Lesson 4: Studying Your Bible

Now that you understand the importance of spending time with God and what it does for you as a new believer, especially knowing that studying God’s Word plays a vital role in the growth process, you are probably asking, “Where do I start? What part of the Scriptures do I need to read?” I will give you tips, but before you can take advantage of them, do you own a Bible? I know there are Bible apps that come in handy, but I encourage you to get a physical Bible as well. If you don’t have one, I would be glad to give one to you as a gift. Please email me at [email protected] with your address.

If you own a new car that you need to learn how to operate, what would be your first option? The manufacturer’s manual: you guessed right. Likewise, God created us, and His Word is the manual we need to navigate our lives in the right direction. Let me take it a little deeper: there’s a Scripture that says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…” (John 1:1). God is His Word; the Word is God. God is alive; His Word is alive as well. God inspired the writers to record all the words therein, and He commanded that no one should remove from or add to it (2 Timothy 3:16; Revelation 22:19).

Any time you read and digest God’s Word, you have life. In God’s Word there is victory, miracles, direction for life, success, deliverance, joy, and much more. If God says anything about any situation you are in, claim God’s promises in His Word concerning that situation, because He will fulfill all of His promises. What a comforting assurance this is! You see why studying God’s Word is more than a duty; it is essential to every believer. In Psalm 138:2, it is stated that God exalts His Word and His name. Amazing!

What is God’s Word to a believer?

Light – God’s Word is a light to your path (Psalm 119:105). Imagine you are in the dark with a lamp. It sheds light to your path in a dark world. The world is dark and walking in the dark is dangerous. There are many pitfalls and obstacles that we can see when we use the light.

Weapon – God’s Word is your spiritual weapon. It is needed for battle (Ephesians 6:11, 17). Jesus fought His own battles and temptations with the Word of God. The devil fears God’s Word, so watch out: he won’t want you to know it because he knows you can use it against him.

Caution – God’s Word shows you how to live for God. It tells you what to do and what not to do. Remember, God hates sin; His Word will show you how to avoid sin (Psalm 119:11).

Faith – God’s Word gives you faith: faith to move mountains and do the impossible. The more you read and meditate on God’s Word, your more your faith increases (Romans 10:17).

STUDYING TIPS:

• Pick a convenient but feasible time. Mornings works for most people. Whatever your time is, avoid distractions. If you chose morning time, go to bed early. If it’s the evening, find a quiet place. Choose a good place. You may need to stay out of bed to help.
• Plan your study at least two to three months out.For example, you can plan to read the New Testament until you are done. If you use Our Daily Bread or any other devotional, ensure to read the accompanying passage of Scripture. Soon, it will come to a time that you will want more; then, you can use devotional plus your personal study plan. That’s growth. Bible.org has some good study plans you can use as well. Chat with us to learn more about it.
• If you missed a day, just continue from where you stopped. I made this mistake as a young Christian; I would punish myself and pile up with the plan to catch up. Sadly, I never did, and I carried the guilt with me for a long time until I was liberated by the truth. Remember, it’s not just about reading, it’s about getting the honey out of God’s Word and building a relationship with God.
• Don’t feel rushed; take your time.It’s good to read the Bible in a year but do that after you’ve attained some level with the Word or as led by the Holy Spirit. Start with a few verses, then work your way up to a chapter or more. If you are able to digest a chapter right away, by all means, go ahead. The whole idea is to prevent failing before starting. Note that it is not just to read, but to read, meditate, digest, and act out the Word.
• Study the Word every day.The Bible is rich. It makes you wiser. There are a lot of wonderful things to learn and read about in the Bible, so keep reading!
• Always have a pen and your personal journal available.It shows you are prepared for when God speaks to you. (I still have my journals from the 1990’s.)
• If you don’t understand something,pray for understanding. Read it over and over again. Read like you are looking for something. One thing you mustn’t do is stop reading. Rather, pray this every time you want to study: “Lord grant me insight and deep revelation as I read Your Word. The Bible is not meant to be studied with human understanding (Ephesians 1:17). Once I learned this principle, my understanding of God’s Word changed rapidly. Try it, too.
• Pray about what you read and keep it in your heart throughout the day. If you look into the mirror and you spot dirt, but you refuse to remove the dirt but walk away from the mirror, what’s the point of looking into the mirror in the first place? The Word of God is your mirror. Once you spot a stain, clean it out with the help of the Holy Spirit (Note: I will talk about walking with the Holy Spirit in the subsequent lessons) (James 1:22).
• Use the flesh to set up a stand for the Spirit.For example, I can’t watch my favorite movie if I don’t study or spend time with God. Or I can’t eat, play, or go out. Use what the flesh loves the most as a push for the spiritual things. I am able to eat very early in the morning with no problems, so I made a rule for myself: no study, no food. It worked. It’s called discipline. Yours might be a decision not to open your phone until you spend time with God (1 Corinthians 9:27). Got it?
• As a new convert, don’t be bogged down with the theoretical part of the Scriptures first. See suggested plan below.
• Ask questions. What does this passage mean? Who is being addressed? What is the Holy Spirit asking to me change in my life as a result of what I have read?
• Read translations you can understand.I can recommend The Passion Translation (TPT), New American Standard Bible (NASB), New Living Translation (NLT), and the Message (MSG).

Please chat with us; we want to hear from you if you are having any challenges.

Suggested studying plan: As new believer, start with the following books of the Bible and once done, you can read any other book you like. (Reference Jack Wellman)

The Gospel of John

The Gospel of Mark

I John

II John

III John

Genesis

Ephesians

Galatians

The Gospel of Luke

The Gospel of Matthew

I Corinthians

II Corinthians

Romans

Psalms

Proverbs

Here are some other options as well:

Character study – There were times I did specific studies on Job, David, the disciples, and others.

Devotional study – I recommend Our Daily Bread. You can request it on their site at www.odb.org.

Individual book study – You can focus on a particular book of the Bible for a deeper study. At a time that I yearned for wisdom, I read in detail the book of Proverbs. If I need reminders about Christian living, I read Romans.

Lesson application: This week set out your three months’ plan of study and state how many verses you will read daily. Get a notepad and practice studying the Word according to your plan. Write down your thoughts and lesson notes.