How to Read Your Bible 101Näide

Commissioned. We have discussed the importance of being in the Word daily. You have had a high-speed look at the whole Bible narrative. Hopefully, you are committing to spending time in God’s Word daily and you have set a time when you will consistently spend time with God. Choose your physical Bible or YouVersion app, and commit to it. We can start by asking God to reveal Himself through His Word and mold us into His image. Get ready to mark what stands out. It may be a truth, a challenge, an application, or a pattern. It might be the third time that something is said. But as you see them, mark them, write down any thoughts that come with them, and see what God speaks.

We can check what we read in the context. There are a few questions that can be very helpful to ask if things don’t seem to be standing out to you. Question 1: What do I notice? Question 2: What can I apply? Question 3: What don’t I understand? These questions may be really simple, but they can bring so much insight. As you read Matthew 3 & 4, it might be that John’s simple message stands out, or maybe how God the Father speaks over Jesus, or the way Jesus fights temptation. But as we read, we get to know Jesus, we find instructions we can apply, as well as lessons from the story. In Matthew 4, looking at what the disciples laid down to follow Jesus, is really challenging. The stories can come alive when we put ourselves in different people’s shoes. How would I have responded to Jesus if I was the one He was calling? How am I responding to the calls that Jesus is giving me now? When you find things that you don’t understand, some will become clear as you read on, and some you may dive into to study. Some you can ask a friend, leader, or pastor. People who love the Word will love talking to people who want to grow in the Word.

As we wrap up this plan I want to challenge and pray for you. I want to challenge you to keep reading from where you are in Matthew through to the end of the New Testament. As you go through the Gospels, you will get four accounts of Jesus' life and ministry, getting to know Him and His teaching before following the disciples, and the work of the Holy Spirit in Acts. Then, the powerful Epistles (Letters written by apostles), ending with the book of Revelation and the promise of God putting all things right.

God, I thank You for those who have decided to dive into Your Word and want to grow in their knowledge of You. You said to ask You for wisdom and that You would give it. I pray for an outpouring of Your wisdom. I pray that You would open our eyes to see wonderful things in Your Word. I pray for Your grace to empower us to grasp the wonders of Your love for us, who You made us to be in Christ, what You have given us in Christ, and what You have called us to. God, I pray that by Your grace we would walk in all that You have for us. As Your Word comes alive may it transform our hearts and lives. May our minds be renewed by Your Word giving us Your perspective. God I pray for a love for You and Your Word to mark each of us and shine through us onto those around us in Jesus' Name, Amen.