Having time set aside each day for Bible study is essential for your spiritual growth. If you have never opened up a Bible before, you don't know what you are missing. On the other hand, if you have tip-toed around in the Bible, you are still missing out on a lot as well. The Bible is the most read book in existence. There is a reason for this, and if you are not actively engaging in Bible study, then you are missing out.
Most of us know who Jesus is. But do you know why he is important? It is not just because he is God's son. There is much more to the life of Jesus than you are probably aware of if you have not read the Bible. So why does it matter if you know about Adam and Eve, Noah, or David and Goliath? You may have heard bed time stories about these people. Reading your Bible takes these individuals and explains their importance. You will also see how these people are relevant to your life now.
My five tips to help with your Bible study.
1. Get a Bible that you can understand.
When I was a child, I grew up on the King James Bible. For me, this Bible translation was extremely confusing for me to understand. Yes, there are a ton of different Bible translations, and yes they are different. Some translations leave out certain verses in the Bible. Different translations may cause you to come to a different conclusions or interpretations based on what you read. If you are new to this Bible study stuff, I would recommend using the New American Standard Bible (NASB). This translation is one of the closest interpretations of original scripture. It is also straightforward to read and understand.
2. Find a good place to start.
There are several ways to do this. My friend Kirk just jumped right in with Genesis and read cover to cover. Other people I know have started with the New Testament. What worked for me was reading the New Testament first. This way I could learn about who Jesus was and why he was important. I followed that up with reading the Old Testament. During both books, I kept searching Google for relevant topics in my life. I searched for verses that pertained to what I was looking for. Through my Bible study is how I started this blog. My Bible study turned into an online source for others to use when searching for relevant topics.
3. Understand what you are reading.
I am not very good at memorizing Bible verses. I am however good at comprehending what I have read. One great thing about technology is that there are a lot of online resources for you to use. These resources allow you to see how multiple books of the Bible talk about the same subject. Did you know that most discussed issue in the Bible is not prayer or salvation? The Bible talks more about money than any other topic. There is quality online resource will help you tie the Bible together and make things make sense to you.
4. Being consistent in your reading.
I make it a point to have daily prayer and Bible study time. Just like anything that you do, the more you do it, the more you will understand. Each day that you devote some time to the scripture, the more you will grow in the word. Having Biblical knowledge will help you with your life. All of the answers to any of life's greatest questions are found in the Bible. You may not like the answer or understand what God wants from you, but the answers are there. Regularly reading your Bible will keep steering your life in the right direction.
5. Don't underestimate the power of prayer.
Prayer is how we communicate with Jesus. There is no better way to connect with your heavenly father than to read his inspired word. Your prayer can be simple. I like to start with a prayer and end with a prayer. Asking for God to talk to you through his word is an excellent way to start your Bible study. Asking God to work in your life is a good way to close. The Bible is not merely just a book. It is the word of God. God only wrote one book, so if you want to learn about your creator, then you should start your Bible study.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.