In my last two blogs, I have addressed the issue of spiritual illiteracy.  (You can read them here and here.) Many Christians do not know the Bible like they think they know it.  The reason for this alarming illiteracy is a lack of personal Bible study.  

We have the Bible available to us in so many readable translations.  Many people have access to God’s Word on their phone, tablets, and computers.  And if your bookshelf is like mine, there is no shortage of printed Bible copies either.

Sadly, the spiritual diet for many Christians consists of what someone else writes or says about the Bible.  But the GOOD NEWS is that is doesn’t have to be this way!  If you are a Jesus follower, the author of the book lives inside of you.  One of the Holy Spirit’s roles in a believer’s life is to teach that believer Bible truth.  You don’t need a seminary degree in Bible to study it.  So outfitted with a Bible, a few simple tools, and the Holy Spirit, you can feed yourself on God’s Word.

Three Keys to Fruitful Personal Bible Study

To seriously look at God’s Word, the believer must being with three foundational elements. First, you need a productive time.  Try to choose a consistent time each day when you are most mentally alert.  For some that would be mornings, for others during the day, and still others in the evening.

Second, choose place with as few distractions as possible.  Turn off electronic notifications.  Look for a place with the perfect amount of quiet to help you focus on your study.  While a consistent time and place may prove most helpful, some will need flexibility in their scheduling. 

Finally, you need a dedicated plan.  Bible study doesn’t happen by accident. One of the most difficult obstacles to overcome in Bible study is choosing what to read.  That is why some opt for reading a devotional book.  Remember, we are trying to wean ourselves from regurgitated Bible truth and feed ourselves.  You will enjoy a more fruitful Bible study if you have a template to follow.  That is where I want to help you.

Planning Your Bible Study

You can find a plethora of daily Bible reading plans.  Many of them will take you through the entire Bible in a year.  I think reading large portions of the Bible is good.  One reason for illiteracy is that Christians fail to grasp the overarching narrative running throughout the Bible.  And reading larger portions helps us to understand how the various parts of the Bible story relate to one another. But for personal Bible study, I want to encourage you to read smaller portions of Scripture.  It is easier to chew and digest small bites.

Personal Bible Study Template

I want to share with you over the next few weeks an easy personal Bible study template that has helped me through the years.  This template will help you focus on a portion of Scripture and learn what it means in as little as 20-30 minutes.

I will break down the elements of the template in more detail in the coming weeks.  But basically, we will seek to ask 3 questions from what we read: what, so what, and now what.

The “what” question helps us understand what the Bible meant to its original audience.  Context is such an important part of accurately understanding the Bible.  I have found this is area where most people get off track in their Bible study.  But please remember the Bible can never mean what it never meant. We will go into more detail on this next week.

The “so what” question helps us see why the “what” matters.  While the “what” step gives us information, the “so what” step moves us into an understanding of why the way is important.  Then the final question is “now what.”  In this step we practically apply the information we learned, and the understanding we gained.

Wrap Up

To summarize:

• We can study the Word of God directly for ourselves.
• To do so, we need a time, place, and plan.
• A template will help us work through a Bible passage and learn what God wants us to know.

I hope you will take this journey with me.  I can’t take credit for anything I will share with you.  Many teachers in my past invested in me and helped me learn to study God’s Word.  What I will share with you is the synthesis of years of guidance, experimenting, and practice. My greatest desire is to help people grow in faith, knowledge, and life.  I want nothing more than to see you take what I share and adapt it to fit you.  

I close by making you a promise to pray for you.  And here is my prayer for you straight out of God’s Word.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.

Colossians 1:9-11

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