Broken For Building

I must admit that I enjoy Bible Study now more than when I first started trying to dive into the Word. Initially, studying the Word was a hit or miss. I struggled with what to study, how to study and being consistent at studying. Whether you are new to Bible Study or consider yourself a veteran, the key is that you keep growing. Don’t be content with where you are and don’t get frustrated with where you are now.

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever.  2 Peter 3:18

Here are 9 ways to get the most out of your Bible study.

1. Ask God to help you and come expecting God to meet you. Let’s face it, if you have little to no expectations, you probably won’t get too much out of your quiet time. As you prepare for Bible study, just ask God to speak through his word. I especially love Samuel’s response to God in 1 Samuel 3:10 “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”

2. Enlist A Friend  – Having accountability can help you to keep going when you feel like quitting and it can also allow you the chance to share what you are learning. Share your study goals or what you are studying with a friend. We have an awesome Facebook community that would be a great fit for accountability.  Click here to request access.

3. Keep a journal – I know, I know. Yes, it’s true. There is quite a bit of research that shows that when you write something down, it helps you to focus better as well as it helps you to retain the information you record.  Doing this will also allow you to see your growth as time progresses. At the minimum, I have a journal for my bible studies and this year, I’m adding one for prayer.

4. Answer the 5W’s of journalism – As you read and study a particular scripture or passage, you should ask yourself / record in your journal the who (who is this about), what (what is happening here), when (when is this happening, what is going on in this person’s life), where (if relevant, where is this taking place), and why (why is this happening) of the text. Doing this will allow you to understand the context of the scripture. Understanding context is  important because it ensures that you do not misinterpret what you are reading.

5. Do A Word Study – As you read scriptures, if a particular word stands out to you, do a word study of what the word means in the original language (Hebrew or Greek). I use an app called Blue Letter Bible which allows you to view the word origins and the definition of the original word as well as other places in the bible where the word is used.

6. Reflect on what you the Scripture says to you – Answering the following questions will help you reflect on your reading: What does this scripture say about the nature of God?What does this scripture say about me? What changes do I need to make as I move forward?

7. Be Realistic – As you set out to study the Bible, be realistic about the time of day you will study, the amount of time you will study and how much text you will study. If you only have 10 minutes to study, don’t try to read 2 chapters of scripture because you will end up speed reading and not really digesting what you are reading. Studying the Bible is not about checking off your list. Instead, it’s about learning and applying the Word and bearing fruit in your life.

8. Invest in some additional study tools – Two study tools that can help enrich your study time are: a study bible – offers various tools such as an introduction to the books of the Bibles, study questions and other additional information; a Bible Commentary can provide additional interpretations of scripture that you can reference as you study.

9. Keep your study options open – We’ve probably all tried the “open the Bible to a random place” reading plan. While that may be effective on some days, it usually is not the best approach. You have many options for studying the Bible. You can do a topical study and dig into topics that interest you. We are currently studying about trusting God (click here to join us). You could also do a book study, a character study, or you could read through the entire Bible (my favorite read through the Bible in a year plan is here) or invest in a devotional of your choice.

These tips are only suggestions to help to enrich your time with God.  There are no set rules except that you keep growing in your relationship with the Lord.

Do you do anything else that helps you with your Bible Study?

Share in the comments so I can add that to my study time.