The logical question that follows knowing that we need to study the word of God is: How do I learn and understand God’s Word? There are seven things that you need to do to be a true student of the word of God.
- READ the Word daily
“Cause me to hear your lovingkindness in the morning.” Ps. 143:8
“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy…” Revelation 1:3
“Your Words were found and I did eat them, and your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.” Jer. 15:16
What’s the best way to read your bible daily? Incorporate a plan that has you reading systematically through books of the Bible and then through the entire Bible. Here are a few suggestions:
Read one Chapter a day from Proverbs with the chapter matching the day – Prov. 12 for Feb. 12
Read five chapters a day from Psalms as Psalms has 150 chapters 30 x 5 = 150
Read one Chapter a day from Proverbs and read five chapters a day from Psalms
Read one chapter a day from NT, reading one chapter for five out of seven days in a week and you will read through the NT in a year because the NT has 260 chapters
Read one Proverb and one Psalm and one NT each day. You will read through the NT once, Proverbs 12 times and Psalms twice!
Read 3 chapters a day from the NT – will take three months 260 chapters in 90 days
Read 3 chapters a day from the OT – will take 10 months
To read through the Bible read 3 chapters a day during the week and 5 on Sunday
Read a complete NT book (like Philippians) daily for 30 days.
Use a one-year Bible that includes daily reading from the OT, NT, Proverbs, and Psalms.
Read 3 chapters a day from NT, in which you will read through NT is 3 months, and one chapter a day from Proverbs. Do this for a whole year, and you will have read through your NT 4 times and the Book of Proverbs 12 times.
Read 3 chapters a day from NT, in which you will read through NT is 3 months, and one chapter a day from Psalms and one chapter a day from Proverbs. Do this for a whole year and you will have read through your NT 4 times and Psalms twice and the Book of Proverbs 12 times.
2. HEAR the Word
“So then Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Rom. 10:17
I would suggest having a sermon notebook to take notes in so you can review them during your quiet time. Hearing is tied to RECEIVING the Word into your life. Pay attention every Sunday. Take notes. Ponder deeply on what was preached.
Ps 119:162 “I rejoice at Your word, as one who finds great treasure.”
3. By MEMORIZING the Word
We are to Remember the Word. Oftentimes, we need Scripture in our lives but we can’t just stop and read the Bible. So, we need Scripture memorized.
“Your Word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11
Here are some suggestions for how to memorize Scripture:
Memorize one verse a week. At the end of a year you will have 52 verses memorized.
Memorize two verses a week. At the end of a year you will have 104 verses memorized.
Memorize a whole book – like James or Philippians.
Memorize ten various Psalms. I suggest at least memorizing Ps. 1, 15, 19, 23, 91, 100, 101, 113, 141, 150
4. STUDY the Word of God
This is where we research the Word to understand it deeply.
“For Ezra prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach statues and ordinance in Israel.” Ezra 7:10
Let me suggest ten great questions to ask to help you know how to apply God’s word to your life. You may want to put these in the flyleaf of your Bible.
1. Is there a PROMISE to claim? Such as Prov. 3:5-6
2. Is there a WARNING to heed? Such as Prov. 4:14-15; Luke 12:15
3. Is there a COMMAND to obey? Such as Matt. 28:19-20
4. Is there a SIN to confess? Such as Prov. 6:16-19
5. Is there a SIN to forsake? Such as Prov. 5
6. Is there a LESSON to learn? Such as II Sam. 13
7. Is there a PRINCIPLE to apply? Such as Dan. 1:8
8. Is there an EXAMPLE to follow? Such as Good Samaritan
9. Is there a BLESSING to expect? Such as Malachi 3:10; Luke 6:38
10. Is there a SERVICE to perform? Such as James 5:16
5. MEDITATE on the Word of God.
After reading, hearing, memorizing, and studying the Bible, we then reflect on the Word.
“I will meditate on your precepts, and I will look into your ways.” Ps. 119:15
Meditate means to ponder and think over. Every day, you should ponder on what you’ve read and studied in Scripture. You should think about what it says about God, what it says about sin, what it says about salvation, what it says about this world, and what it says about you. What we think about is crucial to how we live.
6. OBEY the Word of God.
We are to respond to the Word through obedience. The one who hears and does is the wise man!! Knowing what God says isn’t enough. Knowing how to apply Scripture isn’t enough. We need to do what God tells us to do. We need to believe what God tells us to believe.
“But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22
“If you love me, keep my commandments.” Jn. 15:14
“God did not give us His Word just for information, but for our transformation.” – D. L. Moody
QUESTION? Are you educated far beyond our obedience? Do you need to bring your obedience up to date?
7. SHARE the Word of God with others.
We must not only know the word of God for ourselves. We must also share it with others. Like good food, we should want to share the Bible with others.
“For Ezra prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach statues and ordinance in Israel.” Ezra 7:10
Ezra not only studied God’s word, but he also obeyed it and then taught it.
“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” II Tim. 2:2
An article written by our founder Dwayne Carson