i am going to give you a step-by-step glimpse into how i study my Bible. this post is photo-heavy-ish and will probably be a little longer than the rest in the series. :-)
these photos are from my current study of Genesis. for Genesis, i've been going chapter by chapter. in other books, i may read the whole book all at once vs. going chapter by chapter. it just depends on what the text kind of calls for.
also, i do not necessarily do all of these steps in one day. often, i'll do steps two and three one day, and four through eight the next, followed by nine the third day. or i'll do all but nine on one day and finish it up the next. it just depends on how long the chapter is and how packed it is. basically, if i catch myself rushing through it or dreading it, i will stop for the day and pick up the next day (or later on in the day).
it does me no good to do it half-heartedly. my goal is to be present in every moment of my study. to have a right heart attitude.
before i begin, i pull out my supplies. i keep them all in a plastic tote to keep everything together and easy to grab.

step one: prayer
i start out by praying. for requests on my list. for anything that comes to mind. for understanding and clarity about what i'm about to read/study. for distractions to cease. i will admit that i am a terrible pray-er. i struggle with it more than anything else. and i plan to write a post about that in and of itself later on. anyway, this is how i start my study time.
step two: read and mark my passage
i use the New Inductive Study Bible because it is made for marking. i don't like marking in my "normal" Bible, so it's extremely nice to have a specific one just for my marking and study. you may not have those issues, and that's awesome. i do, so i use this Bible. i'll talk more about the features in it in part five, when i list some resources for you.

so, i read my passage through. usually out loud. there's something about reading it aloud that i love. then i read it through a few times more. marking key words, people, places, times, grammar and anything else of note. i use some great pens and colored pencils for my marking.

i have a bookmark with key things to look for as well as an index card that i make when starting a new book. i keep these in my Bible, right where i left off, to remind me of what markings/colors i've been using so i can keep it consistent.

step three: mark in the margins
next, i mark in the margins of my Bible. i may note certain things/events. i will often divide the text up into sub-sections and label these. anything that i need/want to make note of that isn't taken care of in the markings (or needs extra attention) i mark.

step four: i write down the 5w's and an h
i keep a study binder for this and all of the following steps. i take a blank piece of ruled loose-leaf paper and label the top with the book and chapter and the theme of that chapter (sometimes i think about the theme overnight before i find the one that i think is best). then i start with who. i list out all of the people in that chapter. then i go to the what (what's happening), when (when it's happening), where (where it's happening), why (why it's happening), and how (how things are happening or how things will happen). i try to be brief, but get all the points in there. as i do this i'm rereading the text again.

step five: i list the key words, people, places, phrases and time
i just look over my markings and make a list of all of the key things in the passage. any repeated phrases. any mentions of time. any mentioned places or people. any key words.

step six: illustrations
i then illustrate the chapter. yup, i do. just stick-figure people and really simple shapes, but i find it helps me to go over the text again this way. if needed, i label what's going on in the picture and i mark what verses are covered. i actually, really enjoy this as it gives me another, more visual, way of seeing the story.

step seven: i make lists of the details about each key person, place, thing and idea
i have tabbed dividers in my binder. one for spiritual beings (God and satan and such), one for people, one for places, one for things, and one for ideas/concepts.

if i've marked a key person/place/thing/concept there will be a page for it in the appropriate section. at the top is the name and underneath i list everything i learned about that person/place/thing/concept in that passage. i use a simple list and include every possible detail. i also may list my inferences-like from chapter one i listed that God creates good things. next to each listed detail i put the passage it came from for easy reference. this is kind of like i'm making my own concordance of certain things.

step eight: i make maps and charts and timelines
the most common thing i do is make/keep what look like brainstorming charts. i'll have a particular thing in the middle (places in GEN, trees in GEN, peoples in GEN, etc) and i'll just make boxes with the appropriate items around it. it's another visual way to keep track of certain things, but it also gives me a way to track things not necessarily important enough to warrant a spot in the tabbed sections (like trees and all the people groups). sometimes there is an overlap in what i track in these charts and the tabbed sections. this is one of my favorite parts of my study-making these charts and adding to them. it's just fun to me.

i also will make timelines. i have a couple going right now-a general timeline of Genesis, a timeline of the events of the flood and i just started a timeline of the life of Abram. my first couple (like the one in the photo) are kind of messy, but i can always straighten them up later. it's kind of nice to be able to see when things happen and will be great when events overlap. i use graph paper for these.

next, the maps. i have only made one, but am getting ready for another one (to track Abram's travels). i use graph paper, because it's really thin and pull up the area i want to map on mapquest. yup, mapquest. then i put my paper on the screen (once i get it the size i want) and trace. i color in the water with blue (which helps to define the land masses) and mark the places and travels and events. it has worked out really well this way. i'm not concerned with it being perfect, just getting things relatively where they should be so i can see where things unfolded.

step nine: a summary and application
i grab another piece of paper and make my own summary/paraphrase of each section of verses. i will also add my own thoughts and any questions i may have (which are usually really silly and impossible to answer, because that's the way my brain works). i highlight my questions so i can come back to them easily.

once i've done this, i write up a little application/extra thoughts at the end.
upon finishing the book
i plan to go back over all of my notes and info and questions. see if there are any holes or things i would like to find answers to. and then i'll try to find the answers. in commentaries or articles on the web. or anything really. i also may do a summary of each person/key place/concept/thing in that book. we shall see.
and that's my process. like i said, sometimes i can get through one chapter in a day and sometimes i take two or three or more days. i just take as long as i need. i also don't stress if i miss a day or two (or a week). i just get back into it and move on. i have found myself getting more and more consistent as the time passes and i am truly enjoying each time i study. i am learning and growing and it's awesome.
again, feel free to ask any questions you may have for me!!!
Mon-pt. 01-feeling like a failure
Tues-pt. 02-basics of inductive study
Wed-pt. 03-how i do it (step-by-step)
Thurs-pt. 04-why i love it + why it works for me
Fri-pt. 05-list of resources