How to Read Your Bible 101Näide

Understanding the Word. One of the obstacles to spending time in the Bible, for many believers, is that they don’t feel like they understand or know how to apply the Word to their lives. Today we will look at ways to grow in our understanding.

The first tool for understanding God’s Word is simple but often missed. “Ask”. While asking for others' wisdom and input is good, and has a place, I am actually talking about asking God to give you understanding. The Bible records prayers asking for understanding and honors them. We are told to ask God to give us understanding. James 1:5 records the promise that God will give wisdom to those who ask. While Paul prays for the church in Colossians, Philippians, and Ephesians, his prayer is different than most of our prayers. People often pray for what we can have, want, or want to be taken away. But Paul’s prayers for the church were that they would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, that we would abound in knowledge and all discernment, and that God would give us spiritual wisdom and understanding so that we can grow in our knowledge of God and His love for us. Ps. 119 records nine requests for God to teach him, in addition to verse 18 asking God to open his eyes so that he may see wondrous things from God’s law.

The next tool is found with a pen. If we read our Bible looking to mark what stands out and what we can apply, rather than check it off our list, it will completely change what we get from our reading. Whether you underline, highlight things in your Bible, or write down all that stood out, it will make a difference. If we mark it in our Bible then it's easier to find it again when we come back to it. If we mark areas where we want to renew our minds they will begin to stand out to us. Many years ago I started marking different topics with different colors or symbols. They were not deep theological concepts, just areas where I wanted to grow. Like how I speak, anger, heart issues, money, marriage, the Holy Spirit, and many others. Each time I decided I needed to take note of the topic, I just got another color or symbol to mark it. As I went through my Bible the marks began to grow. Then as I thought about them and could see them quickly they began to fill my mind, heart, and perspective. Biblically speaking this is called renewing our mind and it changes how we think and live.

Sharing what we get out of the Word is powerful. It helps us to meditate on it and share it with others, for the Word to be stirred up in them as well. This can be a conversation over breakfast, or a text message to a friend, but sharing the Word is one of the most powerful things we can do. Even as you read in YouVersion, they let you highlight verses.

Today as you read I challenge you to try to highlight features and look for one verse or passage to share. In the passages you are about to read are some Bible prayers. Share one with someone and pray it over them today. It is a powerful way to grow and bring others with you.