There are so many ways to study God’s Word! It can certainly feel overwhelming at times. As long as you are praying, reading, learning, engaging, and not just checking off an item on your daily to-do list, then you’re definitely on the right track! What works for one person might not work for the next. In this post, I want to share with you the method that I’ve found most effective for me in studying God’s Word!
Before I start, there’s one thing to consider: quality has to be more important than quantity. I learned this lesson the hard way by attempting to do a “through the Bible in one year” plan. Now, I believe that any time spent in God’s Word is time well spent. However, when I was trying this plan, I found myself skimming through several chapters of the Bible a day. I’d see the list and think, “okay, time to get this done,” and after a while I realized that nothing was actually sticking from my Bible reading.
I backed up and started to reevaluate the way that I was reading my Bible.
Supplies I like to use
I love my CSB Study Bible for Women! For church, I carry a thinner CSB like this one. I love the notes and commentaries in my study Bible, but seeing as how I also carry a toddler at church every week, I opt for a smaller, more lightweight Bible for my bag.
The ESV Illuminated Scripture Journal is another great tool! There’s always value in reading a few different translations while studying scripture. These journals have text on the left page and the right page in left blank. In that space, you can draw, record insights, or journal prayers. It’s nice having your notes right beside your text, all in one book!
I have this set of Bible highlighters and ballpoint pens. I have found that ballpoint pens are the best to use in your Bible, since they don’t smear or bleed through the thin pages. I’ve been using this set since my birthday last December and it’s still going strong!
Lastly, you’ll need a notebook or paper for note-taking. If you’d prefer to download my printable guide for a personal scripture study, you can download it at the end of this post!
P.S. I’m not an affiliate of any website. I am just sharing links for what works for me, in the hopes that it’ll work for you, too!
Origins of this method
My preferred way of Bible studying comes from various other methods that I’ve tried, enjoyed, and eventually tailored a bit. You may have used the “SOAP” or “HEAR” method before. These are both Bible study guides that my Pastor Husband has used in our youth group Sunday School class. My steps are also inspired by a Priscilla Shirer simulcast that I participated in. If I remember correctly, she cited Kay Arthur as her inspiration in studying this way!
As you can see, over time you’ll find what works for you. It’ll evolve as you study more and more, and you can borrow techniques from others and it’ll be a beautiful time in God’s Word!
Start with prayer
Before you begin reading your Bible, spend a few moments talking to God! Ask that he would guide you and teach you as you dive in to his Word. Pray that you’d be open to what he has to teach you, and that he’d grant you wisdom in applying what you’ve learned to your life. Thank him for his word and for his promises.
I also find it helpful to take a few deep breaths. Notice about any distractions or worries swirling in your mind and hand those over to God. One of my favorite Bible verses, and one that I find myself quoting frequently in my mind, is 2 Corinthians 10:5. In it, Paul reminds the church of Corinth that our battles are not in the worldly realm, but rather in the spiritual realm. Since our battles are not against flesh and blood, you’d better believe that our weapons can’t be found in the human realm, either! Therefore it’s necessary to demolish our strongholds through the power of God. Part of that is intentionally taking our thoughts captive and giving them to God in obedience to his Word. This includes those anxious thoughts swirling in your head: take them captive. Give them to God, and avoid the temptation to take them back. Calm your mind and center your soul on Christ before you begin reading.
Let’s get started! I’m going to be using the above section of scripture as an example throughout the rest of this post.
Read the passage
Context is so, so important! You may have a favorite verse. Take 2 Corinthians 5 that I cited above, for example. In the CSB version that I linked, the verse reads, “and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.” In cases like this, it’s obvious that we need to read, at the very least, the prior verse, since we’ve picked up in the middle of a sentence.
Even if your chosen verse is the beginning of a sentence, it’s helpful to read verses ahead of and after it. Our Bibles conveniently provide sections of text, blocks of related verses that translators have titled with a subheading. I like to read the entire section that my selected verse is in.
In the same way that we find ourselves confused and missing information if we join a group of friends in mid-conversation, it’s most helpful to read the verses surrounding your selected verse so that you’re getting the full story!
Another aspect of context involves the who, what, when, where, and why of your particular passage. If you’re using a study Bible, you can often find this information on the introductory page to the book you are reading. In case your Bible doesn’t include background information, you can always use resources available to you online!
In your Bible study journal, or on the printable I’m providing, record the references to the scripture you read. Following my example thus far, I would write “2 Corinthians 10:1-5” as my reference. Then I would copy down my key verse: “and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. (verse 5)”
Record observations
Re-read your passage! It can be very helpful to read it out loud, too. Emphasize various words, thinking about the meaning of them.
