Dive into the Word with us.
“Indeed, the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Have a resource to contribute that will edify or build up the Body of Christ?
How to Study
1. Read
Find a place and a time for Bible reading that is quiet and uninterrupted.
Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your reading.
Keep the passage fairly short.
If your situation allows for it, read the passage aloud.
As you read, listen for a word or phrase that speaks to you. What is the Spirit drawing your attention to?
2. Meditate
Focusing on the word or phrase to which you are drawn, make connections between it and your life.
Why do you think it speaks to you? How is your life touched by this word? How does it affect you? Does it connect with an experience in your life? Why might God be drawing your attention to this particular word or phrase?
State in one or two sentences to yourself the connection between the word or phrase and your life.
3. Savor
Move from the activity of prayer to a time of stillness. Simply rest in God’s presence. Stay open to God. Listen to God. Remain in silence before God. Trust that God is feeding you spiritually through the entire process of read/meditate/savor/apply.
Here, we are not in control. It is up to God. It’s about being, rather than doing. Relationally, it is the experience of being with the God who loves us.
4. Apply
Take the thoughts you have been having and ask yourself whether there is an invitation from God for you to respond to, such as asking for guidance or for forgiveness. Is there a need in your life that has come to light, a person you need to speak with or an action you need to take? What would God have you do?
Now, go back to the text and start the process over again, listening for a new word or phrase.
When you come to the end of your Bible reading time, close with a prayer of “thank you, God” and enter into the tasks of the day, taking with you this sense of God’s presence, this experience of God’s love and guidance through his word.
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Helpful Apps and Tools
Biblia.com
A powerful and easy to use online study bible provided by the makers of Logos. Also available as a desktop app or mobile app. Free version contains a few translations, commentaries, resources, and guides. More translations, dictionaries, books, and other resources are available by subscription.
Bible.com
YouVersion’s excellent Bible website and app includes multiple translations, audio bibles, reading plans and devotionals on a wide variety of topics. You can even manage prayer requests and join friends in their studies.Very easy to use and everything is free! Also available as a mobile app.
BibleArc.com
Bible Arc is a fantastic study resource that instantly links verses together so you can study concepts as they are presented throughout the Bible. Also available as a mobile app. Free version is powerful and easy to use. Subscription-based versions are also available that provide other resources.
BlueLetterBible.org
Blue Letter Bible is a free, searchable online Bible program providing access to many different Bible translations, commentaries, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other theological resources. Also available as a mobile app.