Welcome to Bible Study!
Stories can confuse us if we don’t have the context in which a story is being told (i.e.: era, environment, culture, customary practices). A story can also be difficult to understand and easy to dismiss if the vocabulary is unfamiliar or if the information is too much at one time. I believe these are some of the greatest deterrents for anyone trying to read the bible for the first time or attempting to stick with bible reading for any length of time.
New to the Bible
If you’re new to reading the Bible, this kind of Bible study is just for you. If you’ve ever scratched your head over scripture, this bible study is for you! One of the hardest things to do is to just get started. Sometimes it’s easier to start when we have a friend to walk with us, someone to guide our thoughts, ask good questions, and clear up the confusion. This bible study will explain the key ideas in each chapter, offer some background information about the author, setting, and era, and include some perspective on verses we may have read many times before but struggled to apply to our lives.
The Bible is rich with applicable stories for everyone. The bible studies here are fairly short and encourage application to our lives. Giving ourselves time to think about smaller portions of scripture in one sitting also gives us time to receive revelation from God and what He wants to speak to us through the stories. It gives us time to pray through what we just read. Each study ends with prayer prompts to help you in your journey of reading scripture and applying it through prayer.
Bite-size Bible Study
My hope with bite-size bible studies, you’ll find a daily rhythm of reading, applying with perspective, and praying through scripture that leaves an imprint on your heart. With just a few verses a day, may Scripture stay with you for longer than a moment and call themselves to your memory often. I pray you will find your desire for reading the bible growing deeper and richer through meditation of these shorter studies.
These studies do not encompass all that you can or should take from scripture. We serve an infinite God who is continually revealing new applications and transforming our thinking to receive deeper truths. Time and our experiences in life will also unveil meaning to scripture that we may not have the mindset or maturity to receive today. Sin can block our view and perspectives from scripture as well.
Translations and Journaling
The bible is written in many translations. These are simply languages that all tell the same story. Someone from New York has a different way of speaking than someone from California, Italy, or Kenya. I would recommend using a New Living Translation (NLT) Bible to study. It’s the easiest version to understand when you’re just getting started. Also, it’s helpful to have a journal (a notebook of any sort works) and a highlighter. You can highlight the verses that you want to remember. My husband says “if you highlight everything then you highlight nothing”. So be mindful of what you want to stand out on the page. In the journal, you can write your thoughts and pray over your life. I’ve given you a prayer prompt or starter for each of these studies if you need help with praying what you read over your life.