Hi friend,
When I became invested in my faith and wanted to get closer to God I felt a lot of pressure to do “quiet time,” or a Bible study to start the day. This desire to study God’s Word is amazing, but it can also be overwhelming if, like me, you don’t know where to start. There are many ways to connect with the Lord on a daily basis and reading the Bible is just one way. Some seasons starting the day with Scripture will work well, or maybe spending time in prayer throughout the day works best for you.
Reading the Bible or doing daily devotions are great ways to bring God into your life intentionally. Alena sees Bible studies as a way to start a conversation with God and I just love that description! Bible studies are a way to learn about God and hear His voice through its timeless words.
Where do you start?
The first thing I do is open with prayer. No matter how much time I have or what study I use, I start by beginning my time with the Lord in prayer. It is a great way to invite God into this space and include Him in my thoughts. I typically pray something like, “Lord, open my heart to whatever it is you may need me to hear today. Help me to hear your words and apply them to my life. Thank you for being here with me. Amen.” It may be simple, but it helps me to invite God into my Bible study because I’m able to feel and visualize His presence there with me. I often try to thank Him at the end, too, for being present and revealing His Word to me.
The Bible is huge! What should I actually read?
Here are some ideas that have worked well for me:
1. Choose a book or character in the Bible to follow. I loved reading the books of Esther and Ruth when I first became a Christian. I was most excited to read about women in the Bible so it made sense for me to start there. Pick someone you are interested in learning about!
2. Start reading through the Gospels. The Gospels are the first books in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These books serve as biographies of Jesus’ life. This is a great way to learn more about Jesus’ character and His teachings. It is fascinating to compare the different accounts to see what each disciple thought was important and how they viewed Jesus. What better way to learn about someone than to read what their closest friends thought of them?
3. Find a topical reading plan. There are plenty of free reading plans online or on the YouVersion Bible app on topics like forgiveness, friendship, dating, hope, etc. Pick a topic that you want to explore. What does God say about joy, love, anxiety, etc? Find a plan that helps you investigate that!
4. Open your Bible to a random page. Sometimes I know that I need to hear from God, but I don’t know where to start. On those days I lay my Bible flat open and point to a passage. God can teach you through anything! Don’t doubt His ability to speak to you through a few random verses. The words you need to hear may not come right away, but don’t let that stop you from continuing. Let the Bible start that conversation with God about what you need to talk about.
5. Read a verse a day. The YouVersion Bible app and other similar apps provide a daily Bible passage. Getting into the Word does not have to be a long process! Try reading for just five minutes each day and see what the Lord is capable of by sitting with Him for just a few minutes.
6. Buy a devotional or find a free one online. My favorite devotionals provide a short verse, reflection or story, and some questions for reflection or prayer. Right now I am working on Diana Carter’s “Don’t Just Deal: Going from Surviving to Thriving When Everything Changes.” I also love devotionals by Ann Voskamp, Jordan Lee Dooley, and Stephanie May Wilson.
How do I study the Bible as God’s Word? How can I get something out of it beyond a story?
Here are some simple methods that have worked for me:
1. The SOAP method: This method is applicable to any scriptural passage.
Scripture: read any piece of Scripture, short or long
Observation: write down or think of some observations from the passage
Application: journal or think about how you can apply this Scripture to your life
Prayer: talk to God about the Scripture-- what you think about it, what you struggle with, what you don’t understand, or ask for His help in applying it in your life
Example: Right now I am reading through the book of John using the SOAP method. I found a plan online that breaks the book down into a month of reading. I read about 20-30 verses a day and the study can be as quick as ten minutes, or as long as an hour. The length of the study depends on the day, but this method is a great way for me to get in the habit of reading a few verses a day.
2. Three Questions method: Like the SOAP method, you can use this with any part of the Bible.
Pick a passage and reflect on these questions:
If this is truth, what does it teach me about God’s character?
If this is truth, what does this tell me about me and how God sees me?
How can I apply this to my life?
Example: I first used this method while studying parts of Genesis in a Bible study on my campus. Although this can work with any part of the Bible, I love using it when studying the Psalms. Pick a favorite psalm or choose one at random and read it in its entirety. Use these questions to journal and guide you in prayer.
3. Sometimes Bible study isn’t what you need. When I first started to read the Bible I would read The Message translation on a Bible app. I read books of the Bible like novels by reading through individual books and highlighting parts that stood out to me. I didn’t dissect verses or journal or talk to God (although I know He was there guiding me!) because I was interested in content. I grew up learning the typical Bible stories, but I wanted to dig deeper and understand them in context. This is a great way to read the Bible if you’re interested in learning more about what is in the Bible. Your study of the Bible doesn’t need to be sophisticated or Instagram-worthy, just set a few minutes aside to spend some time with the Lord and see where He takes you!
These are just a few ideas for you to get started reading the Bible. Go at your own pace and with whatever method and study appeals to you most. I pray that these techniques help you to try talking to the Lord in a new way!
What are some ways you study the Bible? Do these methods appeal to you? What are some of your favorite books of the Bible to study? Peace and blessings,
Shaina