What observations can you make about this text? What point is the author trying to convey?
Some observations I could make about my selected passage in 2 Corinthians 10 might include:
- We are living in the flesh, but should not be living according to the flesh. Paul wants to challenge those who are living according to the flesh, maybe people that are involving themselves in worldly things and not setting themselves apart as believers.
- As believers, we do not wage war in the same way that non-believers do. Our weapons are spiritual weapons because our battle is a spiritual battle!
- We can break down strongholds and pride and anxiety by taking our thoughts captive to obey Christ.
As you are making your observations, do you find any connections to other passages of scripture? You can record those, too!
As I read about using weapons that are not of the flesh, I was reminded of the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18. Verse 12 of that passage also came to mind: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against…the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Lessons based on observations
Consider the observations that you noted, and turn those toward your own life. Ask if these observations mean that you need to make changes in your own life. This is a time of noting convictions. Remember that a conviction is not a punishment. If a conviction comes from the Holy Spirit, it’s a gentle nudge towards the right direction. It’s a means of helping us live more in line with how God desires us to be living!
It is important that you’re not twisting scripture out of its context to fit our modern times. All scripture is applicable, but it’s risky to pick and choose individual phrases to try to mold to our context!
When I ponder the observations I made above about 2 Corinthians 10:1-5, these are some lessons and questions that come to mind:
- Am I attempting to live by the standards of our world, or am I living as a child of God, set apart to serve his kingdom?
- Spiritual warfare is real, and my life can be the target of that warfare. I can’t try to fight this on my own, as I’m a mere mortal. God alone can empower me to fight these types of battles. Through prayer and studying and intentional time with God, I can be outfitted with divine power to break down strongholds.
- Taking every thought captive shows that it’s an active thing: I can’t just hope that my anxious and proud thoughts go away. When I start experiencing those thoughts, I have to intentionally notice them, call them what they are, and give them to God.
Determine actions to take
You’re doing great! Our next step is thinking through our lessons and praying about those convictions that we feel.
Ask yourself: what actions do I need to take to follow through on these lessons? What is something in my life that needs changed, or what is something that I need to do?
If it’s applicable, set a deadline! Open up the reminders app on your phone and say by this day next week, or when I see this person at work tomorrow, or by the next family gathering, etc., this is what I need to do to follow through on what God is teaching me.
To continue my example, these are potential actions for my chosen section of scripture:
- Each morning, I need to pray that God would help me to take my thoughts captive. (I could set a phone reminder for 7:30 am to remind me to pray for this!)
- For the next week, I want to focus my scripture study on the armor of God. I want to know better each piece of the armor and how to best execute the use of it in my life.
Close in prayer!
Thank God for his Word, and for giving you insight as you read it! Ask for help in continuing to understand what the scripture is telling you, and also for continued guidance in applying these lessons to your life. If your study convicted you of your need to forgive someone or to do something that just seems impossible, ask for power from the Holy Spirit to do so. Thank him for the truth of his Word, and pray that he would continue to speak to you about what you’ve read. Make your prayer individual to what you’ve read and learned, and be sure to praise him for his gift of the Bible!
What to read?
Trust me, I get it – the Bible is big and daunting and it can be really hard to know where to start!
If there is a topic you’re struggling with or feel that you need more help with, you can start with a simple online search. “Bible verses about _______” will produce a plethora of verses to start with! Topical studies can be helpful and informative. Just make sure to keep verses contextual!
You could also start with the Psalms. Psalm 23 is a long-time favorite of mine, and one that I’ve memorized to help in battling anxiety. I also love Psalm 19!
I asked my pastor husband where he’d advise someone to begin reading the Bible, and he suggested the gospel of John. He loves the style in which it’s written and has spent lots of time studying it!
The book of Proverbs is also rich and there happen to be 31 Proverbs. If you’re struggling to know what to read on a particular day, take note of the date and read the chapter of Proverbs that corresponds to today’s date!
Download your own scripture study guide!
I am a very visual person and I love a good printable! I’ve created a simple one that you can download for free and print to use during your Bible study time.
I wanted to give you as much writing space as possible, so I put a simple heading at the top to remind you of each section of your scripture study. If you need more information, feel free to save this post and refer back to it!
As you make a habit of scripture study, you’ll find yourself tailoring your time to meet your needs, and your study time will evolve. It’s going to be beautiful! Any time spent in God’s Word is beneficial and I’m praying for you as you dive in to what his Word has for you!
Great information, Beth. Thank you for the help with studying the Bible.
Wonderful information, Beth. Thank you for help with reading the Bible.