How Do You Study the Bible?

I would like to briefly share with you how to study your Bible. The information included here is not original to me. However, they are steps I have practiced and know can lead to effective Bible study.

Today we have so much information and materials available for how to study your Bible. One person may say, follow the Inductive Method of Study, or the 5 “P’s” or the 5 “W’s” or certain words that spell out certain steps to take. (For example: The word “R.E.A.P.”, which stands for Read, Examine, Apply, and Pray.)

I want to keep this simple and not overwhelming for anyone who may be a beginner in studying. Here are suggestions I found that pretty much match what I wrote in one of my books.

Prepare A Place for Your Study

Choose a comfortable, quiet, and distraction-free spot with enough light where you can focus. Devote regular time to study, even if you start with a few minutes and increase over time. Have your Bible, a notepad, a pen, and any study tools you want to use. Pray asking the Holy Spirit to give you insight and understanding into God’s Word. Ask Him to draw you closer to Him.

Once you have your place designated and set, you can proceed in studying a passage of Scripture. I love taking a book of the Bible and studying it verse-by-verse for full understanding of what God is saying.

At times, I will give an image of how to study. Picture an eagle who is flying high above the ground. This eagle observes the landscape and gets an overall picture of what is happening. Then his next step may be to dive in closer, especially to catch prey. He then digs his claws deep into His prey. Once he has grasp hold of it, he flies off and digests it, so it nourishes and benefits his life. The steps to bible study are somewhat like this:

OBSERVATION:

(Eagle – he observes the landscape and gets an overall picture of what is happening.)

Read the passage multiple times slowly and carefully to grasp its overall content. Then observe any details such as:

Who: Who wrote this, and who was the original audience?

What: What is the main subject or event? What is being said?

Where: Where did the event take place?

When: When was it written and what was the historical context?

Why: What was the purpose of this book or passage?

 
INTERPRETATION:

(Eagle – Then his next step may be to dive in closer, especially to catch prey. He then digs his claws deep into His prey.)

Here you dig deep into the study of God’ Word to get clarification, understanding, and insight into what is the original meaning and what is the lesson for you to grasp. Here are a few tools available to help you:

Study Bible – has notes, cross references of Scripture, commentary on some passages, Jesus’ words in red, etc. Try not to use a paraphrase, like “The Message”, for study. It can be used in addition to, but not in place of a study Bible.

Bible dictionaries – help to define the original meaning of certain words. You may look up the meaning of any Hebrew words if you are studying the Old Testament or Greek words if in the New Testament. It’s important because the meaning of some words for us today are quite different.

Commentaries – provide explanations, insights, textual notes, historical background, and more to understand the Scriptures.

Concordance – it lists every word in the Bible, based on the original languages and every passage where that word appears. Studying a passage in isolation puts you at risk of misinterpretation. To avoid this, you’ll need some way to effectively search the Bible and make connections between passages. One way to do this is with a concordance.

Maps/Atlas – With so many locations mentioned in the Bible—some of which don’t even exist anymore—it can become difficult to understand the verse. Bible atlases are collections of maps that show the world as it was in biblical times and can be extremely useful for seeing how different biblical locations fit together in context.

 
There is a host of Bible study tools and apps to use. You can go to our website and download our app or use the Blue Letter Bible App or others.
 
APPLICATION:

(Eagle – Once he has grasp hold of it, he flies off and digests it, so it nourishes and benefits his life.)

Now that you have dug deep into the study of God’s Word, you need to apply the lesson to your life and put it in action. This is how you will be a living example or reflection of Jesus here on earth to others.

Ask God to reveal to you:

What sins to forsake

Promises to claim

Examples to follow

Commands to obey

Stumbling blocks or errors to avoid

What action to take concerning a person or your relationships

How to serve God to spread the Gospel message and promote His kingdom on earth

 
As the Holy Spirit prompts you to take action, do so immediately and obediently with humility in your heart to God. Be patient and persistent. Do not give up. You can join a Bible study at your church to hear the insights and life examples of others. You can contact our ministry if you would like an on-line study that covers all of these suggested steps for bible study. We are here to help you. God bless you as you draw closer to Him.