Five Essential Bible Study Tips

Get More Out of Your Daily Quiet Time

Everyone has struggled with Bible study. Let's face it - the Bible is an awfully BIG book. Actually, it's 66 books, penned under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by more than forty different people and a couple thousand years. It contains several literary styles, different ways of relating histories, and a whole lot of begats. To make things worse, it isn't even put together in chronological order! So what's a believer to do!

Take a deep breath - and start with some basics.

#1 - Pray before you begin your study. Remember that Jesus is the Word of God, and that the Word is living and powerful (John 1:1, Heb. 4:12). If you approach Bible study as getting to know Jesus better, you will gain a deeper appreciation for what Scripture has to say. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal God's word to you in fresh and exciting ways. Pray that your eyes would be opened to what the text really says.

Understand that we all come into any situation with pre-concieved notions, biases, and prejudices (pre-judgements) about that situation. Ask that the Lord will give you insight into what these are and that He will help you get beyond what you THINK you know and into the true knowledge He wants you to have. Pray for wisdom, discernment, and the fear of the Lord.

#2 - Invest in a Bible that comes in a modern-language translation. So many people labor under the assumption because many churches use the King James Version Bible, it must be the best. In fact, some teach that the KJV is the ONLY acceptable translation! I'm not trying to start a war, but that's just plain incorrect. The topic of Biblical translation is quite complex and there is much to debate. However, simplistically speaking, so long as the translators love the Lord and work to align what they say with what was said in the original languages, the translation will be a good on. As a result, the KJV Bible is a good one. It is, unfortunately, difficult for many people to read because the language is archaic.