My purpose in writing this series is to challenge and encourage Christian women. I want them to dig into the rich soil of Bible study for their Bible literacy. This is for the sake of the church and ultimately for the glory of God. We cannot afford to only do popular prewritten studies. We should not rely on other people’s Word for what is authentically the Bible. If we really want truth, we must go to the Scriptures and study the Bible for ourselves. His Word is the only trustworthy authority. The Bible bears witness to its inerrancy. The most powerful witness to the trustworthiness of Scripture is Jesus Christ himself. Jesus emphasized that the actual written words of Scripture can be trusted, not just the ideas they contain (Matt. 4:4, 5:17-18). We cannot love God if we do not love his Word (1 John 2:5).
Loving God must begin with the heart. It starts with delighting oneself in Him. The heart must have the natural, earnest desire to strive after Him and seek Him for His own sake. This is not the fickle love of feelings that come and go. It is a love that is a purposeful, willful commitment. This love involves doing, behaving, and even thinking in ways that are pleasing to God. To love the Lord with all your mind encompasses your ability to think and understand. To love God with all your mind requires Him to be the focal point of not only your quest to understand the world around you, which He has made but also the central point in all your thoughts (Rom. 12:2). As you better understand His love, your knowledge of Him will grow. Consequently, your love for Him will become greater. To understand Him more, you must read and study God’s revelation of himself – the Bible. Prioritizing your study of the Scriptures requires preparation: a dedicated space in your heart, schedule, and home.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the great first commandment.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 22:37–38). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles
Preparing space in your heart requires honest examination admitting any unconfessed sin.
We maintain a right relationship with God through confession of sin. God works to conform us to the image of Christ (1 John 1:9). As we approach Bible study, we remember that God opposes the proud. He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5, Proverbs 3:34). Simply put, we all must come to the Word with humility. We need openness to study. We also need openness to God and openness to change. Proper preparation for Bible study necessitates more than merely admiring the Bible as a book. You need to believe that the Bible is the voice of God. Come to the Word, thanking Him for access to the Scriptures in your language. Charles Spurgeon penned, “To trifle with Scripture is to deprive yourself of its aid. Reverence it, and look up to God with devout gratitude for having given it to you.” You can also pray James 1:5, totally dependent on God’s Holy Spirit for understanding: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
We should read the Bible as those who listen to the very speech of God. – FB Meyer
Preparing space in your schedule requires you to consider Bible study more important than all other activities.
View your designated time for Bible study as an appointment with God. Randy Alcorn has said, “The time I spend with God determines both the direction and quality of the time I spend elsewhere.” Whether daily or weekly, the frequency of your study is a matter of preference. However, each woman should consider her season of life when deciding the frequency and time of day. One might have a demanding career. This may leave her feeling depleted at the end of the day. In such cases, she would study best in her mornings. A stay-at-home mom with little ones who rise before the sun might learn best after her children’s bedtime. It is essential that Bible study happens. This should be a priority even if that means being flexible with the clock and the calendar.
I am convinced that a prayerless approach to God’s Word is a primary reason for the low-level dissatisfaction that hums beneath the surface of our lives. We rob ourselves of joy and peace when we fail to pray. Indeed, approaching Scripture apart from prayer is one of the most counterproductive things we do. For prayerless Christianity is powerless Christianity. – Matt Smethurst
Planning Well Includes Designating an area of your home for Bible study.
The physical place in your home can be as simple as a kitchen table. It could also be a corner desk. Whichever you choose will work best if the space is easily accessible. It should be free from clutter. My study is much more focused if I can see a laundry basket. It also improves when I’m at eye level with a sink full of dirty dishes. Ideally, your workspace should be large enough to spread out your Bible(s), resources, notebook, and pen. I will provide more on resources in the next post. You will want to make sure this area is well-lit. A comfortable chair is a must. Planning and preparing the space will give you greater motivation to follow through.
By working with the Word, the Holy Spirit produces outcomes in the believer’s life.
You will need enough mental space during your Bible study time. This space is necessary to routinely sit, study, and think about the Bible. You need space in your heart to take it in and respond to it appropriately. With God’s help, you can prepare expectantly as you dedicate space in your heart, schedule, and home. Why do we prepare for Bible study? We study to know King Jesus intimately. Even the Pharisees knew about Jesus and were blinded by self-righteous knowledge (John 5:38-40).
And you do not have his Word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that you have eternal life in them, and they bear witness about you, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jn 5:38–40). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
We prepare so His Word might prepare us. We prepare because the Scriptures are entirely sufficient to prepare us for everything the Bible commands us to do. The Holy Spirit uses the Word to transform us into Christ-likeness (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We trust the Bible’s inspiration, inerrancy, sufficiency, and authority in our Bible study. This provides the pathway for the Holy Spirit’s transformational work. We must understand that the Holy Spirit does not awaken and strengthen faith apart from the Scriptures. The Word of God sustains life and gives hope. “The essence of the Christian life,” writes John Piper, “is learning to fight for joy in a way that does not replace grace.” We cannot earn God’s grace or make it flow apart from his gift. But we can position ourselves to go on getting as he keeps giving. We can “fight to walk in the paths where he has promised his blessings.”
Debbie Swindell 