▵ Every morning for years, I sat cross legged on my bed; leafing through my bible & trying my darndest to feel God's essence. I'd mindlessly page through the books thinking that if I read for at least thirty minutes, I'd qualify as a good Christian. I always read 5 Psalms and one chapter in Proverbs, then I'd try to decipher one of the minor prophets and finish with some well known story from the Old Testament. I never felt God's presence as I did my devos each morning, I didn't feel moved by any passage I read, and I didn't feel that I was learning anything. I was frustrated + a bit annoyed that all my Christian friends seemed to have such awesome bible times. Was I not a good Christian? I wondered if God was disappointed in me, whether He knew how hard I tried. I just honestly did not know how to study the bible. It was foreign, even though I loved the Lord & wanted to understand what I read. I understood that reading scripture was important & an absolute must in life ⎯ "For your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light unto my path." // Psalm 119:105 (NLT) ⎯ however, I didn't know the exact way to go about it. I eventually gave up, laid my bible on my dresser, and didn't pick it up. I felt guilty at first, but after awhile I forgot about it. You might think that I was a lost cause - but I wasn't. I was just confused & a non perfect little person. I remember one day when my older sister gave me a page of bible study methods from her BSF class. A page that changed everything and made me see things in a new light. It helped me develop a daily + fruitful bible study everyday. I want to share it with you, along with a few of my own methods.
↠ Start Small: One of the biggest mistakes I made when studying the bible was, I tried to go big. Super big! I thought I had to read for thirty minutes or more to have a truly meaningful bible time. I read long chapters too, chapters that I lost concentration in by verse ten. If you want to get it right, start with baby steps. Read short chapters or portions of longer ones. You don't have to read a whole chapter in the bible every day ─ it's more important to read a little and understand it, than to read a lot and not have a clue or forget it three hours later. It's best to start small, and as you grow in your relationship + understanding + love of God, so will your time with Him. When I started really studying the Bible, I read with real interest for five minutes. That turned into ten minutes, that turned into fifteen, and so on ─ Devos do not have to be a certain length in time. The most important thing is that we realize that spending time with Jesus is essential and that we make it a priority every day. Even if that's reading a quick chapter and finishing with a prayer. ↠ Start With A Short Book In The Bible: My favorite books in the Bible are the short ones. The long ones are wonderful too mind you, but there's some sweetness about the shorter ones that grab me. My favorite ones are probably the book of James, 1st and 2nd John, and Titus. They are just filled with so many truths & are an easy study for beginners. At camp this summer, my cabin studied the book of Jonah together. It's a short book; with short chapters that the campers were able to pay attention to the entire time. I loved it! Also, since we had new campers each week, you can not imagine the number of times I studied that book. When we are new at something, something that we don't quite understand, it's hard to focus. Believe me! My mind is just a dreamer and I have to force it concentrate on my studies. It's better to slowly wade into the smaller truths to get a fuller understanding, a foundation set, before we can dive head first into the rest.
↠ Ask Yourself What You Learned: After reading your bible, ask yourself these 7 questions. I love to get out my pretty notebooks and snuggle up in bed with them while I do the questions and answers -
Is there a warning, command, or promise?
Is there an example to follow, or an example not to follow?
What is the main truth of this passage?
Is there a lesson or principle that is a universal truth?
Why is this passage in scripture? Why did God put this here?
What does this passage reveal about God's character (His attributes, ways of relating to people, emotions, His views, reasons to love Him more, etc.)?
Are there specific things in which I should pray?
Now, like I said before, start small. You don't have to answer all these questions at once. Maybe one for everyday. I still don't answer all of them in one sitting. It takes a lot of thought and I want to get the most out of each question and answer. ↠ Pick a Bible Reading Plan: It's always good to be organized! Pick out a devotional from a bookstore or find reading plans online. There are so many ways these days, so you have LOTS of options. I think it's great to start with a devotional! That way, you don't have to figure it out by yourself. The planner is there to help you find your own special way to study the scriptures. You can pick up your bible and commit to reading it every day. It doesn't have to be complicated at all! My favorite devotional planners are these sheets I found on Pinterest for studying the books of the bible. You read the verses or chapters it gives you and then fill in these boxes that outline what the book is teaching, the main truth of it, and what you grasped out of it. You can make your own too. I love them to death and find them extremely helpful!
↠ Set Time Aside Each Day: It's so much easier to make bible time happen each day when there is a certain time set for it to be done. It doesn't have to be a specific time and it doesn't have to a certain length of time. Just get into the habit of having your devos at around the same time ─ like morning, afternoon, evening, or night. I like to have mine earlier in the morning and then late at night. It's never at a specific time, but is mostly done at some time in the morning and then some time at night. ↠ It's Okay To Not Get It: Know that it's perfectly okay to not get what you read in the bible. Sometimes I feel frustrated because I just don't understand the message that's being conveyed. That's okay though, it's so okay. Let us pray that the LORD will open our eyes to see it, to understanding His word. He says in scriptures that he who asks for wisdom and understanding will obtain it. (James 1:5) Sometimes we will only understand one thing and the rest is foreign. But let me tell you, hold onto that truth. Tuck it away in your heart. Just like Mary, when she didn't understand the words of Jesus, tucked them away in her heart, so must we. For one day, we will definitely understand. ↠ Don't Compare: Each spiritual journey is different. When we are so focused on what God is doing in other folk's lives, we miss out on what He is doing in ours. Sitting at camp this summer, I heard a lot stories about all the awesome things God was teaching my friends. One night, one of the guys excitedly shared what God had done for him with me. I was happy for him, but wondered why God hadn't shown me anything that day. But each journey is different. Don't compare. Just because God worked in that person's heart, doesn't mean He's not working in yours. When I stopped focusing on my friend's camp lessons and looked for my own, I found them quicker than you can wink. Someone else's journey with Christ is ─ well, it's someone else's journey with Christ. Don't be so focused on theirs that you miss out on your own. Give yourself a break and time to figure out what bible time is for you, not for those around you. ↠ Open Your Bible With An Open Heart: If you go into your bible study with a lousy attitude, you're going to have a lousy bible study. Go into each devo with a heart that wants to learn and to understand. Open your ears so you may hear, and open your eyes so you may see. ↠ Don't Give Up: Ask the LORD to help you establish a daily bible reading routine. He is good and will definitely help you. I know He does me! The more you study & read His book, the more important it will become to you and your stroll with Jesus. Don't be discouraged if you miss a day. The world will not end & crash down on you if you do. There are days when there is just little time to get it done and that's okay. We must just remember to keep Him as our top priority in life. Before you know it, it will be as natural as drinking your morning coffee. You can do it guys, don't give up! I have faith in you!
