Here are some helpful ways to approach your Bible reading:
1) Come to Scripture prayerfully.
Before reading and studying Scripture, we must pray that the Holy Spirit would teach us his Word. Because the Holy Spirit inspired the writings of the Bible and dwells in Christians, we trust that He will also illuminate our understanding of his Word if we humbly ask him. Paul says that only through the Holy Spirit can we come to a correct interpretation of Scripture.
2) Come to the Scripture in community.
That’s what we’re doing right now. The first thing in history that God said was “not good” was being alone. Our God exists in a Trinitarian community of Father, Son, and Spirit, and He made us in his image and likeness, which means that we too are meant for community. The community He has made for us is His church.
Nothing replaces being with God’s people in relationships gathering around the Scriptures
3) Come to Scripture attentively.
Romans 10:17 stresses the importance of hearing Scripture: “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Therefore, it is important to listen to Scripture continually. This includes reading Scripture to any children in your life, reading Scripture aloud with your spouse if you are married, listening to Scripture on your treadmill, or when you’re cooking dinner.
Paul commands church leaders to “preach the word.” One of the most significant ways that God’s Word can grow your faith is by hearing it preached truthfully, and clearly in a Bible-believing church every week.
4) Come to the Scripture humbly.
The best way to come to Scripture is humbly bowing our heads in worship so that our beliefs, desires, and opinions are open to being changed in order to conform to God’s Word.
Mark Twain once quipped, “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.”
Sometimes the cause of poor Bible interpretation has little to do with not understanding what Scripture says, but rather not liking what Scripture says. Romans 1:18 speaks of our propensity as sinners to “suppress the truth.” The only hope of being biblical Christians who listen to God speak through His word is to approach it humbly, always willing to repent.
5) Come to Scripture devotedly.
By continually memorizing Scripture you are giving the Holy Spirit opportunities to bring his Word to mind and help you apply it to the daily events of your life and the lives of those God brings into your life each day who could benefit from loving, biblical counsel.
6) Come to scripture for life transformation.
Come to Scripture for life transformation, not just mental information. The purpose of Scripture is to make us increasingly more like Jesus Christ. He is a living person with whom we are to live in relationship by faith, not just a concept to be mastered at a distance.
8) Come to Scripture for connection.
When we read scripture, we are reminded of who God is. Of what He’s done for us in Christ. And how our story can now find its place within His big story. It anchors our existence and gives our life meaning within a much bigger framework. It reminds us of who we are in light of who He is.
Over time we might forget the content of each sermon. We might not remember what we read last night as our eyes were getting heavy and we drifted off to sleep. Our attitudes and behavior might be transformed only incrementally.
But each day, each week, we build the connection as we hang out with God and His story. It’s that feeling of connection that builds the bonds of trust and affection and love between us and Jesus.
As we build our lives on the word of God, we will be transformed, renewed, more like Christ, and living an abundant life.