HOW TO STUDY GOD’S WORD DAILY
My Bit 💛
As believers, we must understand the importance of studying our bibles, knowing God’s word, and giving ourselves daily to devotion.
Scripture encourages us in 1Peter chapter 2 vs 2, to desire the word of God as it is required nourishment for our growth. This means that whosoever does not study God’s word does not grow.
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Having said this, we find that a lot of us still struggle with consistency in our devotion.
Sometimes, this is attributed to the phrase “too busy” because of work or the activities that we are ladened with, in our everyday lives, and other times, we just cannot be bothered by the thought of bible study.
We must understand and come to the consciousness that our relationship with God is a top priority.
Our walk, daily with His spirit is of utmost importance and we cannot afford to neglect it.
This post details a 6 step guide to incorporate into your daily life to aid bible study.
So, here are my 6 guidelines on how to study the Bible:
1. CHECK YOUR INTENTIONS
Check my intentions? Yes! Check your intentions.
As students or having once been a student, we are required to make preparations for exams and tests.
Let’s be honest! A lot of times, we read and study just to pass the exams. Very few people read and study because they are interested in understanding what the course is about.
Seemingly, it applies to studying the Bible.
Are you studying the Bible to learn the Word and implement what the Word tells you to? Or are you studying because your pastor says so or because someone that catches your eye is studying?
Are you studying the Bible to seek Jesus? Or are you studying the Bible so you can feel good about yourself?
Intentions! Intentions! Check your intentions.
We must check because our intentions will continue to drive and fuel our actions.
If you intend to seek Jesus, then, follow the word, apply it daily, and have a deeper relationship with God.
Whereas, if you intend to follow what someone else is doing so you can look good in their sight or the sight of others, you just may tire yourself out.
2. PRAY
The book of 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 vs 16 says to “Pray without ceasing”
This means that as believers, we must imbibe a consistent praying habit and/or culture. We must never be found lacking in prayer.
So, what are we to pray for?
For Strength. There are so many things our body would rather do than study the Bible.
Matthew 26 vs 41 (KJV) says, “Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation; the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”.
Our hearts indeed yearn for devotion, our hearts yearn to learn of God through his word but our bodies just won’t let us.
So, we must pray — to strengthen and build ourselves on our most Holy Faith.
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. — Jude 1 vs 20 -21(KJV).
We must pray for strength and willpower, for the understanding of the Word, and for insights as we study.
Prayer stirs us and keeps us alert and awake. This is why we must pray.
3. DEDICATE A TIME TO STUDY
Set apart a study time.
My advice would be to study early when everyone is still asleep and the world isn’t buzzing with noise and activities.
I find mornings to be quite tranquil. Usually, “the calm before the storm” (especially if you live in Lagos 😀)
Studying in the morning before you get busy can help direct the trajectory of your day. By putting God’s word before anything and anyone else, you set the tone for a productive day.
Your mind is calm, your heart is nourished, your spirit is awake and your body is ready to take on the day.
It can be quite difficult to wake up early, especially because that’s the time the sleep hits well!😆
So, I’ll give an example from the book of Mark, chapter 1 verse 35 which says,
“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went away to a secluded place and was praying there” (KJV).
Hopefully, this helps you create time in the morning.
You may say, why mornings?
Now, that’s just my bit. Mornings aren’t the only times to study or pray.
So, don’t start thinking there’s a compulsory bible study time everyone must stick to.
The important thing is whatever time you choose to dedicate to studying the bible, strive to be still, surrender your time and heart completely, and be consistent.
Simply put, just focus on making Bible study and spending time with God a priority in your everyday life.
4. REMOVE ALL DISTRACTIONS
I figure you know what “DISTRACTIONS” I’m referring to.
If you guessed THE USE OF PHONES AND SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU ARE RIGHT!!!
If you guessed something else, kindly share with me in the comments what you guessed because there may be other distractions I do not know of.
Now, back to distractions.
When it is time to study our Bibles, the best we can do for ourselves is to do away with our phones.
And, if you have to use your phone to read and take notes, then, by all means, try turning off all notifications or even put your phone on flight mode.
This way, there are no distractions and you can focus on studying.
Another thing, whenever you sense a distraction, just say to yourself “Honor God first” or “I need to hear what God has to say to me today”.
It settles your mind and it works every time!
5. USE A JOURNAL, DICTIONARY
First of all, this is in no way me telling you to get fancy journals especially if they are expensive.
You can just get a little notebook.
The purpose of this is so that you can write down major points or questions that may pop up as you study or even write down verses from the scriptures that speak to you or words the Holy Spirit may speak to your heart.
You can also just write down verses you would like to use as prayer points. Most times, I find that studying the word helps me pray better.
As far as the dictionary goes, it is good to have a dictionary beside you so you can look up the words that you may find difficult to understand. You may as well also have a bible concordance to help you study better.
6. Finally, USE A BIBLE VERSION YOU ARE MOST COMFORTABLE WITH!
I use the Good News Translation, and sometimes, I compare verses with other translations like King James Version or New King James Version.
You must use a version or translation of the bible that you can understand and then, you can compare versions for insights when studying a verse or a chapter.
This is so that you don’t get bored or confused and you can grasp what you’re studying. You don’t have to use a particular translation just because everyone else does.
Now, I have written a 6-step guide to aid your Bible study. However, I must say that these guidelines are not rigid!💯
You DO NOT have to do exactly as you have read or as I have written.
I must say that there are some steps I left out, and everyone does not study exactly like this.
These 6 steps simply detail an overview that can aid your creation of a devotional routine.
So, you can switch it up! Tailor-make the guide to your style or preference.
You may not want to read the King James Version of the Bible and that’s okay, use another version.
If you have a Bible application on your phone, you can switch to an audio Bible. If you have been studying alone, you can call some friends to join you. If you are tired of using blue ink to journal, switch to another color.
My point is that it is YOUR study time with Jesus. So, own it!
No one is keeping scores on how well you study the Bible. Studying is for your growth and edification.
I must also tell you that because you failed to study the Bible yesterday does not mean you should not prepare to study today. You must keep trying till it becomes a habit, a daily practice.
Our God is merciful and kind, so you can ask for His help. He always helps and He has given us Grace too.
“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” — 2 Corinthians 12:9.
Finally, I honestly would love to see you have a routine and grow.
So, If you can, please share your routine with me in the comments or via mail if that’s more your style.
May the Grace of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be with us always!
Written by Damilola Aruna-Ogun.
