Practical help for pursuing His promises
This was a Bible Study I did at our Church last month, and I wanted to share it with you since I have had many ladies say it was helpful to them. Studying scripture is so important, but it can be overwhelming and we oftentimes don’t even know where to start. Here is a simple guide using verses from Psalm 119 to help you dig deeper in God’s word.
1. Pray and Prepare
(Refer to Psalm 119:2, 10, 26)
This is the time spent before ever opening the Bible. You must get in the right mindset to have a successful study time. Confess any sins, clear your work area, and clear your mind. If you are like me then sitting among the piles of laundry and bills is not conducive to focusing on scripture!
2. Persecution should push you to, not pull you from God’s word.
(Refer to Psalm 119:71)
We must recognize obstacles as opportunities. Seasons in life should not mean stagnation. Trials should draw us to God, not push us farther from him. When distractions creep in, put them aside as soon as possible. Satan wants to destroy our quiet time with the Lord!
3. Ponder and be passionate about his precepts.
(Refer to Psalm 119:97, 163, 167)
Do we LOVE God’s word? Are we as excited about digging into scripture as we are about finishing a novel we started, or binge watching our favorite TV series? We should love hearing from God through scripture.
4. Put into practice.
(Psalm 119:44, 56, 79)
When the Holy Spirit pricks our heart about starting something, stopping something, or praying about something we read in scripture, DO IT! Put into practice whatever he speaks to you about during your studies. There is a reason you felt convicted, or led to change something. Remember, you already prayed that God would lead you to something before you started reading.
5. Plead for perception.
(Psalm 119:80, 124, 135)
Ask God to help you with what you read. Sometimes we may not immediately understand or perceive what God is trying to teach us from scripture. Pray for his wisdom and guidance as you apply truth in your life.
Ways to enhance your Bible study
Three ways I have found to be extremely effective when trying to retain what you read:
- In depth reading: Read a passage, pick out words to define in their original meaning, cross-reference with other passages, use study guides. (BE CAREFUL what study guides you choose! Not all Bible Study material is created equal. The author should stick as closely to the original, King James Bible as possible, and not stray into their personal opinions about how to rearrange and apply what scripture says.) Also, be careful about just ‘reading a verse’ to check a box for the day, and be able to say “I read a verse today”. God wants us to study, not simply to have a routine of reading verses.
- Mapping scripture: highlight, use colored pens, draw lines, circle, box in things of importance. In the back of my Bible I have made a reference page with FAQs (Frequently asked questions) about Biblical topics. Anytime someone asks me a question about drinking alcohol, baptism, etc. I have verses listed to go to for an explaination.
- Journaling: Create a notebook or journal for your quiet time with God. Write notes from your studies, write out prayers to God, summarize what you read, or draw colorful pictures. Doing so causes you to take time to ponder what you have read.
