Blessings in Affliction

Thursday, February 19, 2026

--Jack Hughes

Common Color-Coding

While there is no single "official" rule, Pink and Purple are the most common choices for marking prayers in popular Bible color-coding systems.

Here are the most frequently used options to help you decide:

Pink: Often chosen because it stands out and symbolizes the "heart" crying out to God. Many people use pink for prayers, praises, and blessings.
Purple: Frequently used for prayers because it is traditionally associated with royalty (praying to the King) or as "templates for prayer".
Yellow: Sometimes used for prayers, praises, and laments, especially in systems that use fewer colors.
Aqua or Light Blue: Used in some specific inductive study methods to distinguish prayers from other types of text.

Pro-Tips for Marking

Brackets instead of highlights: If a prayer is very long (like a whole Psalm), some people find it cleaner to put brackets around the entire section in their chosen color rather than highlighting every word.
Use Gel Highlighters: Since Bible pages are thin, standard highlighters often bleed through. Gel highlighters or colored pencils are usually better for keeping your pages clean.

Do you already have a color key started for other topics, or are you looking for a full system to follow?

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PURPLE - Characteristics of God. The first color to use when underlining in your Bible is PURPLE… Purple is characteristics of God...
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A Highlighting & Color-Coding System For Your Bible
I also just love how highlighting makes words pop on the page, and helps stick them in my memory. * My Method. I use a highlighter...
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Bible Highlighting Code *UPDATED* - Pinterest
*Affiliate link* #FaithJourney Colors: Blue - dive into historical context and background information. Mark passages that help you...
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I already have a color key started for other topics

Since you already have a key, the best color for prayers is whichever one

isn't already assigned to a major theme like "God's Character" or "Commands."

However, if you have these colors available, here is how they are most commonly used in established systems:

Pink: The most popular choice for prayers, praises, and "heart-cries" to God.
Purple: Often used for "Templates for Prayer"—verses you want to adapt and pray yourself.
Yellow: Used in some systems for prayer, praises, and laments, especially to keep them grouped with "Worship".
Blue: Sometimes chosen to represent "Divine Nature" or communication between God and Man.

Tips for Fitting it into Your Existing Key:

Check for Overlap: If your current key uses Red for "Jesus" and Blue for "Commands," avoid using a mix that might look like a third color (e.g., highlighting Blue over Red can look Purple).
Bracket Large Sections: Instead of highlighting every word in a long prayer (like the Psalms), draw colored brackets in the margin. This keeps the page clean and allows you to still highlight specific words inside the prayer using your other colors.
Symbol Shortcuts: If you're out of colors, just use a consistent symbol in the margin next to prayers, like a small set of praying hands or a thought bubble.

These articles suggest color-coding systems for Bible study, including how to assign colors for prayers and other spiritual themes:

Monday, February 23, 2026