studying His word

[peaches]

i came to the realization in chat that i need to study the bible in a more indepth way instead of just reading and getting the surface meaning of the passage. someone suggested i get the strongs concordance so that i understand the meaning behind some of the words and stuff. any more suggestions?

and another thing....how do u guys structure ur bible studies/daily devos? it seems many people use the daily bread but i find myself getting bored (if thats the right word) after a couple of weeks when using devo books.

[Iryssa]

I kind of cycle between using a devotional book that guides me through passages and just finding passages myself. Once, I started reading through the Bible starting in Genesis, planning on making my way through to Revelation...but I kinda got bored, too...somewhere around Numbers I think (I did finally read the whole thing in Bible College)

I don't much like the Daily Bread, either...I also find it boring, even if it does present some wonderful truths (not that I'm saying it needs to be insanely entertaining, but at least put some punch into your writing style!).

My favorite devotional was "The Every Day God Experience" or "EDGE"...I got it at a Christian bookstore. I also enjoyed one called "A Call to Die," but I got that one at a conference, and I'm not sure it's available now (worth a look, though!)

Anyway, go to your local Christian bookstore! They'll have lots of devo books, geared to all ages and personalities Ask the employees if they have any recommendations for you!

Ifyou're looking for something that really touches deep, read Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest"...if you can find the Updated Edition, great, because the language is a little easier to read than the original edition.

Right now, I have a journal that has a new verse on every page, and I'll take whatever verse is on the page I'm starting on and read the surrounding chapter, then sort of analyze it once I've read it through a couple of times, writing down my thoughts on that same page.

One formula I like to use, whether I'm using a book or my own random discoveries, is to pray, read, pray, analyze, pray. Sounds like a lot of praying, but it is a little more specific. The first prayer time is to ready myself; ask forgiveness for things I've done wrong, thank God for blessings, acknowledge Him as God and as my Teacher. Second, is to pray about whatever happens to be on my mind after reading the passage of scripture or the chapter in the devo book (or both). Mostly this is asking for guidance, and again thanking God for His teaching...third prayer time is for listening. One should be listening the whole way through, of course, but you'd be surprised what God has to say when there's silence

Also, I really enjoy my NIV Study Bible for the notes it has at the bottom of the page. I'm sure other translations do Study Bibles, too...get ahold of one if you can, and use those notes! It's also fun to make a point of checking all the little cross-references you come across on the way.

Nothing quite compares to Bible College, though, I gotta tell ya *grin* I wouldn't trade that for the world. Those profs have some amazing insights! If you can befriend a Bible College prof, do! I know all of mine were always happy to discuss some esoterical meaning buried in a passage

For a little more fun in your study time, get two or three people you don't mind spilling things to (and even debating with a little) and do a devotional together, or just study through a book of the Bible together (my friends and I did 1 and 2 Timothy). Do it at a coffee shop over latt

Edited June 23, 2005 by Iryssa

[peaches]

One should be listening the whole way through, of course, but you'd be surprised what God has to say when there's silence

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

one of my struggles! i know that some day i will be able to clear my mind just for His voice

thank you very much. u have given me very helpful advice. i esp wanna start practising the pray, read, pray, analyze, pray thing. starting tonight

[Christ's Free Servant]

i came to the realization in chat that i need to study the bible in a more indepth way instead of just reading and getting the surface meaning of the passage. someone suggested i get the strongs concordance so that i understand the meaning behind some of the words and stuff. any more suggestions?

and another thing....how do u guys structure ur bible studies/daily devos? it seems many people use the daily bread but i find myself getting bored (if thats the right word) after a couple of weeks when using devo books.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Daily Bible Study/Worship

PRAYER:

1. Adoration: Greet the Lord and thank him for a new day; praise God for who he is and worship him.

2. Confession: Confess any known sin in your life, put it behind you (repent) and ask God to fill you with his Holy Spirit.

