Where To Start With Bible Study
I wasn’t going to do it. After working for 13 hours straight yet again, the only thing I wanted to do was crawl into bed or turn on the TV and not use my brain. But the Bible on the table called to me. At first, I couldn’t focus on my daily reading. I kept getting distracted by my phone, but something wouldn’t let me go. “Open it up,” I heard that still small voice. I gave up on reading my daily assigned section and “randomly” opened my Bible.
The Lord led me to multiple passages - “at random” - on the same subject. The exact same subject I actually studied early that morning in my daily reading. On the same message that was mentioned a couple times at the service on Sunday. Once, maybe. Twice? It could be a coincidence. But three passages at random on the same exact thing? That’s God.
The thing is, if I walked by and turned on the TV instead or if I had given up when I just wasn’t feeling what I was reading, I would have missed it. I would have missed the comfort the Lord wanted to give me, the lesson He wanted to teach me and the encouragement and promises He had ready for me.
Whether you’re a new Christian or it’s just been awhile since you last opened up your Bible, here are some tips and reminders on where to start with making Bible study a life-giving daily habit:
Show up and start. This is the easiest and the hardest thing to do. You don’t need fancy notebooks or an Instagram worthy set up, and yet few people make time today to read their Bible daily. The Bible is the living word of God, which means if we show up to hear from God, He will speak to us through His word. Whether you read one verse or an entire book at a time.
Open your Bible - it is the most important step. In the words of Alexander MacLaren, “God keeps giving Himself as long as we bring that into which He can pour Himself. And when we stop bringing, He stops giving.”
Start with prayer. Prayer - even a few short words - prepares your heart and mind to hear God’s word. It focuses your thoughts as you thank God for His word and ask for the Holy Spirit to fill you with what you need for that day. In the Lord’s prayer, we ask God to “give us this day our daily bread,” which not only references food for the body, but also food for the soul. The Holy Spirit can teach us so much more than any sermon, Bible teacher or commentary, so invite Him into your quiet time.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. -John 6:35
Use a notebook. Studies show that we remember things better if we write them down. You don’t have to write entire commentaries each time you read the Bible, but jot down what stands out to you or any questions you might have as you read. If you’re not sure where to start, here are two questions foundational to Bible study:
What does this passage teach me about God and His character?
How does this change the way I live?
You don’t need a fancy journal to do this, but if you are wanting something more guided and structured, I recommend either the Give Me Jesus Journal or the Quiet Time Companion.
Start in the book of John. If you’re a new Christian, the Gospel of John is a good place to start. This book not only covers the life of Jesus but is filled with lessons on godly living that are foundational to every Christian. There are four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) that cover similar stories from the life of Jesus and His teachings, but in my opinion, John is the easiest to read and understand!
Put it on your daily to-do list and/or calendar. We eat food every day to nourish our bodies, so too must we eat from the Bread of Life daily. Even ten minutes spent reading a Psalm or choosing a few verses to meditate on while you’re going about your day is better than not reading your Bible at all each day. Reading the Bible for 20 minutes a day adds up to over 120 hours a year! For context, the average person uses social media for over 2 hours a day (that is over 700 hours a year)! Put Bible study as a to-do on your list, mark it in your planner, or even set it up as re-occurring daily event on your calendar!
Meditate on the Word throughout your day. Keep an open Bible on your desk while you work. Write out a Bible passage on an index card and prop it up in the kitchen where you’ll see it while you do the dishes. Listen to the Bible while you make dinner or go for a walk or drive. Put the Bible app in the location on your phone where your Instagram or Facebook app is (our muscle memory often reaches for what we open up most often on our phone, so this is a trick to open the Bible app instead of a social media app!).
Don’t just rely on devotionals. Although devotionals are a wonderful resource, they shouldn’t be our primary method of getting into the Word. Instead, they should be used as a supplement to your own time spent in the primary source: the Bible. For example, you can start with a devotional reading and then take a few minutes to open your Bible to the passage mentioned in the devo and read the entire chapter for context or do a study with cross-references to similar passages. Learn more about inductive Bible study here.
Utilize commentaries. No pressure on this one, but once you feel ready to add this to your Bible study toolkit, there are some good Bible commentaries to enhance your quiet time. But, before you get there, I recommend first getting into a daily rhythm and daily habit of reading the Bible without any supplements or commentaries. You can order print book commentaries, or use online sources like BibleHub or Blue Letter Bible. A few of my favorites include:
Use a Bible study. There are so many Bible studies on the market nowadays, so if you want more guidance on how to study the Bible and what to study, a Bible study is a good place to start. Visit a local Christian bookstore to browse in person, or I recommend the Daily Grace Co. for a good mix of theologically sound studies.
Unlike devotionals, Bible studies get you into the Word for yourself, which is vital! Bible studies can be topical (covering a certain topic or theme) or focus on one book of the Bible at a time (here is a free online study to go through the book of Romans).
Read the Bible in full. Every Christian should read the Bible in full at least once in their lives. It is transformative and is one of the best ways to not only grow spiritually but to also protect yourself from false teaching. Here are 5 tips to read the Bible in full.
Fellowship. We are not meant to do life alone. Personal Bible study time is important to spiritual growth, but we also need to make time to gather with other Christians to study His word. This could include weekly fellowship at church, small groups / life groups, Bible studies / classes offered through your local church.
Another accountability tactic: round up 3-5 friends, read one chapter every week day (pick any book of the Bible!), and share daily in a group text what stood out to you.
You can’t hear God if you’re not opening up His Word daily. TV and social media won’t give you what you seek and what your soul truly needs. Only Jesus can satisfy. Don’t let the day pass by without opening up your heart and mind to Him. He is forever waiting for you. Rain or shine. Day or night. He always shows up. But do you?
