“I want to study my Bible more, but I don’t know where to begin.”
I have heard that statement, and similar others, from many people over the years. How can we decided WHAT to study each day? How do we decide WHERE to focus our daily Bible study? Where can we find some fresh Bible study ideas?
I must confess, I have experienced the same frustration from time to time. Over the years I have learned several Bible study plans that help me solve the dilemma of what to study. I share a few of those with you in hopes you will find some ideas for you next Bible study.
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Fresh Bible Study Ideas
1. Psalms.
The Book of Psalms contains 150 chapters. If you read 5 a day, you can read through the book during a 30 day month. I would caution you, however, that Psalm 119 is rather long – 176 verses. If you read 5 Psalms a day, day 24 will require a little extra time. Or you might choose a month with 31 days, skip 119 on day 24, and read it on day 31. During your Psalms readings you will experience the raw highs and lows of human emotions and praise.
2. Proverbs.
This book contains 31 chapters. You could read one a day during a 31 day month. Or you could read the last 2 together during a 30 day month. These chapters contain rich practical guidelines for daily living and principles that lead to Godly wisdom. You can choose one or two verses from each days chapter for further meditation and personal application that day.
3. Book of the Month (LITE).
You can divide a larger book of the Bible into readable sized sections for each day of a particular month. For instance, Matthew is 28 chapters; you could read a chapter a day. Isaiah is 66 chapters, you could read 2 a day, 3 a day with the shorter chapters. This is a great way to cover the content of an entire book in manageable chunks.
4. Book of the Month (HI-TEST).
I learned this idea from John MacArthur. Choose a book of the Bible and read it through entirely each day of a month. After reading the same book 30-31 times you will familiarize yourself fully with its contents. You can sub-divide larger books, but read the same section every day each day of a month. Then move on to another section of that book the next month.
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5. Word Study/Topic.
Choose a Biblical topic or word. Use a concordance or topical Bible to find all the occurrences of the word or topic in the Bible. Read one or two of the passages a day, meditating on its relationship to other verses and its personal application. This approach will provide you with a systematic view of the whole counsel of God’s Word on a particular topic.
6. Character Study.
Similar to a word/topic study, a character study examines the full narrative of a Biblical figure. As you study a character, record life events, victories, defeats, successes, failures and lessons you learn through your observation. You will find that Biblical characters faced many of the same struggles we face, only in different contexts. We can learn positive or negative lessons from their experience.
These are a few ways I approach Bible study, and I hope some of them will enrich your Bible study.
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Some practical suggestions
Let me close with some practical suggestions for any and all Bible study methods you choose.
- Pick a quiet place and optimal time for a consistent daily Bible study time.
- Write down your observations, questions, and life applications so you can refer to them later.
- Vary your approach every few months. Try not to get into a Bible study method rut, but feature a variety of approaches.
For some Bible study tips and suggestions for resources check out the posts linked below.
How to Begin Investigating the Bible for Yourself
Some Practical Ideas for Bible Study
Getting Started With Personal Bible Study
You can enter Bible Study in the search box to the right for a list of posts about Bible study.
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