We all know the great collection of Bibles on the market online and in stores like Barnes & Noble. These Bibles offer various translations and features unique to each Bible. However, ever so often, one comes along that stands out from the rest. I’d like to say the NIV Application Bible does just that.
Recently, FrontGate Media sent me a copy of the NIV Application Bible by Zondervan for me to use and give my honest review.
Exciting Features of the NIV Application Bible
First, I’d love to share with you the basic features that make this Bible so exciting to me:
It’s the New International Version translation, which is the world’s bestselling modern-English Bible translation. You will find that this version of the Bible is very readable and clear. It’s one of my go-tos for easy-to-digest Bible reading.
It includes access to this Bible and its content features anywhere and anytime via a QR code to the NIV Application Bible Companion Mobile App.
Its cover has a beautiful blue, white and gold like mosaic pattern, geometric lining, and clear, bold text.
It includes a Table of Contents, which chronologically lists the books of the Bible and their abbreviations, + other helpful sections in the Bible.
It’s an enjoyable and easy reading experience with a 9.5-point print size which is perfect to me.
It has the words of our Savior, Jesus, in red writing, which I always adore because it makes His voice in the New Testament pop off the page.
It includes two beautiful satin ribbons, perfect for bookmarking important pages.
Deep Study Resources
I look forward to opening and studying the NIV Application Bible often because of its unique content pieces throughout.
In this Bible, you will find Book introductions with full-color images, helpful colored maps and charts, and other essential content for deep study:
Original Meaning Notes, which bring biblical context to your reading and study.
Application Notes help reinforce what you learn through reading into your daily life.
Questions for Growth allow for deeper personal understanding and growth in your walk with God.
People to Know Articles, to help you explore historical figures in God’s Word.
Character of God Articles to expand your knowledge of the one true living God.
Reading plans for scheduled reading, including topical, annual, and three-year plans.
Chronology for the Old and New Testaments to visualize key events in their proper order.
Dictionary – Concordance for exploration into key terms, stories, teachings, and historical figures.
Wow! Isn’t that a meaty Bible?! I’m overjoyed to add this gem to my collection of Bibles and recommend it to you. My rating and review are high, but certainly deserved!
NIV Application Bible Review: Final Rating
Overall Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Translation Clarity: ★★★★★ – The modern English language of the New International Version makes this translation one of my go tos for Bible reading.
Design & Layout: ★★★★★ – Ancient, classic, and well organized.
Portability: ★★★★★ – For an application Bible, the size is large but expected.
Why Choose the NIV Application Bible: Preview Before Purchase
So, there is nothing like truly getting a look and feel of a Bible before purchasing! But since we are online, the ability for that is limited; however, I can give you a sneak peek inside the pages here.
You can also explore more through watching this video:
How to Purchase Your Own Copy
If you feel like this Bible is for you, I invite you to pick up your copy with my special promo link. There is no additional cost to you, but purchasing from my like supports my opportunity to review more Bibles and books for your and my reading pleasure.
In the comments below, let me know if you ordered your copy and which feature you look forward to the most! I want to share in your excitement!
Thanks for reading and happy studying!
If you enjoyed this review, you might also be interested in reading my review of The Message Student Devotional Bible – The Psalms here. And don’t miss the special offer to get your free copy of The Message Bible – Psalms when you visit that review!
I’m definitely a Bible girlie and one who loves to collect them. I always find it fun to flip through the pages of different Bible setups, different styles, and translations. In this week’s post, I want you to join me for a Message Student Devotional Bible Psalms Review. AND if you’ve never read the Message Bible, I have a special free offer for you at the end of this post!
What Makes The Message Bible Special?
Lately, I’ve enjoyed digging into the many features of this Bible. The Message Bible is a paraphrased style translation by the late Pastor Eugene Peterson. It’s an easy approach to reading and digesting the Word of God. I personally love to use it alongside other translations like the New King James Version and the English Standard Version. Students, who are sometimes new to reading the Word of God, can most definitely benefit from this translation as they seek biblical truth and understanding.
