I’ve gathered some of my favorite resources for studying, understanding, memorizing, and praying the Psalms. Some are free, while others are books or tools I recommend.
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Books and Bibles
There are many ways to spend time in the Psalms—from simply reading them to filling the margins with notes, prayers, and observations. These are some Psalms editions and books that I think are especially useful for deeper study and reflection.
Some of these are resources I personally own and use. Others are included because they offer helpful features or Bible translations that may better suit other readers.
Psalms Journals & Journaling Bibles
NKJV Bible Journal: Psalms
Best for: straightforward Bible study and plenty of writing space
This is the Psalms journal I personally use. I chose the NKJV because it is my preferred Bible translation, but I also appreciate how practical this edition is. The print is large enough to read and mark easily, and the lined page opposite the Scripture gives me plenty of room for notes, observations, prayers, and cross-references.
It is also reasonably inexpensive, which I like in a working Bible journal. I don’t feel as though I have to keep it pristine—I can actually write in it and use it.
ESV Scripture Journal, Spiral-Bound Edition: Psalms
Best for: ESV readers who want a journal that lies flat while they write
This ESV edition is designed specifically for taking notes alongside the Psalms. Each page of Scripture faces a lightly ruled page for writing, and the spiral binding allows the journal to lie flat on a desk or table. The Bible text is also relatively large at 11.75 points.
The Ruth Chou Simons cover makes this an especially attractive option if you would like something both practical and beautiful.
ESV Illuminated Scripture Journal: Psalms
Best for: creative journaling, artwork, prayers, and reflection
This version takes a more creative approach to journaling the Psalms. Instead of lined pages, it includes lightly dotted pages opposite the Scripture text, along with gold-ink illustrations. That makes it particularly well suited to hand lettering, drawing, written prayers, or other forms of creative Bible journaling.
It also has a lay-flat binding and 11.75-point Scripture text.
NIV Illustrating Bible: Psalms and Proverbs
Best for: readers who want lots of room to write or draw
This is the most spacious option in the group. It contains both Psalms and Proverbs in the NIV and provides wide margins for writing, drawing, prayers, study notes, and other reflections.
Its large square format, spiral binding, and heavier paper make it much more of a dedicated journaling Bible than a small notebook you would carry around. The tradeoff is that it is considerably larger, but that extra size provides much more room to work.
Guided Reading & Devotional Psalters
I would put the next two here rather than mixing them with the blank-page journals.
Psalms in 30 Days — CSB Edition
Best for: developing a regular rhythm of reading and praying the Psalms
Rather than simply presenting the Psalms for note-taking, this book provides a structured way to read and pray through all 150 Psalms over the course of a month. The readings are divided into morning, midday, and evening sessions and are accompanied by other biblical songs, historic prayers, and confessions of faith.
It could be particularly helpful for someone who wants to make the Psalms part of a regular prayer routine but isn’t sure where to begin.
Spurgeon and the Psalms
Best for: combining the NKJV Psalms with classic devotional commentary
This edition pairs the complete Psalms in the NKJV with brief selections from Charles Spurgeon’s The Treasury of David. Each Psalm is introduced with devotional insight from Spurgeon, making it useful for readers who want something more than the biblical text without using a full-size commentary.
It also includes room for personal reflections and uses an easy-to-read NKJV Comfort Print.
Books for Understanding the Psalms
Psalms Overview & Summary Outlines
Best for: seeing the main idea of each Psalm at a glance
I own this one, and one of the things I like most about it is the layout. Each Psalm receives a colorful, easy-to-scan overview on a single page.
It highlights elements such as the main themes, imagery, key ideas, life application, and reflection. I think it is particularly useful when you want to quickly orient yourself to a Psalm before studying it more deeply.
Reflections on the Psalms — C. S. Lewis
Best for: thoughtful reflection on difficult and important themes in the Psalms
In Reflections on the Psalms, C. S. Lewis approaches the Psalms as a thoughtful Christian reader rather than writing a verse-by-verse commentary. He considers their poetry, theology, difficult passages, and what the Psalms teach us about God, Scripture, and faith.
