OK, I apologize for the really long title but I didn't know how to shorten it...
The older I get (and that statement just made me feel really old) the more I realize that studying the Bible and making the Bible a part of our lives every moment of the day is important.
The Bible says, "Pray without ceasing" but how do you do that when you work eight hours out of the day, spend forty minutes a day on the road driving, and approximately an hour a day eating... and that list could go on, you get my point. When do you pray, when can you spend time studying God's Word?
And so I have but this list together with the help of some other sources...
Where do you want to be in the Bible in a year from now? A month? Two weeks?
What do you want God to teach you in 2016?
Create a plan, Stick with it. Tell somebody else what you are doing and make yourself accountable to them. Get them to ask you how its going... weekly... monthly... whatever you personally need. It might need to daily to start. :)
Along with this I want to include if you have a Smart Phone get a Bible App. Find one that you like and stick with it. I love the "You Version" Bible App. Not only does it have different versions in the Bible that I flip back and forth from, but on some of the versions it has Audio Capability.
You are going to hear me say this again, shut the music off. Listen to the Bible while you run or do your morning workout, on your drive to and from work, or when you are making breakfast.
Trust me I know how easy it is to go for the music but choose rather to listen to a Chapter in the Bible.
Truth is in the time that it takes you to listen to two songs, you could listen to the first chapter in Matthew.
How can I apply the verse that I read this morning or last night to my life? Ask God in the quietness of that moment for that direction.
This is likely one of the things that I fail the most miserably at... but I'm learning, learning to sit in solitude, quietness, and peacefulness before a Holy God. Some of the best times that I can remember are the drives to and from work well I worshiped God and prayed. If the truck windshield could tell you stories, of all that I have learned driving to and from work. I am sure that it would write a very thick book.
Spend time studying God's Word. I don't care if it is in the morning, evening, before you go to bed, or halfway through the day.
I know how it goes, you hate mornings, and there is no way that if you got up a half hour earlier that you could study the Bible, because you spend your twenty minute drive to work trying to wake up. I get it. I am the expert at waking up with only enough time to get myself out of bed, get ready, and occasionally have breakfast.
I've tried studying the Bible in the mornings, and it doesn't work. Anybody in my family could give you about five reasons why this doesn't work. But we won't go there because that really isn't my point here. For me evenings work best, before I go to sleep at night... and then my wonderful Bible App wakes me up in the morning with a random Bible verse that I read and its that little kick that I need.
For myself since I have picked up this habit... I find it inspiring because I date my notes. Go back six months, a year, two years, four years later and read them. That's what was happening then, "Thank-you God for bringing me through that."... or "hey, wow I was so stupid, God Thank-you for teaching me so much in the past year."
I love sticky notes for this reason. They were the best invention ever known to man-kind.
Your own personal notes become inspiring and encouraging for yourself. Also no different than my Grandma. If the Lord doesn't return before we all have Grand-kids, and we pass off the scene. Your Grand-kids will find it inspiring to read through your Bible.
Get a support group together. Don't make it to big of a group.
But study God's Word together over coffee and chocolate, tea and biscuits...etc! you get my point.
Make your friendships grow because you learn to know each other spiritually.
Learn to know your friends and family and how their personal walks with Jesus Christ are going.
Write your prayers out... and again make sure you start off with the date at the top of your page.
Write in your journal what God has been teaching you in your study time. It makes it stick a little better or at least it does for me.
The best investment that I ever made was a 100 page spiral bound notebook... I have an office job so this works well for me... I have this notebook on my desk and at the beginning of the day I write the date and so anytime I have an inspiration whether it be a quote, something God gives me or simply the reference to a Bible verse I write it down... and later in my devotional time I look into it a little deeper if it needs that. Sometimes its simply a prayer request. It can be whatever... There are no rules in what you write there.
This may not be somethings you want to simply share with everybody so in a public office space a spiral bound notebook might not be the greatest thing. :) Maybe simply emailing yourself these inspirations might be a better thought. You need to figure out what works for you.
But don't limit your sharing of God's Word to just social media... your unbelieving coworkers need to hear what God has done in your life or maybe its just a random stranger.
Sometimes the simplest things, speak far bigger volumes than anything else. Help that elderly lady cross the street. Open the door for a stranger that has their arms full.
When you meet somebody on the street, you never know what they have been trough already that day or are going through. Where there is a need, there is a call. If you see a need God may be calling you. It can be God's way of calling you to minister into somebodies life. Don't allow those opportunities to go undone.
---
Please be advised there are not only eight ways to get the most out of the Bible in the next year. This is only a start. I hope this will be the start that you need and will help you discover on your own more ways to get more out of the Bible.
The older I get (and that statement just made me feel really old) the more I realize that studying the Bible and making the Bible a part of our lives every moment of the day is important.
The Bible says, "Pray without ceasing" but how do you do that when you work eight hours out of the day, spend forty minutes a day on the road driving, and approximately an hour a day eating... and that list could go on, you get my point. When do you pray, when can you spend time studying God's Word?
And so I have but this list together with the help of some other sources...
1. Ask God in Prayer to help you
I make this step number one because it really is step number one in everything. Ask God to help you get more out of His Word. He will deliverer I promise.
When you ask God for help He will show you in ways that will "literally blow your mind"(Sorry that statement is borrowed).