Key Features of The Message Student Devotional Bible
Also included in this Bible are genre introductions, book introductions, and devotions that allow for a deeper reflection on key Bible passages in Word. The entire Bible, which comes out in the Spring of 2026, includes 320 devotions. This special edition of the Psalms includes 26 devotions. All devotions include three questions, which are perfect for students to answer and to journal.
See The Message Translation in Action: Psalm 1
Here’s how Psalm 1 reads in The Message translation:
How well God must like you— you don’t walk in the ruts of those blind-as-bats, you don’t stand with the good-for-nothings, you don’t take your seat among the know-it-alls. Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.
The contemporary language brings fresh insight to this beloved psalm about choosing God’s path over worldly influences.
My Rating & Review
Overall Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
After spending time with The Message Student Devotional Bible: Psalms Edition, here’s my detailed assessment:
Translation Clarity: ★★★★★ – The contemporary language makes the Psalms immediately accessible without sacrificing depth.
Devotional Content: ★★★★★ – The 26 devotions are thoughtful and relevant.
Study Features: ★★★★★ – The genre introduction and reflection questions add significant value to the reading experience.
Design & Layout: ★★★★★ – Clean, readable format with good spacing for notes
Portability: ★★★★★ – Perfect size for carrying to class, church, or coffee shops.
Who This Bible Is For?
The Message Student Devotional Bible: Psalms Edition is perfectly suited for:
College and high school students navigating their faith journey
New believers seeking an accessible entry point to Scripture
Bible study leaders working with young adults
Parents wanting to gift their children with a relatable Bible translation
Anyone looking to experience the Psalms through a fresh, contemporary lens
Readers who may struggle with traditional biblical language
Why Choose a Student Devotional Bible?
So, why a student devotional Bible?
Provides a consistent structure for developing a daily spiritual practice during demanding student years.
Offers relevant application points that connect Scripture to real-world student challenges.
Creates space for personal reflection and spiritual growth alongside academic development.
Special Edition Highlights
Additionally, in this special edition, you will find an introduction to the Bible, how to get the most out of a student devotional Bible, and a handy introduction to the Message Bible.
Benefits of The Message Translation for Modern Bible Study
Do you know why a Bible translation like the Message is helpful?
If you are seeking modern clarity, the Message presents biblical text in contemporary language that resonates with you, a modern-day reader.
A fresh perspective is sometimes just what you need; the Message offers new insights into familiar passages through thoughtful paraphrasing.
Transforms formal religious language into everyday speech patterns.
Helps bridge historical gaps by explaining cultural references.
Makes Scripture approachable for both new believers and those returning to faith.
Experience the Psalms Through Contemporary Language
The Psalms edition is particularly powerful as it brings ancient prayers, praises, and laments into language that speaks directly to today’s challenges. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, celebrating victories, or seeking guidance, the Message translation of Psalms connects these timeless texts to contemporary life experiences.
Establishing a Daily Bible Reading Habit
This student devotional Bible is an excellent tool for developing a consistent Bible reading practice. As I explained in my article 4 Reasons Why It’s Important To Read The Bible Daily, regular Scripture reading strengthens your faith foundation, provides daily spiritual nourishment, helps you understand God’s will, and equips you to share your faith with others. The Message Student Devotional Bible makes this essential spiritual discipline more accessible through its contemporary language and guided devotions.
Special Offer for Readers
If you’ve never read the Message Bible, but feel interested after reading this post, I have a special free offer for you! Get your hands on this unique Bible for yourself or a student that you know and love here.
