Hey Gems,
Today I want to answer a question that I know MANY people ask. From new Christians to mature Christians. We've all asked the same question at least once or maybe even twice in our life time. It's a question that leaves many people afraid to crack open the Bible and read it. It's a question that leaves many trying to figure out how to effectively go about it. It's even been a question that leaves us doubtful at times in our walk.
Yes, if you think about it, some of us still, to this day, ask that question. Some feel embarrassed to ask this question, but I think this question is one that ANY and EVERYONE should ask themselves. Why? Once you truly start to ask yourself this question it means that you don't want to read the Bible as if it's a storybook. No. This means that you truly want to dive deep into the Word, understand it, be able to apply it to your life and be able to share the Word with others.
I've been a Christian all my life and I'm 26 years old now. I've always had a love for the Bible, but I never fully took the time to really understand it. I would read it out of "duty" which I know many of us do. As a kid, I didn't care to read it. As a teen, I would have my moments where I would read it a few times a year. As an adult, prior to turning 24, I would read it out of duty or to say I read my Bible.
Now, when I say duty I mean: the pastor spoke a sermon in church and I felt obligated to re-read the scriptures once I was home because I wanted to the be good church going girl. Better yet, how about the times when I'm sure you yourself even grabbed your Bible ONLY when something bad was happening in your life.
You see the moment I truly asked myself this question around the age of 24, I knew a shift was going to take place in my walk with Christ and service to God. I knew that my spirit was starting to mature. Now, I did still ignore that feeling until a few months prior to my 25th birthday. Something in my clicked and I knew I needed to get my hands on a good Bible, so my mom purchased me a KJV Woman's Study Bible from Christian Book. I was excited, but when it arrived I was stuck on how to truly use it and where to begin.
Growing up I was always told to read the Gospels, Psalms and Proverbs first and though I would every now and then, I never fully understood why in that order...that was until I tried reading Genesis to Leviticus. Though I was able to read through it, I was totally lost and unable to understand it. Almost a year later since getting my Bible I've found out how to study the Bible and what works for me. I'll be breaking this topic up into multiple posts over the next month. Today is all about the basics of studying the Bible and where to begin...
Pray for an open mind, heart and ears willing to hear. It makes a world of a difference! I promise you.
1) In order to study the Bible you most definitely need a Bible. It can be a study Bible, large print, compact, slimline, plain church Bible or something cute that fits your style. Which ever type you need a Bible.
2) Pick a translation you understand. There are many out there from the Amplified to the Message. Get one that makes it easy for you to understand and apply the scriptures to your life. Now, a second part that I would say to this step is at least get a KJV or NKJV as a second choice to your translation of choice because it will help you to really dig deeper and understand the Word. I personally have a few translations and I normally have three translations out while doing my Bible studies.
3) Writing utensils are a must! You will need a pen and some highlighters for note-taking, underlining and really pulling out key points.
4) Paper. Be it a journal, notebook, loose leaf in a binder...any type of paper to be able to write your thoughts, notes, questions and key verses down. No with this step, you can write in your actual Bible if you have enough space to in the margins, but having a separate place to keep your notes is easier to go back to down the line.
5) When you are ready, start in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), Psalms or Proverbs. Why? We hear all about Jesus in church, the new covenant, His life, death and resurrection. We need to read the Gospels to know about His time on earth before we can begin to understand the OT and make connections. Psalms is a book of poems, prayers and hymns mainly written by King David that can provide you with comfort. A lot of great songs we hear in church come from the book of Psalms as well. Proverbs because it talks all about wisdom. These books of the Bible will kick you into gear and really make you want to dive deeper into other books.
6) Once you pick a book of the Bible you need to read the chapter (or passage) through once without writing notes. You can highlight, underline and markup thins that stand out, but don't take notes. Take this time to really let the Word seep into your mind. Read it a second time through and take notes, cross reference or define words. For added measure, read the same chapter (or passage) a third time through in another translation for further understanding.
As you follow these steps, you'll feel a desire to continue to study the Word. My only tip as I conclude this: Don't rush. Don't stress. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you.
Studying the Word should not feel like a chore, homework, a job, a checklist or make you unhappy. It should give you great joy and make you smile.
As I'm writing this, I have thoroughly studied: John, Romans, Ruth and Esther. I'm currently studying Luke, Psalms and Proverbs. I can guarantee that once you get in the swing of things, you'll be like me...thirsting for the Word of God and feeling empty when you skip a day.
Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing different study methods, some bible study essentials and some plans and resources to help you study. Hope this post was helpful to many of you.
