The Discipline of Bible Study
It’s nice to have someone prepare meals for us but as we grow, that is the exception and not the rule of life. At some point, you’ve got to cook your own meals. As Christians pursuing spiritual maturity, we cannot be make it being fed a sermon or two per week. It must become normal for us to personally spend time with the Word of God everyday. When the writer of Hebrews said the Word of God is alive (Hebrews 4:12), He was speaking of its power to speak and work now. A history book will tell you about the past but only the Bible can do that and simultaneously speak to your present.
Four Reasons To Read the Word of God
Deuteronomy 17:18-20 And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.
To learn the fear (reverence) of God.
To prevent pride from taking root in our heart.
To keep us from turning from God’s Word and remain obedient.
To live a blessed life.
Read For Transformation
It is important to know what the Bible says but we don’t read the Scripture just for information. The ultimate goal of this journey is to be like Jesus (Romans 8:29) which comes through continual transformation. As you read God’s Word, ask yourself:
What principles or concepts do I see in this passage?
How can I apply these learnings to my life?
Effective Bible reading always ends with application. This is the process of transformation. If our devotion is not producing godly change in us, it isn’t working as God intends it to. This is most likely because I am not understanding the text or I am not applying it personally.
Tips For Effective Bible Reading
Use a hardcopy of the Bible. This can help prevent digital distractions. If you do use a digital device for Bible reading, be sure to mute all notifications.
Use a Bible without study notes for your regular reading. By doing so you are sure to spend your time in the text of Scripture not a commentary.
Read the Bible with a pen and notebook handy. Write notes when you feel the Lord speaking to you or when you read something you wish to study further at a later time.
Read from various Bible translations to increase your understanding (i.e. KJV, NKJV, ESV, NASB, AMP, NLT and NIV).
Read through the Bible systematically. This will help you work through the entirety of Scripture rather than always deferring to passages that are most familiar or favoured.
Set a routine and be consistent. Determine a time of day and schedule your devotion as you would any other appointment. Prioritize it as the most important thing of your day.
Pray for God to open your eyes that you may understand what you are reading (Psalm 119:18; Ephesians 1:17-18).
Reading Plans
Reading the Bible systematically helps take you through the entire text and gives you a system which helps you be accountable. YouVersion has a large selection of plans available on its website or smartphone app. Here are a few recommendations:
WHOLE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR PLANS: One Year Bible, Lookout Bible Reading Plan, Reading God’s Story (Chronological)
PARTIAL BIBLE PLANS: New Thru 30 (30 days), The Gospels (30 days), New Testament Epistles & Acts (85 days)
TOPICAL PLANS: Ramsey’s Financial Wisdom From Proverbs (10 days), Elisha: A Tale of Ridiculous Faith (13 days)