Experience the Timeless Psalms in Fresh, Modern Language
The Message Student Devotional Bible: Psalms Edition offers a unique opportunity to experience these ancient sacred texts through a contemporary lens. As someone who enjoys collecting and studying different Bible translations, I’ve found this edition to be a valuable addition to my library. The combination of Peterson’s accessible paraphrasing and thoughtful devotional content makes this an excellent choice for students and new believers alike. Whether you’re looking to deepen your daily spiritual practice or seeking a fresh perspective on familiar scriptures, this Bible delivers with clarity and relevance. Don’t miss out on my special offerto experience this unique translation for yourself—it might just transform the way you connect with the Psalms and inspire a more consistent, meaningful Bible reading habit in your faith journey.
Thank you for joining me for this Message Student Devotional Bible Psalms Review!
Do you ever feel like there’s just not enough time in your day to do much more than say a quick prayer and a thank you to Jesus when it comes to your time with God? I did a poll on my Instagram stories and it was abundantly clear that time with God is a struggle for many women. We get busy, we get tired, we fall asleep, and then the day is over with no time spent with God.
Well Sis, I want to help you get some quality time in with God. Here are 5 quick things busy women can do to have meaningful time reading the Bible daily.
Devotional & Meditation On the Word
Idea number one is for you to choose a devotional and single out the anchor scripture of that devotion. Once you’ve done that and before you read the devotional, read the scripture word for word and then meditate on its meaning. You can follow this up by completing the devotional or taking this bonus step.
Open your Bible and read the entire chapter that the verse comes from in your study Bible. Use the study notes in the Bible for further understanding.
You-Version Bible Plan
Another idea is to consider picking and using a YouVersion Bible plan for your time with God. This is similar to the devotional idea, but many of the YouVersion Bible plans for example, can be 5 to 30 days long.
Additionally, follow the bonus step above for the Bible plans anchor verse(s).
Remember that there is no pressure to do the bonus step. It’s just a way to get deeper study in during your quiet time.
Do you ever feel like there’s just not enough time in your day to do much more than say a quick prayer and a thank you to Jesus when it comes to your time with God? I did a poll on my Instagram stories and it was abundantly clear that time with God is a struggle for many women. We get busy, we get tired, we fall asleep, and then the day is over with no time spent with God.
Well Sis, I want to help you get some quality time in with God. Here are 5 quick things busy women can do to have meaningful time reading the Bible daily.
Devotional & Meditation On the Word
Idea number one is for you to choose a devotional and single out the anchor scripture of that devotion. Once you’ve done that and before you read the devotional, read the scripture word for word and then meditate on its meaning. You can follow this up by completing the devotional or taking this bonus step.
Open your Bible and read the entire chapter that the verse comes from in your study Bible. Use the study notes in the Bible for further understanding.
You-Version Bible Plan
Another idea is to consider picking and using a YouVersion Bible plan for your time with God. This is similar to the devotional idea, but many of the YouVersion Bible plans for example, can be 5 to 30 days long.
Additionally, follow the bonus step above for the Bible plans anchor verse(s).
Remember that there is no pressure to do the bonus step. It’s just a way to get deeper study in during your quiet time.
Start A Book Of The Bible
The next idea is to begin reading a book of the Bible. Choose a book of the Bible first, then learn the context of everything that’s taking place in the book. Ultimately, this involves reading a summary of the book. I like to use The Bible Handbook by Daily Grace Co for this step.
Now for the reading part, you should read the book section by section. In each book there are chapters and in each chapter, there are usually sections. So read one section per day. In most books this should take no longer than 5 minutes per section.
If you want a deeper study, read the study notes in your Bible for more clarity.
Email Devotional
The second to last idea is to sign up for a daily email devotional from a Bible-believing and teaching pastor.
For instance, I love Rick Warren’s email devotionals.
Podcast
Finally, there are biblically sound devotional podcasts that are great to listen to as you get dressed for the day, are cooking, working out, commuting, etc.
One of my favorites is the “God Is Within Her” women’s devotional podcast with Valarie Reynolds.
I also have A surprise!
I will be starting my very own Her Faith Walk – Women’s Devotional Podcast in a few months. If you want to be notified when I launch, join the HFW Circle when you sign up for one of my freebies here.