3. Thanksgiving: Thank God for his forgiveness, answers to prayer for life and daily needs, etc.

4. Supplication:

A. Ask God for answers to specific prayer requests - personal, family, friends, areas of responsibility, your world, unbelievers, and situations for which you need his guidance.

B. Ask him to open His Word to you and to give you insight and understanding into its truths.

BIBLE STUDY:

1. Read carefully the verses of the day (suggest reading an entire book of the Bible, alternating between the Old and New Testaments)

2. Meditate on the verses

3. Answer who/what/where/when/why/how questions, such as below:

.What is the main thought in these verses?

.What does God - Father, Son, or Holy Spirit - reveal about himself?

.What insight am I given into myself and into my life situation?

.Is there an example to follow, a warning to heed, or a promise to claim?

.What does Christ require of me now in thought, word, or action?

.What answers has God given me regarding my specific requests?

4. Thank God for what he has shown you in His Word

5. Memorize/Visualize/Actualize

.Work on memorizing specific verses or passages each day

.Visualize how God wants to work in and through your life in these verses

.Actualize - put those verses into action (as applicable) in your life

ACTION:

Go and begin/continue to do what God has shown you to do in both action and attitude

HELPS:

1. Read in context and interpret in context

2. To whom is it written? Does it, or could it, apply generally to all believers or to a specific person or group of people?

3. Is it under the Old Covenant or the New Covenant?

4. Compare scripture with scripture (use cross references)

5. Use concordances, Bible dictionaries, Bible encyclopedias, Bible Commentaries (look at a variety so that you get various viewpoints on interpretation), etc. to give you additional insight into the passage

Always let God speak to you first, THEN for additional understanding you can use Bible study helps. If you begin with a devotional or a commentary, then you are immediately going to get what another person got out of the passage. So, just let the Word speak to you by itself using the guide (above) and then you can see what others think.

I began using this method for personal Bible study 30 years ago, and it transformed my life! The Word of God began to come alive for me in a way I had never known it before and God began speaking to me in very personal ways. It takes some discipline to do this, but it is worth every minute of the time invested.

And, oh, it really helps to journal what you read and how God spoke to you through it, prayer requests and answers to prayer, too.

[tsth]

Dear peaches,

Has the Strongs been explained to you in terms of how it works and what it is?

You'll also need a King James Bible in order to use the Strongs.

Here's an online Bible help, that has the Strongs included, but you'll really want the actual book, so that you will have it handy when you do your quiet time each morning. I don't do quiet time on computer, as it's too distracting. This study tool, is merely for me to be able to quickly grab Scriptures and study them when on forums, etc. Here it is, take a look around and you can use the pull down features on each box, to get exactly what you need. There is also a box to click for study tools, so that you can pull up particular passages and see what the commentaries say about them.

You just type in a word to search, or a particular Scripture address such as John 3:16, and it will pull it up, then you can study it from there, using the pull down feathures. There's one for KJV and Strongs. You'll probably just need to experiment with the features to see how it works.

Bible Tools from Crosswalk

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Trinity]

One Word!!! Carm.org I love that place!!!

[Iryssa]

*nods* All good advice, folks

Some advice for doing research:

Invest in some good Bible software...I use QuickVerse. Definitely worth the $60 CDN I spent on it; it has many different translations of the Bible on there, including the KJV, NKJV, NIV, and NLT, and it has Strong's concordance and lexicons, Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest, the Confessions of Saint Augustine, 12 commentaries, several Bible dictionaries, Milton's Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, The Pilgrim's Progress, The Works of Josephus, the Westminister Confession (with shorter and longer catechisms), and a lot more resources that I haven't even used yet *grin* I barely even had to go into the library during my first year at Bible College!

The cost to buy all those books individually would be well over $300 CDN, and hard copies don't have word searches

[Guest Zayit]

Cross walk also has a program for free where you can read through the bible in a year, it isn't boring, and you work each day through three different books so it stays interesting. You can sign up there and choose which version you want to read it in. Then you just check off that you have read it and it keeps a calendar of your progress for you.