Why Study the Bible? (And Not Just Read It) – Plus Free Resources to Help You Grow
- jennytheissignutri
- 25. Juli
- 10 Min. Lesezeit
Aktualisiert: 15. Aug.
Reading the Bible is essential to our spiritual growth—but what about studying the Word? Is it different? Is one better than the other, or are they simply synonyms for the same process?
Many of us feel intimidated by the idea of studying the Bible, and because of that, we limit our understanding—and our growth—when we spend time in the Word. Like many of you, I also avoided studying the Word, convinced that it was only for theologians or that I did not have the time. But this is simply not true. All christians need to be studying the Word regularly so that we can continue to grow closer to Christ
Reading vs. Studying the Word
Reading and studying the Word are two different activities.
Reading the Word allows us to get the overall picture of the passage we are reading. It requires no additional reading and can be done anywhere, anytime.
Studying the Word allows us to delve deeply into the cultural and historical context, revealing the richness of the passage. It takes more time, additional resources, and sometimes causes us to get lost in the details.
Both reading and studying are highly beneficial to our spiritual development and we must make time for both.
“The Bible is the greatest of all books; to study it is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.” ― Charles C. Ryrie
Making Time to Study
How often do you find yourself mindlessly channel surfing or doom scrolling on TikTok or Insta? Imagine if you spent just ten minutes of that time studying the Word. Making time to study doesn’t mean setting aside hours to dive into every little detail. Study simply means being intentional with the time you have.
We all lead very busy lives - between work, children, family, managing the household and ministry, finding time to study the Word can seem impossible. One thing that held me back here was having a black and white mentality when it came to studying. If I couldn't study the passage completely or couldn't study for at least one hour, i felt it wasn't worth it. But since letting go of that all-or-nothing mentality, God has shown me so many valuable truths and revelations through His Word, even if I only have a few minutes to spend with Him.
I don’t aim to study the Word every single day, and I’ve released the pressure of needing a full hour. I still set goals, but I no longer guilt myself when I fall short. God wants to speak to you through His Word—He doesn’t have a time requirement. All He wants is your heart.
Studying should be treated as an act of worship;, come in with a heart willing and wanting to hear and God will speak.
Studying the bible is not just for church leaders and theologians, it's something every one of us should be doing regularly! The bible is an ancient manuscript written for a different time and culture but that doesnt make it irrelevant - the Word of God is still living and active (Heb 4:12). His Word has a purpose and though reading can give us some understanding, taking time to study it helps us to understand the depth of what God is telling us. This does not require a theology degree but it does require intentionality and discipleship.
I am writing this article to encourage you to be more intentional in studying the Word. You do not need hours on end to study the Word nor a fancy degree, it just means setting aside 10 minutes and slowing down, not aiming to read the entire chapter in one sitting (though that may be necessary and helpful at times) but on zeroing in on a few verses and taking time to examine them in their fulness. But how do we study the Word?
How to Study the bible
Many of us avoid studying the Word because it's intimidating. We have an ancient library, written in a foreign language to a culture that no longer exists, and we wonder how can this book matter to me? I've been there. Some things in the bible seem to make no sense or seem irrelevant to our modern culture. But God has preserved His Word for thousands of years, and this is not without reason. There is so much value in the Word of God, but we need to make time to understand it, and this can only come through studying His Word. Check out this quick guide to see how you can deepen your time in the Word and grow closer to God today
Pray before you open your bible
Psalm 119:18 says, "Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from your law" This is something I am admittedly not so good at, but it is essential that we pray before we open the Word, as this helps to put us in the right frame of mind. Even just offering up this verse or a simple "please speak to me, Lord, through Your Word today." Offering up such a prayer prepares our hearts for what the Lord wants to speak to us and slows our minds to be ready to receive.
Use a bible study method
You have surely heard, "Failing to plan is planning to fail". This also applies to our time in the Word. Using a bible study method offers structure and intentionality when we are studying the Word and helps set us up for success. The good news is, though, this does not need to be a complicated system. The SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) is a simple and easy bible study method that does not require a lot of time and is very beginner-friendly. Verse mapping is more time-consuming but allows us to go into more depth and gives us greater understanding, but can cause us to become lost in the details. Word studies, book studies and character studies tend to involve much more time and may cause misunderstanding and poor interpretation, especially in studying ancient languages and cultures.
Ask intentional questions
Because the bible is a library, we must consider the literary style, audience, author and context in which that book was written. A short verse out of Proverbs should be interpreted differently than a verse from the Psalms or from the Pentateuch (Genesis - Deuteronomy). Reading them all the same will lead to massive misinterpretation and cause a lot of chaos. By asking intentional questions, we can understand what God is saying through this passage. Some examples of intentional questions are
Who wrote this book? Who were they writing it to?
What was the purpose?
What is the literary style?
What is the historical context?
What does this teach me about people? what does it teach me about God?
How can I apply this to my life?
Be careful with that last question; not all passages can be directly translated to our current situation. Seek God and ask Him how He is calling you to respond.
Look up cross references
he bible often repeats words, phrases, ideas and concepts. Many Bibles contain cross-references in the margins or footnotes. Reading these cross-references helps improve our understanding of the passage we by giving us more information. If your bible does not contain footnotes or there are none for the passage you are reading, you can check out Blue Letter Bible, Open Bible or the YouVision bible app. You do not need to spend hours reading all cross references but when you take a few extra moments to read one or two of these references, it will reveal more and more to you.