Do you want to become a believer today? I’ll show you how here.
I have to say it has been quite a journey building Her Faith Walk over the past year and a half. I’ve gone back and forth between subject matter and struggled to submit to God’s vision. I’m not proud of this, but I have to be truthful about it.
I’ve never had an issue with evangelizing, praying, and promoting the study of God’s word. I’ve never had reservations about the conversation on faith. After all, the ministry’s name is Her Faith Walk. But, I have had difficulty being fully transparent and willing to share my successes and setbacks in my mental health.
Before I received the assignment of online ministry, I had no problems sharing my mental health journey. There may have even been times where I overshared. But, when the time came to couple my journey with my mission to spread the gospel, I began to close off.
If you wonder why this was, let me explain. I believe that the enemy never wants a testimony to reach the person that needs to hear it. He does his best to distract us from our assignment and silence our story. When stories include the goodness of God, Satan doesn’t want it told.
John 10:10 says,
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
The enemy wants to steal everything God has given us, including our testimony. He comes to kill and destroy and prevent our story from being heard. He wishes that no one becomes saved through the power of our testimony.
However, Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly. Therefore, God’s desire is for our souls to be saved from eternal death and for us to have life to the full.
Sometimes hearing or seeing the testimony of our lives is the only Jesus a person will see.You and I both need to remember this and take our testimony, witness, and assignment seriously.
As I move forward with Her Faith Walk, I am now intentional about fulfilling God’s desires. It’s all about Him, and I want more of Him to shine through and less of me. Women’s lives are and will continue to be touched by me sharing the highs and lows of my journey living with a mental illness. They will change by the goodness of God that shines through it all.
In conclusion, our God assignments are powerful, and we cannot allow the enemy to distract us from them. We must stay in prayer and obedience. Let’s open our mouths and declare the goodness of God in our lives. Let’s show the world how He has allowed us to overcome.
Grab the March Free Resource, The Deliverance Prayer Challenge here.
So, today I’m letting you ladies know where I’ve been…
But first, let me start by sharing that a large part of who I’ve been can be described by how I respond to life’s circumstances. I am and have always been sensitive. This sensitivity became even more obvious to me when I discovered the imbalance of the chemicals in my brain.
I live with bipolar disorder. This is nothing new to me, to be honest. My bipolar journey spans back to age 21. So it’s been a minute.
For the past several months I’ve been on a mental and emotional roller coaster. I’ve been on and off of my platforms more since August 2021. The loss of my pet last August led me deep into an ocean of sensitive emotions. My feelings of despair caught up with my chemical imbalance and life got pretty rocky.
All this to say, I learned something pretty eye-opening recently, which has led me back here.
It’s this…I can no longer allow feelings of oppression to catapult me into despair and pessimism.
From experience, I know that my tendency to be pessimistic about life leaves me in daily depression and a cycle of bipolar highs and lows.
I’ll have a journey with bipolar for the rest of my life. But, now I know something pretty amazing…
I still have some control over this thing!
Feelings are ok, but allowing them to control my everyday outlook on life is not. I may feel awful about something, but that doesn’t mean everything is awful.
So, it’s been a couple of weeks of work so far, but I’m working on not judging my life based on my sensitive feelings. I’m facing my feelings but choosing to still stand in faith with a perspective that I can still see life as a blessing. A blessing that I want to be a part of daily.
Also, I have to give credit where it is due. The Holy Spirit, @morgantracyj – my ministry mentor, and therapy all helped me come to this realization.
Since childhood, oppression has worked its hardest to attach itself to me, but no more will I be a slave to it.
Pray for my strength, my sisters-in-Christ!
Finally, I have to tell you that ministry has become a part of my daily life, and I’m committed to sharing my love for God, the power of prayer, and who He is in His word with all of you.
So if you see me fall off and it is on your heart, reach out and check on me. I’m praying I can do the same thing for you through my ministry.
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