Lesson 8: Devotional Bible Study

“God’s Word daily impacts my life and faith.”

To learn the right reasons and right approach for personal Bible study.

► Why should Christians read the Bible every day?

► Why is it difficult for some people to do regular Bible study?

(1) For a relationship with God

Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, mentions God’s Word in almost every verse. It says that God’s Word is an expression of God’s own nature and, therefore, scripture is a means of knowing God.

Several more reasons for Bible study are given in 2 Timothy 3:16:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.

From this verse we know that we should study the Bible:

(2) To know and believe the truth

This may be the reason for Bible study that most people think of first. It is important. Teaching refers to the truth that we believe and teach. The Bible is our source of doctrine. The Bible reveals the nature of God, the human condition, and salvation.

(3) To get directions for life

Reproof, correction, and training in righteousness are actions of God’s Word to show us how to live.

(4) For effective ministry

Reproof, correction, and training in righteousness occur not only in personal study, but when we use God’s Word to minister to others.

That the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17).

(5) For spiritual maturity

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child (Hebrews 5:12-13).

As a person practices discerning truth from God’s Word, he matures and develops his ability to use the Word of God to teach others.

1. To invent new interpretations. Some people look for strange, new interpretations that have little support in the passage. We should be creative in applying and communicating scripture, but not in interpreting it. Whatever it means is what it means, and we must not create a meaning for it.

“The inexhaustibility of scripture is not in a fertility of meanings” (John Calvin).

2. To collect evidence for debate. Sometimes the Bible must be used in controversy, and study is necessary for that purpose. However, that is not the purpose of devotional Bible study. If a person reads the Bible only for argument, he gets distorted vision and may see only what he wants to see.

3. To feel encouraged. Of course, we need the Bible to maintain encouragement and joy, but not every passage is written to cause joyful feelings. Purposes of scripture include doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. If a person always goes quickly through passages looking for verses that help his feelings, he is not letting the Bible speak its whole message.

If a person neglects Bible study, it may be because he does not have the right reasons to study, listed first in this lesson. If he did not have the right reason for study, he may have begun to feel that his study was not succeeding or was not worthwhile.

(1) Begin by praying for understanding of the passage.

Prepare your heart to receive the real message of the passage. You are not studying just to know God’s will, but to do it. Your beginning prayer prepares you not only for understanding but for obedience.

(2) Interpret the passage.

What is the passage actually saying? Paraphrase and list statements. Make sure your interpretation fits with the verses that come before and after the passage. Make sure your conclusions don’t contradict plain scriptural teaching elsewhere. Consider how the first readers would have understood the passage.

(3) Apply the passage personally.

Is there a

• Sin to confess or shun?

• Promise to claim?

• Attitude to change?

• Command to obey?

• Example to follow?

• Prayer to pray?

• Error to shun?

• Temptation to avoid?

• Something to praise God for?

There may be several of these in a passage.

(4) Pray for fulfillment of the truth in you.

Pray that God will make the needed change in your heart and life.

(5) Prayerfully determine what you will change because of this application.

The specific change should be:

• Personal – something you yourself need to do.

• Practical – not just theoretical, but result in something actually to be done.

• Accountable – acted upon within a set time frame.

Examples: Not “I need to pray more,” but “I will reserve time at 8:00 every morning to pray.” Not “I need to encourage people,” but “I will today encourage and help my cousin who is in a difficult situation.”

Sometimes we will not be able to make applications that are so specific, but we should always look for ways to apply God’s truth in our actions and attitudes.

► We talked about some benefits of devotional study. Are some of them ones you have not really thought of as reasons for Bible study?

► What is a reason for Bible study that will be especially important for you?

If a Christian looks for applications, such as those listed in step 3, and commits to make changes as specific as described in step 5, his life will begin to show great development.

► If you started applying the Bible to your life like this every day, how do you think it would impact you?

Ask members to commit to following these steps for Bible study daily for at least a week, then report. Make a note to remember to ask them about their results.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the treasure you have given us in the scriptures.

Thank you for revealing to us the truth about how to know you, how to live, and how to help others.

Help me to study your word diligently. Give me understanding of the truth you have revealed. Help me to live by it faithfully.

Amen

Study 1 Thessalonians 5, following the steps of devotional Bible study listed in this lesson. Describe some personal applications you discovered.