Write it down
Memorising scripture is a powerful way to equip ourselves for the daily battles we face. As a kid, I went to a christian school and part of our homework in primary school was to memorise a verse of scripture each week. This is something I am very grateful for now because, although I don't remember all the verses I memorised at the time, there are still many I do (though praise the Lord for google because I'm terrible with remembering where to find the scriptures!). I have been able to call to mind many of these scriptures while studying, during prayer time, while talking to my kids and even when I face difficult situations in my personal life. Writing out scriptures by hand, creating beautiful art out of them, praying and meditating, are all great ways to keep the Word with us wherever we go. The last few days I have started memorising Psalm 119 and having those scriptures to call to mind when I am at work has allowed me to spend time with God at the busiest time of my day. We all struggle finding time to spend with God alone but its also important to encorperate spending time with Him in our daily moments. Washing dishes, walking the dog, driving to school, or performing tasks at work can become opportunities to spend time with God when we equip ourselves with the Word. I obviously cant crack open my bible and sit down in the middle of a busy backery and study the Word, but as I go about my routine tasks I can recite the verse I am learning that day and meditate on what it means. When we are called to meditate on the Word day and night (Joshua 1:8), it means keeping in the forfront of your mind, not necessarily having the bible physically open in front of us all day long. This is what the bible means by meditating on the Word day and night.
Memorise key verses
Memorising scripture is a powerful way to equip ourselves for the daily battles we face. As a kid, I went to a christian school and part of our homework in primary school was to memorise a verse of scripture each week. This is something I am very grateful for now because, although I don't remember all the verses I memorised at the time, there are still many I do (though praise the Lord for google because I'm terrible with remembering where to find the scriptures!). I have been able to call to mind many of these scriptures while studying, during prayer time, while talking to my kids and even when I face difficult situations in my personal life. Writing out scriptures by hand, creating beautiful art out of them, praying and meditating, are all great ways to keep the Word with us wherever we go. The last few days I have started memorising Psalm 119 and having those scriptures to call to mind when I am at work has allowed me to spend time with God at the busiest time of my day. We all struggle finding time to spend with God alone but its also important to encorperate spending time with Him in our daily moments. Washing dishes, walking the dog, driving to school, or performing tasks at work can become opportunities to spend time with God when we equip ourselves with the Word. I obviously cant crack open my bible and sit down in the middle of a busy backery and study the Word, but as I go about my routine tasks I can recite the verse I am learning that day and meditate on what it means. When we are called to meditate on the Word day and night (Joshua 1:8), it means keeping in the forfront of your mind, not necessarily having the bible physically open in front of us all day long. This is what the bible means by meditating on the Word day and night.
FREE BIBLE STUDY RESOURCES
Have you ever tried to purchase a bible commentary? Those things are pricey! But the great news is, there are many wonderful (and free) resources available to us right on our phones (or computers). Below is a list of free resources that have really enhanced my bible studies and I know they will help you too.
YouVersion
What you will love: wide range of translations across multiple languages, verse of the day, daily devotions, bible reading plans, all for free and right there on your phone
the downside: not designed for academic study and it's very easy to be distracted by other apps and notifications while using the app
The Bible Project
What you will love: beautifully animated videos covering a wide range of biblical topics. My favourite ones are the book overviews. These videos are presented in a conversational style and are easy to understand
the downside: the information in the videos is detailed and can be overwhelming so definitely take notes!
Enduring Word - Bible Commentary
What you will love: any easy to understand commentary focused on personal application and encouragement written in a verse-by-verse format
The downside: written by a single author (David Guzik) giving it a limited view point, gives limited background and cultural context and is not considered an academic commentary
Blue Letter Bible
https://www.blueletterbible.org/
What you will love: Strongs reference links to original Greek and Hebrew, multiple commentaries, an interlineal bible and cross-referencing
The downside: outdated user interface (on the website, I haven't tried the app), no built-in devotionals, limited bible translations availableoutdated user interface (on the website, I havent tried the app), no built-in devotionals, limited bible translations available
Bible Study Tools
https://www.biblestudytools.com/
What you will love: easy to look up verses, wide range of bible translations, commentariesa , bible dictionaries as well as reading plans and devotionals
The downside: limited academic resources, ads can be distracting
Of course this is in no way, its just a list of my personal favorites. I hope that you will find these tools easy to use and through them you are able to understand the Word better and allow that to draw you into a more intimate relationship with God. The goal of study is not just to fill your head with more facts but for that knowledge to draw you closer to our Lord.
Conclusion:
Our busy schedules often lead us to neglecting studying God's Word but it doesnt need to be a big time commitment. Even ten minutes a couple of times a week can allow you to come into a deeper and more intimate relationship with God. Keeping our heart centred on God and asking Him to speak to us before we enter into a time of study allows us to come into those few minutes with a heart centred on Him. Making notes and following a methodical system and asking intentional questions leads us into a deeper understanding and memorising key verses ensures we are equiped for every battle this world throws at us. Though it may seem intimidating, there are many valuable and free resources available to help you understand the Word, whether you are a beginner or looking to study on a more academic level. The enemy often uses fear to hold us back from drawing closer to Him but by breaking our study time down into small chunks of times, makes this intimidating task something much more accessable to each of us. Are you ready to commit to studying His Word? Just a few minutes makes the world of difference in your relationship with God. Will you invest that time this week?
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