Bible study, one of the most neglected areas in Christian living. Whether it’s a few verses or a few chapters, people aren’t generally interested in reading the Bible. In fact, teens in general find reading very hard to do. And unless you’re a total nerd like I am, you’d hate reading normal school books, talk less of the bible.
Nevertheless, as a Christian, in order to grow in our spiritual life, we should never dismiss studying of the word. The Bible is a source of the word of God, and in order to have a relationship with God, we must hear his word.
"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word of God that you might grow thereby" 1 Peter 2:2
Peter likens us believers to babies and says that the same way the babies need the mother’s milk, we should also desire the word of God. The same level of importance the mother’s milk carries is the same that of the Bible carries, especially to a young believer.
Now, that doesn’t change the fact that some people just can’t read the Bible. Some might say it’s too hard to understand, some say it’s too long and get lost in the sheer amount of words, while others say it’s flat out boring.
So, to help in tackling these issues, I have outlined 7 tips which could help you engage in bible study more often.
1. GET A DEVOTIONAL
As someone that grew up in a Christian home with a Christian background, I had access to a lot of daily devotionals, from ‘Everyday with Jesus‘, to ‘Rhapsody of Realities‘, to ‘Daily Power‘, to ‘Open Heavens‘, the whole catalogue.
It helped me to get into the Bible, because the things which I found hard to understand were explained better when I read the devotional. I even found myself in some strange book of the Bible that I would’ve never thought of opening. Also, these devotionals were not long winded, so it was a lot easier to read.
By reading daily devotionals, you build up your understanding of scripture, Bible study life, as well as your spiritual life.
2. LISTEN TO BIBLE STUDY MESSAGES
For someone who doesn’t enjoy reading devotionals as much, this could be a good option for you. After all, I’d much rather watch a Youtube video explaining my textbook to me than actually reading my textbook. You can say the same for the Bible, instead of reading devotionals, you can listen to study podcasts, and preachings from your favourite pastors. You can even do this when you’re walking, when you’re driving, when you’re eating etc.
In doing this you have to be careful though, remember, they’re a lot of fake preachers, as is the staple of the last days. If your spirit isn’t getting engaged, then it’s not worth your time.
It’s also worth mentioning that this step should be used as an entry point into Bible study and not as replacement. Sooner or later, no amount of preaching or sermon will substitute reading the word of God for yourself.
3. TRY A NEW TRANSLATION
Now the problem many people have with the bible it’s that it’s too hard to understand, I mean, I’d find it hard to old century English too.
Fortunately, because of that, they have been multiple translations of the hard-to-understand King James Version (KJV). So if you find yourself not understanding, just use other translations.
My favourite is ‘The Message Translation,’ especially when I’m reading the old testament. It makes a lot of expressions in modern day English and it makes the story a lot more compelling.
Another translation I love it’s the New King James Version (NKJV) translation. This is because it’s the more comprehensive version of the most authentic translation of KJV. I’d recommend this translation especially for new testament literature because other translations tend to misinterpret some verses in order to make it more modern, which unfortunately reduces the authenticity of the translation.
There are several other translations which I recommend like New Living Translation (NLT), The Living Bible (TLB), etc.
4. READ BIBLE STORIES
From the story of the fall of man, to Cain and Abel, to David and Goliath, to the mad king Ahab and his wife Jezebel, the Bible has a lot of fascinating stories that are awe inspiring. It’s a really good place to start your Bible study journey.
These stores aren’t like normal novels, but they’re stories which one can experience the power of God and the wonders that he performs.
So the next time you’re feeling bored, why don’t you read the story of the Kings, or the Judges, or the beautiful queen Esther, or the blameless man known as Job. The list goes on and on.
5. ENGAGE IN COMMUNAL BIBLE STUDIES WITH OTHER BELIEVERS
The importance of having a Christian community is not one to be underestimated and it’s importance is seen all through the Bible. The importance of a Christian community is an article in itself, but if your Bible study life is becoming stale and boring, find fellow christian friends and discuss some passages with them.
Join a church fellowship or a campus fellowship, studying with others makes bible study more engaging especially when you study with your peers, they make it you share your experiences, setbacks and christian journey that you otherwise would feel uncomfortable sharing, they could also serve as an encouragement in order to develop your spiritual life.
"And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."
Hebrews 10:25 NLT
6. DOWNLOAD AUDIO BIBLES
For people that do not enjoy reading as much, there are audio bibles which can be downloaded on the phone with great narrators that make you feel as if you were part of the experience in itself.
The benefit of audio bibles is that you can be listening while doing almost anything, when taking walks, exercising, doing chores, etc.
There are also audio devotionals like our daily bread. So not even busy schedules can be a hindrance to your bible study life.
7. PRAYER BEFORE READING THE BIBLE
According to Paul in his epistle to Timothy, “all scripture is by inspiration of God…” Remember, what you are reading is God’s word and understanding can only be gotten through him. This is the reason why communication with him is so important.
You don’t necessarily need a preacher to break down scripture for you, the word of God is new every morning and for you to understand what God has for you everyday, you need to communicate with him.
As a member of scripture union when I was in secondary school, we always prayed this prayer before we read our Bible:
“Open our eyes, o Lord, that we behold wonderous things out if thy word, for Christ sake, Amen”
The prayer alone explains a lot about the need for communication to God before bible study, it says “open our eyes…” Without the illumination from God about a particular passage, we would never have understanding and would just be reading for reading sake.
The next time you want to read your bible, pray and tell God that you want to hear from him through his word and that he should open your eyes to see what he’s trying to tell you.
Finally,
Bible study is one of the most important aspects of christian living, the bible is a means through which we can hear the word of God. In order to develop you christian life, you must meditate on God’s word.
As the popular passage Joshua 1:8 says, “this book of the lord shall not depart out of thine mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night…”
I hope this article was a blessing to you. If it was, please leave a comment and any other personal tips you may have.
Also share this article with a friend, family member or believer who you think needs to see this.
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