Have you ever sat down with your Bible and not had a clue of what to do or where to start? Ever wanted to study on your own without using a devotional or study book? Maybe you’re tired of just opening the Bible at random and putting your finger down on a passage looking for some revelation to hit you. I don’t know about you, but coming up with what scripture I’m going to study on my own is sometimes like fumbling around in the dark (you know, like when you watch a scary movie or TV show and the good guy is walking into the dark, dark room with the bad guy lurking in the shadows—and you’re yelling, “Come on, turn on the light, turn on the light!!!”) Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but you get the picture.
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There are many ways to study your Bible, and many can be confusing or seem too labor intensive. Stay tuned, jump on board and try this easy three step method to dig into a passage and learn specifically what God wants YOU to know! You’ll also have a creative outlet through coloring along the way! BONUS!
Without wasting time, here we go! Grab your version of the Bible. I tend to like the ESV (English Standard Version) or the NIV (New International Version), but use your favorite translation—the one you’re most comfortable with.
Start with prayer. This is super important!! Ask God to open your eyes as you study so you’ll grow in understanding, know Him more deeply, and have your heart aligned with His heart.
Now, choose a passage you’re interested in. If you’re new to the Bible, maybe start with the Gospel of John or a Psalm or Proverb. Consider a shorter passage of less than 30 verses. You can certainly use this method to study longer portions of scripture—even whole chapters. But, if you want to take it verse by verse and really look at it in depth, take in the amount of verses in small chunks.
Read it through twice. That’s right. Take the time to read it through a couple of times to let it sink into your busy overtaxed mind! It’s better than eating two bowls of Rocky Road ice cream or two slices of Chicago style pizza! Can you tell I’m a Midwesterner to the core? Now comes the awesome part. Use these three steps to work through a passage:
- 1) Take It In: What does it say?
- 2) Think It Through: What do I learn?
- 3) Live It Out: What should I do?
Let’s use Psalm 34:7-10 (NIV) to see how this works.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Take It In—What does it say?
This is the “view from 50,000 feet” step. You’re going to read it through twice.
Now list the obvious facts. What stands out to you? Try to use the actual words from the scripture in this step and don’t paraphrase. I like to put the verse next to each point to help me hone in on each verse and what I’m finding.
Moving on to Step two. See how easy this is?
Think It Through—What do I learn?
Is there a promise? A command? A warning? An example to follow, or not to follow? What do I learn about God or myself? Lots of questions here, I know. But, just try to think about what stands out to you and what you learn. Again, write the verses next to each.
One last step—almost there!
Live It Out—What should I do?
I have to admit this is the toughest part for me. . .
Write out some open ended questions. The kind of questions that you can’t just answer “Yes” or “No”.
What is God saying to you? These questions should move you to action and challenge you to trust Him in what He’s calling you to change or do. Many times these are the type of questions that make you squirm because they go deep into your heart and require a response.
Response or Prayer—This isn’t really a step but a conversation or a response.
Now for the best part—talk to God and respond to Him. He just spoke directly to you, and it’s because you are so dear and valuable to Him. Maybe He pointed out something that He wants you to do, so respond with a statement and ask Him for His power to accomplish it. Or maybe He held you tight for those minutes and soothed your broken heart—talk to Him and thank Him for what He revealed to you or spend time just worshiping Him for who He is.
All it takes is a few minutes and 3 Easy Steps: 1) Take it in, 2) Think it through, 3) Live it out!
Ready to give it a try? Subscribe below for your Free One-Week Study On Philippians 1. It includes hand-drawn illustrations for you to dabble around with those gel pens or colored pencils that have been gathering dust! I love this method of study and the addition of coloring because it gives me a creative outlet and it helps me to spend a longer amount of time meditating on a passage. There’s something about lingering on the page with my colored pencils (my preference cuz I love to blend)—it makes me feel like one of those ancient monks illuminating the pages of scripture—well, almost:) Slowing down long enough to really think about what I’m reading and long enough to be quiet and listen to God speak to me, is really helping me to grow. Hope it does the same for you!
I’ve written a 30-day study with verses specifically focused on the topic of peace, along with illustrations for coloring. It’s created using the same easy three-step method of study. If you’re interested, you can get it [amazon_textlink asin=’1546722289′ text=’here’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’inspiredblog-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’6849db44-bb5e-11e7-8af7-ad27bad687ad’] on Amazon.com.
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