue Letter Bible. Blue Letter Bible is an online resource with devotionals, commentaries, language resources and more. They have a wide range of resources and it’s completely free. They also have an app, but I’ve had it crash on me so much I just go online. With Blue Letter Bible, there are two types of resources I use the most: commentaries and the interlinear tool. This resource can also be a little confusing to use so let me explain how I find these tools.
When you go to blueletterbible.org, there is a place to “search the Bible”. You can search for a specific Bible verse or passage and choose your preferred version of the Bible. Blue Letter Bible pulls the passage up with each verse listed separately. Next to each verse, there is a “tools” button. If you click on that button, you’re given multiple options, including “commentaries” and “interlinear”.
Commentaries
If you go to the “commentaries” tab, you’ll find a collection of commentaries, sermon notes, study tools, video and audio recordings and more. My favorites are the Matthew Henry commentary, the Enduring Word commentary, and the Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary. The Enduring Word commentary is listed under its author’s name, David Guzik. There are lots of topical commentaries as well. For example, when I look up John 1:1, Blue Letter Bible pulls up commentaries from Don Stewart. Like, “Are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all addressed as God?”, and “Why was Jesus called the Word of God?”
Interlinear
If you click on the “interlinear” tab, the verse is listed out word-by-word. Each word has a link next to it to find out more about the original language. If you look at John 1:1, you’ll see that the phrase “the beginning” is actually the Greek word, archē. You can see how it’s used in other parts of scripture, the different ways the word is defined, and how the word is structured in its original language. As you study scripture deeper, this is a great tool for understanding the culture and language of the Bible.
Difficult to Use
My biggest critique of this resource is that the app doesn’t work. It’s frustrating when I’m studying the Bible on my phone to have to go find a computer. It’s also a difficult website to use. It’s not super intuitive, so it takes some getting used to. Overall, it’s a good resource, it’s just a little difficult to use.
The Quiet Time Guide
I actually have one more resource for you, and it’s The Quiet Time Guide! The Quiet Time Guide is one of my resources that is coming out this Friday, April 26th. It’s an ebook that will help guide you through creating an intentional and effective quiet time. I talk about the purpose of quiet time, my one-journal system for keeping things organized, and how to craft your perfect quiet time. If you struggle with having a consistent quiet time, knowing what to do during quiet time, or how to keep your spiritual growth resources together, then this is a resource you definitely don’t want to miss.
Conclusion
Those are my top five favorite resources! A couple housekeeping things before we go: Thank you for all of your prayers for our move! We are officially in our new house and I am so grateful for your prayers. I’m hoping as we get unpacked and life returns to normal that I can spend more time on this ministry and focus on creating resources to encourage your relationship with God.
Also, don’t forget to sign up for the Quiet Time Bundle Giveaway! There’s only one week left to enter and entering is so simple! All I need is a name and an email address and you’re entered in the giveaway. Don’t miss this chance to get a bundle of quiet time resources, including The Quiet Time Guide, for free! If you want to enter the giveaway, head to my website, brigettehenry.com. That’s B-R-I-G-E-T-T-E H-E-N-R-Y dot com to enter. There’s no D in my name and there’s an E on the end. That always throws people off. You’ll find a link on the front page of my website to take you to the giveaway signup. I hope you win, friend! I can’t wait to send this bundle to someone!
That’s all I have for today! Thank you again for all your prayers! Next week we’ll wrap up this series on Quiet Time with a look at the disciplines of silence and solitude. I’ll see you next week as we continue this Spiritual Formation Journey Together.
Links:
NOTE: During recording, I mentioned blueletterbible.com, but the correct url is blueletterbible.org.
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY: https://brigettehenry.com/quiet-time-bundle-giveaway
FIND YOUR FOCUS QUIZ LINK: https://brigettehenry.com/find-your-focus-quiz/
DISCIPLERS BIBLE STUDIES: https://www.disciplersonline.org/
BIBLE PROJECT VIDEOS: https://bibleproject.com/explore/
VAL MARIE PAPER PRAYER JOURNALS: https://www.valmariepaper.com/about/journals/
LOGOS BIBLE STUDY APP: https://www.logos.com/get-started
BLUE LETTER BIBLE: https://blueletterbible.org
MY FAVORITE RESOURCES: https://brigettehenry.com/my-favorite-resources/
Journey Together FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/journeytogetherchristianwomen
Interested in 1:1 coaching: https://brigettehenry.com/coaching
Subscribe to my weekly email: https://brigettehenry.com/subscribe
My website: https://brigettehenry.com
Contact me at: brigette@brigettehenry.com
Music by: Morning Garden – Acoustic Chill by Olexy on Pixabay
All scripture is CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
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