Written by Nina Heck
“I try to read the Bible, but I just don’t understand it.” That’s what a friend confessed as we discussed his relationship with God. His goal was to read the “One Year Bible”, but reading to get through the whole thing in a year left him feeling confused and unsure how it could be relevant. I reassured him that God made a way for all of us to understand His word.
I shared John 14: 26 with him, “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things”(NIV). God has given us an awesome gift in the Holy Spirit! One of His many attributes is to teach us God’s truth. We just have to ask Him for understanding as we read God’s word. I introduced him to a simple way of reading the bible with purpose:
Step 1: Purchase a journal
Step 2: Select a book of the Bible
Step 3: Have a goal to read 1 chapter of the Bible everyday…Find a quiet place to do your reading
Step 4: Pray before you begin reading, and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you what you are to learn from this scripture passage
Step 5: Read your chapter of scripture and write down your answers to the following questions in your journal
- What jumped out at me when I read this scripture?
- Why did that stand out to me?
- How will this insight from God’s word change the way I live my life?
- In light of what I have learned from this passage, what is my prayer for this day?
So very simple, yet very detailed, as you begin to view God’s word as never before. When you allow the Holy Spirit to teach you, He will reveal new insights in the scriptures and show you areas of your life that need to be cleaned up or changed all together. Journaling your answers will help you remember insights you have been shown.
My prayer for you as you begin this journey is the same prayer Paul prayed in Philippians 1: 9-10, “That your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.” Amen