So you want to study the Bible? That is awesome! But maybe you are like I’ve been, you sit down to study and 15 minutes later you are racking your brain wondering “What did I just read?“
Did you know God wants to speak to you?
He doesn’t want you wondering what He’s saying… He wants you to KNOW!
But how?
The Bible seems so confusing. Do you need a college degree to understand, or does God want everyone to be able to understand the Bible?
I believe God wants everyone to be able to hear from Him! The problem is, many people don’t know how.
Well today I would like to share with you 5 super steps to study success!
Overview
- Bible Study Tip 1: Realize the Bible is a book.
- Bible Study Tip 2: Realize Each Verse Connects to the Previous Verse.
- Bible Study Tip 3: Look for Interpretation before Application.
- Bible Study Tip 4: Meditate and Memorize.
- Bible Study Tip 5: Obey What God Shows You.
Bible Study Tip 1: Realize the Bible is a Book.
Now don’t tune me out! I’m truly not trying to insult your intelligence here, but this is something I knew, but didn’t use.
Often we come to the Bible in a way that we would never approach a normal book.
Now I must say, the Bible is a book, but is also much more than a book! And since it is so much more, shouldn’t we at least put in the same amount of work we put into other literature?
What do I mean? Let me show you.
How often do you enter a library blindfolded, stumble your way to a random section, fumble over each shelf till you find a book, and without looking at the cover or the author, open to a random page in the middle and read a portion of a sentence?
That would be crazy!
Yet that is how we approach the Bible.
We open it to a book that we know nothing about, we don’t know what section of the library it is from (genre), we don’t know the author or the audience, we find a random verse and just hope to see something that jumps out at us.
This will never be as productive as you want.
You must come to the Bible with at least as much courtesy as a regular book. Figure out who wrote it. Who was it written to? Why did the author write this?
Just finding out these simple things will make the truth of the Bible begin to jump off the pages!
For help finding out the background, check out this book! Understanding the Scriptures This book is my “go-to” for understanding the context of every book! And it isn’t written with huge, confusing words.
Bible Study Tip 2: Realize Each Verse Connects to the Previous Verse.
Again, so simple… but soooo revolutionary!
It is easy to just read passively and hope for the verses to grab us, but there is a better way.
Ask yourself as you come to each new verse, “Why does this verse come after the verse I just read? How do they connect?”
By asking these simple questions you will immerse yourself into the author’s flow of thought.
PRO TIP: If you come to a verse that doesn’t seem to connect or seems random, that is where the goldmines are! Take your time finding out why the author suddenly seemed to change gears and you will find an amazing nugget of truth every time.
Tip 3: Look for Interpretation before Application.
This is a mistake I made over and over, but you don’t have to.
I would start reading looking for what this means to me, but that is the wrong way to go about Bible study.
“We must realize that the Bible was not written to us, but it was written for us.”
That quote is huge! When we study the Bible as if the author was writing it directly to us we will be confused every time!
But when we step back and realize that it was written to a specific audience but we are aloud to listen in and learn we will finally hear God speak.
I explain this more in the video below:
Tip 4: Meditate and Memorize.
This is very important when trying to understand the Bible.
Why?
Because not every passage is easy to understand. You must allow yourself time to mull over the text. Turn it over in your mind and allow it to soak into you.
The Holy Spirit uses this time of meditation and memorization to “renew our minds” (see Romans 12:1-2) and illuminate the meaning of the text.
Don’t be afraid to take your time.
Tip 5: Obey What God Shows You.
This is crucial to understanding.
Do you think that God will show you more truth if you haven’t obeyed what He has already shown you?
Make sure you commit to obey what God illuminates in His Word before you even sit down. This will ensure that you are the good ground that God’s word can take root in and produce fruit!
I hope you find these truths helpful! Let me know in the comments below some things that help you study.
Learn more about the author here: “From Agnostic to Pastor”
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