Over the years I have been asked by several people how I study the bible. How do I choose what to focus on each day, and what does my general bible reading routine look like? I thought I would share a video with you to show what my study routine looks like currently.
Why study the bible?
The Bible is my life. It is my guideline for how to live and gives me wisdom and direction. I read stories from the Old Testament for guidance (and oftentimes learn what to avoid) and I glean from the New Testament to learn God’s will for my life today through my salvation and hope in Jesus Christ. Together, both the Old and New testaments give divine inspiration for how I am to walk through my faith journey.
I study the Bible because without knowing what it says I can’t possibly live my fullest life of faith in Christ Jesus. As a Christian, I need to be aware of what the Bible says about me and what God wants for me. Only then will I be better able to serve others.
How do I this? First things first…
I chose a bible version I like.
I love a variety of different versions of bibles, but the New King James is my favorite. It’s a special version to me because I grew up with it in church since I was a little girl and have come to love and understand the translation for its original beauty. And I also love that New King James is pretty close to the original Hebrew translation…so I stick with it.
However, I have also grown to love ESV as well as the Messianic version.
I have a few different bibles that I like to have around for different purposes. My huge Thompson Chain Reference study bible is just for that: for studying. I don’t lug it around with me everywhere because it’s just too heavy. I do enjoy using all of the many reference materials in the back of the bible because it helps deepen my understanding of the bible.
I own a journaling bible, which I really love for everyday reading. I try to read through the bible, cover-to-cover once a year and I mark it up with my color pencils to bring certain verses to life for me.
Then, of course, my smaller NKJV bible is for taking to church with me. It’s so small and easy to slip into my purse or bag. This one is my on-the-go bible 🙂
I choose how I want to study the Bible.
There are plenty of ways to study the bible, but one of my favorite ways is to begin by reading through the bible cover-to-cover. I view the bible as a rich buffet of answers for our lives, so I start my day with a bible reading, which is like my “meal”. I use Daily Audio Bible for this because it helps keep me accountable.
Afterward, I like to have a daily devotional. I get mine through my church, but there are plenty of devotionals you can sign up for and enjoy (such as on the Bible app).
Another way I study the bible is through topical studies. So, whatever I happen to be going through, I can always look up that topic in the back of my bible (or online at Biblegateway, for example) and find biblical solutions for my practical problems.
I memorize scripture
Meditation to me has been about speaking the Word of God aloud, to myself. It is about memorizing scripture and reciting it, which travels from my auditory processing down to the core of my heart when I actually find myself believing what I’ve just spoken.
Scripture memory is the best way to keep God’s words in my heart.
I hope these tips have been helpful for you! Please let me know how they help in the comments below.
