Practical suggestions that can make your Bible studies more effective II

Greetings to you, dear friends! Grace and peace to you from Father God and our Lord Jesus Christ! Yesterday we established that in order for our Bible studies to be effective we need to put together a plan that would lead from simple to more complicated things. Also we should take notes of what God shows us while we read our Bibles. The Bible is our Promised Land. It contains answers to all of our questions. Unless we get serious about the Bible and start to study it, we won’t ever be able to comprehend what treasure God has hidden in it. Besides the Bible study techniques that we have already discussed, I would like to draw your attention to several other important aspects of Bible study. 7. Apply the Bible to yourself. If you treat the Bible as any other book and do not apply it to your life, then it will be boring and you won’t understand why you ever need to read it. In one of His parables, Jesus said that some people hear the word and do it, and that is why they become wiser. When problems or life storms come into their lives, they go through them with dignity. It is because what they read does not remain theoretical; for them it is applicable and practical. When you read the Bible, ask yourself this question: «How does this apply to me?» When you listen to sermons, you should ask the same question. Think about how you can use the things you read and hear in your life! The Bible helps us to answer all the questions. When you get your questions answered, your desire to read the Bible grows stronger; you will see how beneficial and applicable to your situation the Bible is. 8.  Meditate upon the Word When we read the Bible and take notes, it is important to get back to it and meditate upon the lessons God has taught us. «Stop and think!»– That is what meditation is. In the Book of Psalms we often see the word ‘Selah’. This word means „stop and think”. Selah means we should stop and think for a moment. Of what you have read and look at it from different aspects. When we do that God’s Word penetrates our hearts even deeper. 9. Choose the time for Bible reading when your mind is fresh and uncluttered. You shouldn’t be religious about the reading of Bible. There is no use reading your Bible when your mind is busy with other things and isn’t able to perceive anything. In that case the reading will be difficult and boring. The Bible-reading time can be different for every person. Morning might seem to be the best time for it, but it is not necessarily so. For some people it is better to do it in the evening when the children are asleep. For others the best time is during the day. Every person must find the time that fits him or her best. 10. Do not forget that the Author of the Bible is the Holy Spirit and He is always there for us. The Holy Spirit waits for us to turn to Him to give understanding. Always pray before you begin reading: «Holy Spirit! I know that You are the Teacher and Author of the Bible. I know that the Holy Spirit lives within me. I ask You, the Spirit of God, to give me revelations, understanding, perception and allow me to see the wonderful truth contained in God’s Word. I thank You for it!» If you cooperate with the Holy Spirit, you will be able to see the depths of God’s wisdom. Sometimes I cry when I read the Bible; sometimes I feel beat up. It happens when God convicts me of something through His Word. It is a weapon, as you know. Sometimes I cry because the Holy Spirit allows me to perceive the truth of God’s love for me. His love touches me so much that I begin to weep for joy. I was blind and now I see because God’s grace has come to me through the Holy Ghost. During our Bible-reading times we can use different Bible translations. Read the translation you understand best. There are numerous translations in English, and there is a great advantage in it. I have six different English translations. If I do not understand something in one, I can always open other versions. One word of the Bible can reveal the true meaning of a verse or story. So pray that you would have access to different translations. It helps in the Bible studies. Tomorrow we will talk about creative ways to study the Bible. May God bless every one of you! Pastor Rufus Ajiboye