If you’re committed to studying the Bible more in 2022, but you aren’t sure where to begin, here are a few tips to help you.
- Get the right Bible translation. Maybe you grew up seeing your mother or grandmother using the King James Version, but you can’t get beyond the thous, wherefores and begot Luckily, there are literally hundreds of Bible translations available at your fingertips. Visit a website like biblestudytools.com and pull up your favorite scripture, if you have one. The site lists the translation for a variety of Bibles. Which version speaks to you and gives you the clearest understanding of what you’ve read? The great thing is you don’t have to be married to one translation. If you love one version, but you don’t understand a certain verse, you can always switch to another version to see if it gives you a better understanding. Once you decide which version(s) you like, you can purchase a hard copy so you can mark it up, which leads to our next tip.
- Don’t be afraid to write in your Bible. You may have grown up being admonished not to write in books, but feel free to ignore that advice. Mark up your bible with questions, thoughts or any insight you gain during your study time. You’ll want to invest in a good highlighter that doesn’t bleed through the pages to note passages that really speak to you. If the thought of writing in the Bible is too much, purchase a pack of transparent Post-It Notes. These allow you to see and highlight the text without marking up your Bible. Once you have your supplies, make sure you have everything in one place so that when you’re ready to begin studying you don’t have to go looking for anything.
- Take baby steps. As fun as the thought of completing the Bible in a year might seem at the onset, it may become very overwhelming when you realizing just how much you have to read each day. Instead, start with a small goal like one chapter a day or even ten minutes a day and build from there. The Bible doesn’t have to be read chronologically. If you’re not sure where to begin, consider starting with Proverbs. There are 31 chapters, so you can study a chapter a day for a month, then pray about where to go next.
- Schedule time with God. Just like you would schedule a doctor’s appointment for you or your love one, add Bible study to your calendar to make sure life doesn’t get in the way. Once you add it to your schedule, commit to actually keeping the appointment.
- Begin with prayer. Have you ever tried reading the Bible and suddenly found yourself sleepy or thinking about everything you need to do? It’s a trick of the enemy to distract you. Before you begin studying the Bible, pray for not only comprehension but also focus.
Prayerfully, with these tips, 2022 will find you drawing closer to God through His word.
For further study: Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15, NIV)