I am afraid many of us come to the Bible with something a little less than full-out enthusiasm.
Whether it’s because we’re just not sure HOW to read it for deep meaning or we’ve been reading it the exact same way for years, we don’t look forward to (and possibly even dread) “Bible” time.
Perhaps it’s time to shake things up a bit by remembering, first, that our God is Creator, and second, that it’s okay to employ some creativity when we come to His Word.
Engaging the Scripture A-Z
Ask questions.
Boil what you read down to one or two sentences.
Create timelines.
Draw a picture.
Engage in biblical meditation.
Find a quiet spot.
Generate lists.
Highlight key words and phrases.
If there is a “therefore,” ask what it’s there for.
Jot down your thoughts and observations.
Know the context.
Look for patterns.
Memorize verses and passages.
Notice pronouns. When you come to one, substitute your name.
Organize what you have learned.
Pray Scripture.
Question the Scripture’s application to your life.
Read and read again.
Share what you have learned.
Talk to God about what you are reading. He is right there with you.
Use tools — dictionaries, cross-references, commentaries, other Bible translations, etc.
Visualize what you are reading.
Write Scripture passages out by hand.
eXtract the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.
Yield to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Zap the distractions before you begin.
Download the PDF of Engaging the Scripture A-Z
9 comments
sparksfit
I LOVE this! Visiting your from the Grace and Truth link-up.
writethem0nmyheart
This is great! Very creative as well as useful. Thanks!
Theresa Boedeker
Wonderful list. So many things to try and apply.
Lizzy
What a fantastic list, there’s something here for everyone and some really practical ways to dig deep. The engaging in Biblical Meditation is one that keeps coming up for me, a couple of times in the last few days, so definitely going to look into this. Realising that Biblical meditation is to focus on one thing, and set our minds on God or one Scripture and mumble over and over has caused me to look back and see the revelation I’ve had from one little Scripture the times that I have done this and inspire me to do it again.
Engaging with God's Word
[…] There are times when I’ve hit a dry spell in my quiet time. Whatever I was doing wasn’t working; I wasn’t seeing the desired outcome of time with the Lord. In those times it can be hard to think of new and fresh ways of engaging with God’s Word. I was so encouraged to see Deborah’s post this week, all about engaging with the Bible. […]
Deborah
Thank you and thank you for visiting!
Deborah
You are welcome! I’m so glad you stopped by for a visit!
Deborah
Theresa, I hope once you’ve tried a couple that you will share with us!
Deborah
Yes, Lizzy, Biblical Meditation is POWERFUL! I am deeply saddened that it has, for the most part, become a lost art.