2. Start a Bible Plan and Stick with it.
What are you reading in the Bible now? What are you studying now?Where do you want to be in the Bible in a year from now? A month? Two weeks?
What do you want God to teach you in 2016?
Create a plan, Stick with it. Tell somebody else what you are doing and make yourself accountable to them. Get them to ask you how its going... weekly... monthly... whatever you personally need. It might need to daily to start. :)
3. Get An Audio Bible
 |
| YouVersion Bible App |
You are going to hear me say this again, shut the music off. Listen to the Bible while you run or do your morning workout, on your drive to and from work, or when you are making breakfast.
Trust me I know how easy it is to go for the music but choose rather to listen to a Chapter in the Bible.
Truth is in the time that it takes you to listen to two songs, you could listen to the first chapter in Matthew.
4. Shut the music off and spend time thinking about God's Word
I love my music. I would listen to music any chance that I have... but sometimes we surround ourselves with all of the today's noise that we forget to sit in quietness before the Almighty God and allow Him to speak.How can I apply the verse that I read this morning or last night to my life? Ask God in the quietness of that moment for that direction.
This is likely one of the things that I fail the most miserably at... but I'm learning, learning to sit in solitude, quietness, and peacefulness before a Holy God. Some of the best times that I can remember are the drives to and from work well I worshiped God and prayed. If the truck windshield could tell you stories, of all that I have learned driving to and from work. I am sure that it would write a very thick book.
Spend time studying God's Word. I don't care if it is in the morning, evening, before you go to bed, or halfway through the day.
I know how it goes, you hate mornings, and there is no way that if you got up a half hour earlier that you could study the Bible, because you spend your twenty minute drive to work trying to wake up. I get it. I am the expert at waking up with only enough time to get myself out of bed, get ready, and occasionally have breakfast.
I've tried studying the Bible in the mornings, and it doesn't work. Anybody in my family could give you about five reasons why this doesn't work. But we won't go there because that really isn't my point here. For me evenings work best, before I go to sleep at night... and then my wonderful Bible App wakes me up in the morning with a random Bible verse that I read and its that little kick that I need.
5. Highlight, Bookmark, Scribble, Create notes around verses.
I learned this from my Grandma, although I didn't get to know her that well spending a few moments reading her Bible could teach you a lot. She highlighted key verses and beside them would be a little note an inspiration or a prayer she had. Reading through her Bible is like story time with Grandma, even though she is no longer with us.For myself since I have picked up this habit... I find it inspiring because I date my notes. Go back six months, a year, two years, four years later and read them. That's what was happening then, "Thank-you God for bringing me through that."... or "hey, wow I was so stupid, God Thank-you for teaching me so much in the past year."
I love sticky notes for this reason. They were the best invention ever known to man-kind.
Your own personal notes become inspiring and encouraging for yourself. Also no different than my Grandma. If the Lord doesn't return before we all have Grand-kids, and we pass off the scene. Your Grand-kids will find it inspiring to read through your Bible.
6. Discover, Study, and enjoy the Bible with friends and family
Get a support group together. Don't make it to big of a group.But study God's Word together over coffee and chocolate, tea and biscuits...etc! you get my point.
Make your friendships grow because you learn to know each other spiritually.
Learn to know your friends and family and how their personal walks with Jesus Christ are going.
7. Journalize your walk with God
This has been one of the biggest things that has helped me. A journal, I don't write every day, but I try to write as often as I can.
Write your prayers out... and again make sure you start off with the date at the top of your page.Write in your journal what God has been teaching you in your study time. It makes it stick a little better or at least it does for me.
The best investment that I ever made was a 100 page spiral bound notebook... I have an office job so this works well for me... I have this notebook on my desk and at the beginning of the day I write the date and so anytime I have an inspiration whether it be a quote, something God gives me or simply the reference to a Bible verse I write it down... and later in my devotional time I look into it a little deeper if it needs that. Sometimes its simply a prayer request. It can be whatever... There are no rules in what you write there.
This may not be somethings you want to simply share with everybody so in a public office space a spiral bound notebook might not be the greatest thing. :) Maybe simply emailing yourself these inspirations might be a better thought. You need to figure out what works for you.
8. Share God's Word
We all have Social Media, or at least most of us. We have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc! Use your social media to honor and glorify God. Share your inspiration even if it is just a verse. I don't know home many times I have flipped onto social media and a friend of mine has posted a verse and an inspiration and it was exactly what I needed. Do that for the next person. If it inspired you, I can guarantee that out of your approximate 250 friends on Facebook somebody is going to need to hear what you have to share.
But don't limit your sharing of God's Word to just social media... your unbelieving coworkers need to hear what God has done in your life or maybe its just a random stranger.Sometimes the simplest things, speak far bigger volumes than anything else. Help that elderly lady cross the street. Open the door for a stranger that has their arms full.
When you meet somebody on the street, you never know what they have been trough already that day or are going through. Where there is a need, there is a call. If you see a need God may be calling you. It can be God's way of calling you to minister into somebodies life. Don't allow those opportunities to go undone.
---
Please be advised there are not only eight ways to get the most out of the Bible in the next year. This is only a start. I hope this will be the start that you need and will help you discover on your own more ways to get more out of the Bible.
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