One of the most neglected aspects of this generation is the Study of God’s Word, the Bible. Many read the Bible but seldomly study the Bible. The irony is many Christians don’t even know how to study the Bible and apply the learning to their spiritual growth. And since they don’t study, they don’t know their heavenly Father personally, and neither do they know who to defend their faith/belief. Like any academic studies, you fail when you don’t study, and this very same principle applies here, but at a much larger scale than anyone can imaging.
God’s words are the Living Words, studying them will add more life to your living. It’s the only food for your soul. We repeatedly see in the scriptures that we ought to store His words in our Hearts. (Psalms 119:11) (Deuteronomy 11:18), (Proverbs 6:21), (Proverbs 7:2-3). Study of the Word of God is vital for any human who would like to pass the so-called journey of life with flying colors. It’s not about just this worldly life, but it is about life eternal. At the core of the study as you go deeper and deeper into his Words, you will find the treasures of Wisdom, Knowledge, and Understanding. Be cautious and remember, foolishness prevails in the absence of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.
I happen to attend a family fellowship meeting, and it was here I came across the below points on how we should study our Bible. Hope they will be a blessing to you. I have attached the points in the PDF \JPEG which you can download\print and use regularly during your Bible Study.
Your Bible study needs to be focused on the three most important parameters, without which your study would be a merry casual reading
- Observation
- Interpretation
- Application
Each of the above-mentioned points can be further divided into sub-sections. Below is the complete list of the study guide.
Remember not to skip any of the 3 mentioned points. The chain breaks and your study of the scripture and its manifestation in your life will not be complete if you miss any one of the points. In simple words, If you do not observe then you will never get to interpret or have the correct reasoning and you gain nothing. If you observe and interpret it correctly, but do not apply the learning in your life, then you gain nothing, it’s just folly. So always keep the three points as a priority. The sub-topics discussed under the 3 points are there to help you further drill into the richness of God’s word, however, pray for the Holy Spirit to help and Guide and navigate as you diligently seek him.
Observation:
Gods words is living, that is, its alive and active, its sharper that any twin edge sword cutting through soul and sprit… Hebrews 4:12. So the most important thing you need to do is to observe, be vigilant as you read the word of God. lets see some of the sub-points to be considered.
| Context: Very very important to consider under what context the writer is explaining, or under what context the book was written or the message given. Caution needs to be exercised as taking the message\actions under the wrong context may lead to wrong implications or understanding of the scripture. The enemy always tries to uses such misunderstandings to deceive and lead astray. | |
| Content: Try to analyze the content of the scripture. For example, who said to whom? when was it said? where was it said and under what context? etc. | |
| Key Words: In John 3:5 Jesus said “verily verily I say unto thee…” so why did Jesus say the word twice? Jesus is repeating here which means it’s of prime importance and he wants us to give special focus on the subject he is talking off. | |
| List: Make a habit or more of a hobby to note down important verses which touch your heart or lists of promises\commands that you come across which you feel is important. |
Interpretation:
Once the observations are made, the right or correct interpretation of the observation is very necessary to keep you moving forward in the right direction. It mainly consists of questions such as Why? How? for example, why was something said or why was it done in this manner? or why was there no other way? etc. You need to find the meaning of the scripture in the context of the observations you made.
No one can help us better understand or interpret the scriptures other than the Holy Sprit. So always be humble and prayerful when you come to the Lord.
Application:
This is the most important step of the 3 points. This is one aspect where many of the believers\Christians fail terribly, applying God’s word\scriptures to our day-to-day life. This is all about your faithfulness to God’s word, it about how closely you are walking with God. Great men of God have fallen only because they were inefficient to apply God’s word into their day-to-day living. They know the scriptures and all the references, they can even preach great sermons and interpret the word of God to you, but they fail to apply and live a life in the submission of the scriptures.
To be honest, it’s not an easy task, even for myself. This is an area where the enemy is most active and throws temptations and trials at every step. We can never become perfect, but His grace and your perseverance to be close with God can give us victory. Your desire to seek God, your true love for Him, and the fear of the Lord will guide your path, as you step by step get closer in your walk with God.
| Apply: Apply God’s word to your daily living. A wound gets healed with no septic when you apply for the medicine, in the same way, your life gets healed and blessed when you apply God’s word to your daily living. Apply your learnings from the scripture, the commandments\wisdom from our lord to your day-to-day relationship with God, with your neighbors, colleges, enemies, and last but not least yourself. For example, If the scripture says to be patient, then follow it with absolute dedication even in tough times, be patient with others and with your own self. |
| Meditate: (Psalm 1:1-3) “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly….. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night”. Now see the promise you receive when you meditate… “He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper”, beautiful is’t it. Meditate is all about being mindful about our heavenly Father and His words (commandments and promises). Remember, the more you meditate, the less you are tempted. |
| Question: Its very important to question your self in the light of scriptures. confess\repent of sins, claim the promises of the word of God, memorise important versis\chapters and keep His words close to your heart. |
| Find & Apply: Find the hidden timless Truths about God, His words and about His works. Finally make sure to apply all your learnings from the word of God first personally. Dont be in a hurry to teach others or point out others faults. |
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