Enhance Your Study
Welcome to part 2 of the Open Your Bible series! Last week we examined ways we procrastinate in reading and how to overcome the overwhelm as well as the tactical parts of studying the Bible. This week we will explore ways to enhance your time in the Bible to nurture and grow your faith.
Each time we crack open our Bible and read the words, we learn more about who God is, how He works, and get a glimpse of His heart for us. This is how we get to know Him and foster a relationship with Him.
Our relationship with the Lord is likened to marriage throughout the Bible. Once you give your heart to the Lord and invite Him in, you are just beginning your faith journey. You must put forth the effort to get to know the Lord and spend time with Him in prayer. You wouldn’t leave the alter after your wedding and never speak to your husband again, would you? This is the time to lean in and get to know the Lord.
This is the part where we must take responsibility for our growth and move out of the infancy stage of our faith and develop into mature, faith-filled Christ followers. The apostle Peter encouraged early Jewish Christians in 1 Peters 2:2-3 with this:
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Now, let’s look at ways to maintain consistency in reading the Word, gaining a deeper knowledge of the content, and joining forces with others to take a study deeper.
Establishing the Habit
Merriam-Webster defines habit as an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary. We all have habits that we perform each day. Close examination of our habits show us how we are growing or stagnating in our lives.
If we want to establish the habit of reading our Bible each day, we need to do more work than just deciding to do it. Life happens and many of our desires get pushed to the side to give us margin to put out fires. What I suggest is to make your reading habit part of the non-negotiable activities of your day.
In the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, he helps readers define goals they want to achieve and then set up systems to achieve them. A way to utilize his training to create the habit of reading your Bible is to add it to an existing habit, Clear calls this habit stacking.
Habit stacking is when you combine several things to do in order and repeat them regularly. For example, you may do the same thing each morning when you wake up like grab some coffee, take a shower, get ready, then wake up the kids. If you already have a morning routine habit, you can easily add in something else (like reading your Bible) and it will likely stick.
Start paying attention to the habits you currently have and see where you can add in time in the Word. Establishing this habit will help you get your reading in regularly and prevent against a dusty Bible.
Get Professional Help…Use a Devotional
Once you have moved beyond reading a scripture each day and are hungry for a deeper understanding of the Bible, it is time to tackle a larger piece of scripture. A great tool to help with this is a devotional. These are a wonderful companion to your Bible readings and a way to dig deeper with the help of a Bible scholar, teacher, or historian.
I once joined a ladies Bible study group where we used “Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break” by Kelly Minter. Before this time, I had never read through the book of Nehemiah and didn’t know anything about it. During this study, we were guided through the book and given incredible history and insight to the setting and circumstances surrounding Nehemiah at the time of the writing.
Having this guidance and insight made the book come alive. I am certain that had I only read through Nehemiah on my own, the poignant details would have been lost on me. However, joining a group of women to engage in the study together provided a deep understanding and a lasting impact.
A devotional can also be used outside of a study group. If you are interested in a particular person in the Bible or a topic, grab a book or study that focuses on this and dive in. The more you study the intricate teachings of God’s word, the stronger your desire will be for learning more.
Grab a Friend and Study Together
Have you ever studied in a group for anything? When I was in school, I loved a good study group. As a highly social person, this satisfied many needs in my life. I had to study so I wouldn’t flunk out of school and I wanted to hang out with people, so a study group was the perfect blend for me.
This type of gathering is also highly effective when studying the Bible. It can take many shapes such as a Sunday School class studying and discussing a topic together, a lady’s group, a mom’s group, a couple’s group, and even an entire church studying the same topic for a set period.
Studying in a group broadens the conversation and opens the door to more insight. It also provides a layer of accountability to stay on track with the reading assignments. For a procrastinator like myself, I need the looming meeting to keep me focused on reading and studying.
The structure of groups also provide easy-to-follow plans with fellowship added in as a bonus.
Don’t have a group near you? No worries! You have several options if you are interested in participating (or even leading) a study group. I would recommend doing these things first:
- Select the environment of the meeting (online or in-person)
- Pick a leader of the group
- Determine the book to use for the study
After these details are nailed down, you can begin to talk with other people about the upcoming meetings and gauge for interest.
Enjoying the Word
Using commentaries, devotionals, study guides, and other resources increases our understanding and gives us a chance to learn from others who have studied a person or a topic thoroughly. We get to benefit from the intense work of others to help us better understand the text; however, anything other than the Bible is simply a tool to aid in your understanding. These tools are not a substitute for reading and studying God’s word on a regular basis.
Dedicating regular time with Lord will prove to be an enjoyable part of your spiritual journey. It will guide you, instruct you, and may even step on your toes. In Joshua 1:8 it says:
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Leading a life of biblical (not worldly) prosperity and success can be a reasonable goal only with the guidance of the Bible. To have this guidance, we must be dedicated to regular time in the word and allowing it to penetrate our hearts. You can do this!
I look forward to continuing this series next week and hope you will join me.
Resources
Free Online Bible studies
My Favorite Study Writers
Beth Moore
Priscilla Shirer
Kelly Minter
Lisa Harper