Basic HTML Version
Howto
STUDY
BIBLE study, as well as with
anything else, there is a prop–
er and an improper way to
accomplish. There are certain
rules which, if followed, will
give you a more thorough
und e r sta nding of God's
Word- leave you with fewer ques–
tions, begin to help you think a nd act
as God does because you understand
what He says in His Word.
The following rules are not necessari–
ly in order- they are certainly not
al/
the rules of Bible study-but they are
basic and important and will help you
gain the truth from God's Word.
Pray for Guldance
First, before you even open the Bible,
you should ask God, in prayer, to
open your mind to His Word in the
study you intend to make. David was
a man after God's own heart- he
studied that portian of God's Word
which was available to him in his
day. He meditated, thought about
and considered God 's laws and his
ways. He was close to God, and yet
many times throughout the Psalms
we read how David asked God to
guide him in his study, to open his
mind, to rcveal His truth.
"Teach me,
O Lord, the way of thy
statutes; and
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shall keep it unto the
end.
Give me
understanding, and
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shall keep thy law; yea, I shall
observe it with my whole heart.
February 1980
the Bible
by
Jon
Hill
Make me to go in the path of thy
commandments; for therein do
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delight. Incline my heart unto thy
testimonies, and not to covetous–
ness.... Sta blish thy word unto thy
servant, wbo is devoted to thy
fear .... Bebold,
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have longed after
thy precepts: Quicken me in thy
righteousness" (Psalms 119:33-40) .
Without sincerely and believingly
asking God's direction in your Bible
study-without seeking God's King–
dom and His rigbteousness first (Mat–
thew 6:33)-Bible study of itself would
be
ultimately futile. Just as you can
worship God in vain (Mark 7:7), so you
can study His Word in vain! Many wise
and intelligent men have made a life
study of God's Word in its original
languages, and yet did not understand
thedepthofits meaning.
Formal EducationNot Necessary
Do not feel that you have not had
enough education, or that you a re not
intelligent enough to really study
God's Word. God tells us plainly that
it is not the wise, the mighty or tbe
noble that He is calling to an under–
standing of H is Word now- read
1
Corinthians 1:25-27.
Take for granted that you do not
know of yoursel f how to understand
the plan of God- that's why you
must ask Him to make it plain.
If all tbat was needed to under–
stand God's Word were brains, then
a vast number of the people of the
world would have a thorough under-
standing of God's Word! God says,
" .. . They are wise to do evil , but to
do good they have no knowledge"
(Jeremiah 4:22). As long as you
know how to read, you can get down
on your knees and sincerely ask God
to guide you in a study of His Word.
He will open your mind to under–
stand things that the most intelligent
minds of mankind have not been able
to understand. Prayer will open to
you an understanding of God's Word
that Einstein did not have. Prayer
will open your mind to understand
God's Word in a way that tbe grad–
uales of the great universities of the
world are not able to understand.
Prayer-your contact with God–
is important in the beginning of your
study of His Word- His contact
with you-or you may spend profit–
less hours of studying His Word in
vain. Tbe time spent, the verses cov–
ered, your memorization of how
many verses there are in the Bible,
will be of little avail at the return o(
Jesus Christ
if
accomplished for vain
purposes. Only that pa rt of His Word
wbich you have made a part of your
very character will accrue to your
spiritual account!
Heartfelt prayer for God's guid–
ance in your personal Bible study will
help insure success!
Attitude Must Be for
Sel f-Correction
This next rule really goes hand–
in-hand with the first. Before you
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