Is there really a right way to study the Bible?
Yes-You should study the Bible with an open heart and an open mind. PRAY FIRST before you begin reading.
If you're anything like me, when I first started "studying" I had it in my mind that I would just review the notes I took from Sundays sermon...hey, that's studying right?
Then-Once I kept hearing people say.."Read the Bible on your own" I told myself I would read the Bible, beginning to end on my own...lets just say I didn't make it that far. I even joined a challenge I saw on Facebook..I believe it was something along the lines of..read the Bible in 90 days..and there was a schedule outlining when you should be complete with one book and starting another...
I found myself reading the Bible like a text book because college teaches us to review the notes and answer the questions based off those answers right?
I got to the point where I would look at those familiar verses and nothing more. I didn't want to be confused and I didn't truly understand the seriousness of really digging into the Bible by myself and for myself.
I often told people, however, to PRAY FIRST and randomly open the Bible. It seemed like EVERY SINGLE TIME I did this, the scriptures I read pertained directly to my life at that moment! It was amazing!!
When I made the decision to make God the center of my life...I knew that I was going to have to learn how to study the Bible..on my own, by myself.
Prayer, cross-referencing, asking others to interpret, using the millions of Bible studying tools available on the internet are among the various suggestions I received from other people in regards to studying the Bible. And they have ALL worked!
I'm going to share the first part, I believe, that people should acknowledge to a new God seeker...the importance of Seeking God FIRST with a WHOLE HEART.
"But seek ye first-the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all those things shall be added unto you."
Yes, you read that..that may be a familiar scripture for many of you and the many others may just now be seeing it. Either way, this scripture sets the tone-gives the instruction of what all followers should do when it comes to living like God intended for us to live.
SEEK YE FIRST.
Psalm 119:2 Reads: "Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who SEEK HIM WITH A WHOLE HEART.
I was (still am) cross referencing Psalm 119 when this verse jumped right in my face!
BTW, I ...I said I..never planned to read Psalm 119, I had actually planned to listen to Sarah Jakes one night when the spirit lead me to Psalm 119:10-after reading that, the Spirit told me to start from the beginning and cross reference..so that's what I did. I wasn't kidding when I said God will lead you where he wants you to go.
I had been journaling and been saving for years that I desired God. That I wanted to seek him. This scripture hit me so hard..I had to dig deeper.
Seek: A pursuit. Enlightening TRUTH
Whole Heart: Not Lukewarm
With ALL POWER and energies of your soul.
Digging deeper, I read the passage Study Light provided about seeking God. (Click Link above)
Seek God with a whole heart?, it reads:
- With all power and energies of your soul.
- The understanding, the will, the conscience and the affections supremely above every object.
- Diligently, in all the means of salvation.
- Immediately-without delay or procrastination.
- Earnestly with zealous and undivided hearts continually being faithful unto death.
I'll give you a minute..because I needed one after I read that.
So seeking God with a whole heart means being on a pursuit to enlightening truth by doing 1-5.
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