How to study the Bible by yourself…

…along with the help of the Holy Spirit 🙂

Hi friends ~ I have a question for you: Do you think that the Billy Grahams and the Beth Moores are the only ones who can open a Bible and get a special Word from the Lord on a consistent basis?

If your answer is “yes”, I hate to say it, but you couldn’t be more wrong! The good news is: If Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life, then the same Holy Spirit that lives in Billy and Beth also lives in you. In John 14:26, Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and remind us of what we’ve learned from Jesus. This is a promise for each one of us.

The more we read and study God’s Word, the more we know Him, hear Him, love Him, and realize how much He loves us – enough to invest in every tiny detail of our lives. Our time in God’s Word each day is not a waste. It’s an investment we can’t afford not to make.

If you want to grow deeper in your walk with Christ and study a portion of God’s Word on your own, here is an effective method to use:

1. Request – Pray Psalm 119:18 and ask for wisdom.

2. Read – Start reading in God’s Word. The Gospels, Epistles, James, Psalms or Proverbs are wonderful books to read and study through. Choose one book and start reading at the very beginning. When something wonderful, convicting, interesting, or encouraging stands out to you, stop reading.

3. Recap – Write down the passage reference you just read, and briefly recap what the passage was about.

4. Re-evaluate – Look at what you wrote down: Prayerfully reevaluate your life. What is the Holy Spirit revealing to you about your life, your thoughts, your actions, or reactions? Do you need to know something? Thank Jesus? Confess something? Change something? Stop something? Start something? Whatever it is, write that down.

5. Respond – Respond in prayer concerning what was revealed to you. Ask for help to obey what The Lord has shown you to do in response to this truth from His Word. (You can either say or write your response prayer. Sometimes writing your prayers is helpful for a future day when you need to remember your response to God about a certain subject in which He is dealing with you. A written record of your walk with the Lord is a treasure to both you and Him.)

6. Remember – Is this a verse to commit to memory? Do you need to meditate on this truth? Do you need to write this truth down and post it somewhere? If so, do it.

7. Recall – Ask the Holy Spirit (who will bring to your remembrance – John 14:26) to do His work in your life and help you not forget what you have learned.

8. Reveal – Ask the Lord if there is anyone you can bless by humbly revealing what the Lord has shown you in His Word. If so, be sure to share with that person… otherwise you may be robbing him/her of a blessing from God.

Keep repeating this process each day, picking up where you left off the day before. If you study God’s Word on a consistent basis, you’ll be amazed at the vibrancy in your life! Then one day, you’ll hear Billy or Beth say something God taught them from His Word, and it just might be something God has already spoken to you!

“Your words were found, and I ate them; and Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16