I’ll never forget the thrill of meeting Jesus when I was a teenager! I loved reading my Bible. It was life to my soul. In time though, I began listening to others’ opinions on the Bible instead of deepening my faith in a personal God through my own Bible study. Before long I was pretty confused.
I have found that many people are in a similar situation. They are bewildered by the opinions of others and confused about what God really thinks. Perhaps you are one of them.
The turning point came when I started praying to hear God’s voice. He began teaching me principles of Bible study that have made His Word truly become “the Word of Life” to me (1 John 1:1). I’d like to share those principles with you in this four-part series on understanding the Bible.
A God-Led Conversation
“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3
One of the most important things God taught me is that He wants us to understand His thoughts. His desire to converse with us is far greater than our desire to talk with Him. God wants to engage us in conversation so that we can understand Him clearly through His written Word.
But I have learned that understanding the Bible does not come through a superficial scan. Instead, true Bible study is made up of three repeated steps: 1) Biblical reading, 2) Biblical thinking and 3) Biblical application.
We will explore these steps in detail in coming issues. As we do, you’ll see how they work together to radically expand your understanding of God’s Word. They have transformed my life. I know they’ll transform yours too.
For today, I invite you to begin praying this prayer from Jeremiah 33:3 each day:
“Father God, I want to understand your Word! Please teach me. I want to hear Your voice speaking to me. Thank you for answering, just as You have promised, and showing me great and mighty things about Yourself. I can’t wait to see what You have for me today in Your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
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