Today I want to answer a question that I know MANY people ask. From new Christians to mature Christians. We've all asked the same question at least once or maybe even twice in our life time. It's a question that leaves many people afraid to crack open the Bible and read it. It's a question that leaves many trying to figure out how to effectively go about it. It's even been a question that leaves us doubtful at times in our walk.
"How Do I Study The Bible? Where Do I Begin?"
Yes, if you think about it, some of us still, to this day, ask that question. Some feel embarrassed to ask this question, but I think this question is one that ANY and EVERYONE should ask themselves. Why? Once you truly start to ask yourself this question it means that you don't want to read the Bible as if it's a storybook. No. This means that you truly want to dive deep into the Word, understand it, be able to apply it to your life and be able to share the Word with others.
I've been a Christian all my life and I'm 26 years old now. I've always had a love for the Bible, but I never fully took the time to really understand it. I would read it out of "duty" which I know many of us do. As a kid, I didn't care to read it. As a teen, I would have my moments where I would read it a few times a year. As an adult, prior to turning 24, I would read it out of duty or to say I read my Bible.
Now, when I say duty I mean: the pastor spoke a sermon in church and I felt obligated to re-read the scriptures once I was home because I wanted to the be good church going girl. Better yet, how about the times when I'm sure you yourself even grabbed your Bible ONLY when something bad was happening in your life.
You see the moment I truly asked myself this question around the age of 24, I knew a shift was going to take place in my walk with Christ and service to God. I knew that my spirit was starting to mature. Now, I did still ignore that feeling until a few months prior to my 25th birthday. Something in my clicked and I knew I needed to get my hands on a good Bible, so my mom purchased me a KJV Woman's Study Bible from Christian Book. I was excited, but when it arrived I was stuck on how to truly use it and where to begin.
Growing up I was always told to read the Gospels, Psalms and Proverbs first and though I would every now and then, I never fully understood why in that order...that was until I tried reading Genesis to Leviticus. Though I was able to read through it, I was totally lost and unable to understand it. Almost a year later since getting my Bible I've found out how to study the Bible and what works for me. I'll be breaking this topic up into multiple posts over the next month. Today is all about the basics of studying the Bible and where to begin...
HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE
**Before and after any Bible study, please pray for guidance and understanding.Pray for an open mind, heart and ears willing to hear. It makes a world of a difference! I promise you.
1) In order to study the Bible you most definitely need a Bible. It can be a study Bible, large print, compact, slimline, plain church Bible or something cute that fits your style. Which ever type you need a Bible.
2) Pick a translation you understand. There are many out there from the Amplified to the Message. Get one that makes it easy for you to understand and apply the scriptures to your life. Now, a second part that I would say to this step is at least get a KJV or NKJV as a second choice to your translation of choice because it will help you to really dig deeper and understand the Word. I personally have a few translations and I normally have three translations out while doing my Bible studies.
3) Writing utensils are a must! You will need a pen and some highlighters for note-taking, underlining and really pulling out key points.
4) Paper. Be it a journal, notebook, loose leaf in a binder...any type of paper to be able to write your thoughts, notes, questions and key verses down. No with this step, you can write in your actual Bible if you have enough space to in the margins, but having a separate place to keep your notes is easier to go back to down the line.
5) When you are ready, start in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), Psalms or Proverbs. Why? We hear all about Jesus in church, the new covenant, His life, death and resurrection. We need to read the Gospels to know about His time on earth before we can begin to understand the OT and make connections. Psalms is a book of poems, prayers and hymns mainly written by King David that can provide you with comfort. A lot of great songs we hear in church come from the book of Psalms as well. Proverbs because it talks all about wisdom. These books of the Bible will kick you into gear and really make you want to dive deeper into other books.
6) Once you pick a book of the Bible you need to read the chapter (or passage) through once without writing notes. You can highlight, underline and markup thins that stand out, but don't take notes. Take this time to really let the Word seep into your mind. Read it a second time through and take notes, cross reference or define words. For added measure, read the same chapter (or passage) a third time through in another translation for further understanding.
As you follow these steps, you'll feel a desire to continue to study the Word. My only tip as I conclude this: Don't rush. Don't stress. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you.
Studying the Word should not feel like a chore, homework, a job, a checklist or make you unhappy. It should give you great joy and make you smile.
As I'm writing this, I have thoroughly studied: John, Romans, Ruth and Esther. I'm currently studying Luke, Psalms and Proverbs. I can guarantee that once you get in the swing of things, you'll be like me...thirsting for the Word of God and feeling empty when you skip a day.
Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing different study methods, some bible study essentials and some plans and resources to help you study. Hope this post was helpful to many of you.
How do you study the Bible?
Comments
Post a Comment