Relationship with God
Bible Study
What comes to your mind when you think of Bible study? We often gain knowledge, which is good, yet there is more than that — to worship God and obey Him. That is our ultimate goal.
When you read about God, stop and meditate on truths about His character. Apply what you read to your prayer time. He is seeking those who worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23), so don’t wait until meeting with other Christians to worship, but also worship when you are alone at home. Look for truths about God’s love and power, and praise Him. And when we take that step of drawing closer to God, He draws closer to us (James 4:8).
When you read about people, think about sin vs. righteousness, and use it as reinforcement for your own choices. In John 14:21, Jesus said that he would make Himself known to the one who keeps his commands. Matthew 28:19 speaks of observing all things that Jesus commanded. So read the words of Jesus and think of any ways you can improve in following Him. Maybe focus on one command every day. Another study to focus on 2 Peter 1:5–7, which is a perfect pattern for spiritual growth, one that we should not overlook.
2. Know how to apply what you hear
James 1:22 says not to be only hearers, but to be doers of the Word. How do we get from hearing to doing? By planning.
Sometimes we go to church and hear a good 3-point sermon. Then what? We hear about things that we should change, then we think, “I’ll try to do better.” But “trying” in that sense is wishful thinking, not intentional action. Hoping to do better isn’t enough. Without preparing in practical, concrete ways, we most likely will stay the same for the rest of our lives.
We know that Jesus wants us to be peacemakers, and we hope to act on that in our relationships, but it’s not enough to know and hope to do better; we have to prepare.
Think about the armor of God in Ephesians 6. We don’t wait until a battle starts to put on our armor. By that time, it’s too late and we are already losing the battle. Prepare ahead of time by making practical changes in your life!
Growing - Based on 2 Peter 1:5-7
2 Peter 1:5 says, “Giving all diligence, add to your faith,” and in order to give all diligence, we need a plan for implementing changes in our lives.
So, here are some ways to create change by preparing yourself ahead of time.
After that command to be diligent, there is a pattern for growth:
Add your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, charity.
1- Take some time to think about what each principle means and how you can apply it.
When I did a search for the roots of the word “godliness” in that passage, I found that the meaning is being devout, especially in worship. So part of your growth is including worship in your everyday life, remembering that humility is essential. Have a time when you kneel in prayer and focus on God’s greatness (Psalm 95:6).
2- Include a reminder in your planner/routine, something you can either meditate on or act on every day or week. Then move on to the next step in that pattern.
3- Imagine yourself in a situation where you normally slip up, and visualize it, and prepare in some way.
Write out a scenario where someone or something triggers you, and then write out what you’re going to say and do. Then say your words out loud, so you can practice having the right response to situations that come up, so you won't be caught off guard.
For example, children do things that are annoying– we can write out the scenarios where we often feel annoyed, and then write a better way to respond than we usually do. Along with that, you might want to include some kind of bigger perspective on the situation, to anchor you in your purpose- because in the moment when you’re annoyed, you might only want to vent. So include some kind of thought that you want to think to yourself in that moment, for example: “I choose to deny my flesh right now for their sake, because I love them and I know that this will be worth it and I will be rewarded in heaven.”
3- Have a plan for what to do during the times that you may lack motivation.
Have something pre-written where you can check yes or no; for example, “Will I deny my flesh and respond with kindness? Do I want an eternal reward or not? How loving will I choose to be?”
Bring those things out to the open. I don't mean for temptation because in the times when we are caught up in the moment, we might be acting totally subconsciously and not even feel that there’s any temptation. We’re not literally thinking “oh yes, I’m going to rebel against God.”
It’s more like there’s a wave of feelings, while not consciously noticing any temptation. That’s where this helps, because it can bring awareness of what you’re doing, so you can consciously make the right choice.
Sometimes however, the problem lies in not knowing a better action. For example, we know that we should be sharing the gospel, but not everyone knows how to communicate it effectively or where to find opportunities to reach many people. In those situations, we have to take time to pray and think, rather than simply going on with life and pushing it to the back of our minds, hoping to stumble across answers someday. Schedule a time when you’re going to pray and think about it, so you come away with a plan. (See “What Jesus Wants You to Do” for ideas, and then pray and consider what you can do!)
Don’t go on living the same way, but change for the better as you really take God’s Word to heart and apply it in practical ways. Right now, what can you add to your schedule, so you can start making changes?
If you’re not sure what to do for Bible study, here are some ideas:
Read through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, thinking of (1) His character and (2) what He wants you to do
Study the words of Jesus, applying each command to your life (based on John 14:21-23; John 15:10; Matthew 28:20).
Apply each step in 2 Peter 1:5-7, as I shared above.
(Try the “Applying the Bible” worksheet!)
Prayer
How to pray:
Ideas of people to pray for:
Establishing habits of prayer:
Daily prayer routine: