I have had the privilege over the past several weeks to talk with women about how to study God’s Word. I am amazed that some of us can grow up in church (this was my story) and never be taught by those in spiritual authority over us how to study the Bible for ourselves. We are given amazing messages, full of insight into what the text is about and wonderful application strategies for how to apply it to our lives, but there is a difference in giving out fish and teaching men to fish for themselves. I want to be able to fish on a daily basis and not have to wait until Sundays. So, today’s blog is a quick, very easy method of how to study the Bible. When I approach a passage of Scripture, I ask myself the following questions (and I did not make this up, this is a method I learned from Anne Graham Lotz – for further instruction, see a video on her website here: http://www.annegrahamlotz.com/resources/topic/all-bible-studies/learning-hear-his-voice/).
- Before you begin, invite the Lord into your time in His Word, asking Him to speak to you personally and clearly. Then ask yourself the following questions as you read a portion of His Word.
- What does the passage say? (Make a verse by verse list of the obvious facts, using the words found in the text. Be factual.)
- What does it mean? (Write down the spiritual lessons that you see in each verse. Ask yourself “is there a command to obey?”, “a promise to claim?”, “a warning that I should heed?”, “an example that I should follow?”, etc. Make sure that you’re careful to keep God’s Word in the context in which it was given.)
- What does it meant to me? (Now take your spiritual lessons and put them into the form of a question you could ask of yourself. As you write them down, listen for God to speak to you personally.)
- Pick an application question(s) to journal on and pray through and ask God to show you how to put it into practice.
It may take some getting used to, but I promise you, your reading of God’s Word will come alive as you begin to see Him speak specifically to you in the language of your life. Try using this method with your favorite passage of Scripture and tell me how it went! (Caution here, don’t try and bite off too much. Start with a verse or two to get the hang of it, otherwise, you might become discouraged.) For those of you who are visual, I will give you an example of a verse I read this morning.
My verse: “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:2
- What does it say?
a. Set mind on things above, not things on earth. - What does it mean?
a. The focus of a believer should be on the things that are on the mind of God’s.
b. The things of the earth are temporary and will pass away. There is no lasting value and if our mind is wrapped up in affairs of the earth, ultimately it will have been a waste.
c. A heavenly or a kingdom-minded perspective allows us to see the happenings of earth with clear perspective. - What does it mean to me?
a. What does God’s Word tell me about the things that are on the mind of God? Is my mind focused on these things?
b. Where is my mind wrapped up in the affairs of this earth and how can I redirect them so that I’m viewing them in light of eternity?
c. Am I struggling with why God’s allowing certain things to happen in this world (i.e. earthquakes, floods, famine)? What is God saying about Himself and our need for Him? - Now I would journal away and ask God to drive the lesson(s) down deep into my heart, so that I might be transformed by His Word!
He promises to be found by you when you seek Him with all of your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). Now, go learn to fish for yourself and enjoy the journey!
1 comment:
Awesome! I loooove your blog! What a privilege to get a glimpse into your heart and hear what God is teaching you. Much love to you, friend:)
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