This is more reflective and intellectually demanding than some of the other books on this list, so I would see it as a resource for someone who enjoys thinking deeply rather than someone primarily looking for a quick reference guide.
Bible Marking & Study Supplies
One of the biggest challenges I’ve had with marking in my Bible is finding supplies that work well with thin Bible pages. Over time, I’ve found several pens, colored pencils, sticky notes, and other tools that I especially like.
For highlighting, I prefer colored pencils rather than traditional Bible highlighters. Even some highlighters marketed specifically for Bibles can show through thin pages. Colored pencils avoid that problem and also give you plenty of color choices.
They’re useful for more than highlighting, too. You can use them in coloring Bibles, for color coding, or for adding your own artwork and markings around the text.
Pens and Pencils for Bible Marking
Pigma Micron Pens
If I were going to buy only one type of pen for Bible marking, these would be my choice.
Pigma Micron pens write with a very fine line, making them especially good for underlining and writing notes in small Bible margins. I’ve found that they work well even on very thin Bible paper without bleeding through.
Another reason I like them is that the ink is archival quality, which is especially important to me for a Bible I plan to keep for many years—or perhaps someday pass down to someone else.
My first choice: SAKURA Pigma Micron Ink Pen Set, Assorted Colors, 01 Tip, 8 Count
If you buy only one Micron set, this is the one I recommend. It gives you several colors, including black, without requiring you to buy multiple sets.
Prefer black ink? Sakura Pigma Micron Fineliner Pens, Black, Assorted Points, 6 Pack
This set is a good option if you prefer to keep all of your Bible marking in black. The different tip sizes are useful: I like the wider points for underlining and the finer ones for writing notes in the margins.
BIC 4-Color Retractable Pens
If Micron pens are more than you want to spend, BIC 4-Color pens are another practical option.
I especially like having four colors in a single pen. If I’m using different colors for different purposes, I can change colors without having to keep several pens beside me.
The tradeoff is that these are not archival-quality pens, so the ink may not hold up over the years in quite the same way as archival ink.
BIC 4-Color Original Retractable Ballpoint Pens
Each pen includes black, blue, red, and green ink.
BIC 4-Color Retractable Ballpoint Pens with Additional Colors
I also like this set because it gives you more color variety. In addition to the traditional black, blue, red, and green combination, the set includes pens with colors such as orange, yellow, pink, purple, and light blue.
If you use color coding in your Bible and prefer ink rather than colored pencils, this is a particularly useful option.
Colored Pencils for Bible Highlighting
Colored pencils are my preferred way to highlight Scripture because they don’t bleed through Bible pages.
I have two kinds that I especially like, plus one inexpensive option that works surprisingly well.
Pentel Arts 8-Color Mechanical Pencil
I originally bought this pencil after hearing Kay Arthur recommend it, and it has become one of my favorite Bible-marking tools.
The biggest advantage is convenience: eight colors are contained in one pencil. I can switch colors without reaching for another pencil, and it’s much easier to carry around than a container filled with individual colored pencils.
I also like that I can highlight Bible text with these leads and still write over the highlighting afterward.
If you use this pencil regularly, I recommend keeping replacement leads on hand.
Pentel Arts 8-Color Refill Lead, Assorted Colors
Individual colors are also available. I keep extra yellow leads because yellow is the color I use most often for highlighting.
Yellow refill leads on Amazon →
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils
When it comes strictly to the quality of the colored pencil itself, these are my favorites.
The soft cores are gentle on delicate Bible pages and glide across the paper rather than scratching or catching on it. They blend beautifully, don’t smear easily, and I can write over the highlighting with my Micron pens.
For ordinary Bible highlighting, the 12-color set gives you a useful range of colors without being excessive.
Prismacolor Premier 12-Color Set on Amazon →
If you enjoy Bible art journaling and want many more color choices, a larger set may be worth the investment.
Prismacolor Premier 72-Color Set on Amazon →
Because these are traditional colored pencils, you’ll also need a sharpener. I like the Prismacolor sharpener because I’ve found it much gentler on the pencils than many inexpensive sharpeners.
Prismacolor Premier Pencil Sharpener on Amazon →
Crayola Twistables Colored Pencils
If you want an inexpensive option, Crayola Twistables work surprisingly well for Bible highlighting.
They don’t bleed through the page, don’t require sharpening, and come in plenty of colors.
There is one drawback: they are quite waxy. That means I generally can’t write over an area after highlighting it. So if you like to underline, circle words, or add markings over your highlighted text later, I would choose the Pentel or Prismacolor options instead.
For simple highlighting, however, these are a very budget-friendly choice.
Sticky Notes & Page Markers
I’ll admit that I’m more hesitant than some people about permanently marking up my Bible. I’m comfortable with highlighting and some notes, but I don’t always want to write directly on the page.
Sticky notes are a great solution—especially if you feel the same way or if your Bible simply doesn’t have much room in the margins.
Transparent Sticky Notes
Transparent notes are especially useful when you want to mark directly over a verse without actually marking the Bible page.
You can place one over the passage, circle words, underline phrases, or make other markings while still being able to read the Scripture underneath.
Mr. Pen Transparent Sticky Notes Set
I like this set because it includes a variety of shapes and sizes in soft colors.
Post-it Transparent Notes
These are a simpler option if you prefer using the same size and shape consistently.
Traditional Sticky Notes
For actual written notes, I prefer ordinary opaque sticky notes.
Transparent notes are wonderful for marking over Bible text, but the Scripture showing through them can make longer handwritten notes harder to read.
This Post-it set includes several sizes, including lined notes, which I find especially helpful for Bible study.
Post-it Super Sticky Notes Multi-Size Set on Amazon →
Removable Page Tabs
Small removable tabs are handy when there are pages or verses you want to find quickly.
I use them, for example, to mark passages I’m currently memorizing so I can immediately turn to them without searching through the Bible each time.
Post-it Tabs
These come in several colors, which also gives you the option of using different colors for different purposes.
Washi Tape
Washi tape gives you another way to visually mark your Bible without relying entirely on highlighting.
I use it in a couple of different ways. One is simply to draw attention to an important passage that I don’t necessarily want to highlight.
Another is to create categories. In Psalms, for example, you could use one color or pattern for lament psalms, another for psalms of trust, another for praise, and so on.
Washi tape can also be useful for attaching an extra note page to your Bible without permanently gluing it in place.
I especially like Mr. Pen washi tape because it is inexpensive and available in a wide variety of colors and patterns.
Bible Tabs
Bible tabs are one of those very practical tools that can make using your Bible considerably easier.
If you sometimes struggle to find a particular book quickly, tabs let you flip directly to it. They can be especially helpful during church or Bible study when passages are being referenced quickly.
There’s nothing quite like finally locating the passage just as everyone else is moving on to the next one!
Free Online Resources
You don’t have to spend money to find helpful tools for studying and memorizing Scripture. These are three free online resources I use regularly in my own Bible study and Scripture memory.
VerseLocker
VerseLocker is my go-to tool for memorizing Scripture. It’s completely free and includes several different ways to practice a verse, along with review tools to help you retain what you’ve memorized rather than simply learning it once and forgetting it.
I especially appreciate having different practice methods available, since I can move from simply becoming familiar with a verse to testing how well I really know it.
Bible Hub
Bible Hub is one of the tools I use when I want to dig more deeply into a Psalm. In one place, I can compare different Bible translations, explore cross-references and context, and look more closely at the meanings of the original Hebrew words.
I find it especially useful during the research stage of Bible study, when I’m trying to understand what a passage says before turning to someone else’s interpretation of it.
Enduring Word Bible Commentary
David Guzik’s Enduring Word commentary provides free online commentary on the entire Bible. The explanations are clear and accessible without being overly technical, which makes it useful for everyday Bible study.
I generally do my own study of a passage first and then consult Enduring Word afterward. That lets me compare what I’ve observed with additional background, explanation, and insight from the commentary.
Psalms Resources from Rebecca
Looking for more help studying the Psalms? I’ve created a growing library of Psalms resources on this site, including studies of individual psalms, articles about the different types and authors of the Psalms, and resources to help you understand the poetry and literary features found throughout the book.