Home » A Heart Prepared for God: Tips for New Bible Study Students

Reprint

When I first began to read the Bible, I picked it up thinking - this is a thick book - the

thickest yet,  I should have it done in say... two months. (I know, I was quite confident of myself back then.)

 

Man O' man, was I ever wrong!

 

The first thing the Holy Spirit taught me was that the Bible is not just another book. It must be read with a Spirit-filled heart and a desire to allow its message to change our life. (1 Corinthians 2:11-14) It wasn't long before I realized the Bible is  filled with everything I needed to live the life that God had planned for me before the foundation of the world.

 

It was apparent that I was not going to get through this on my own. Thank God for pastors and teachers, and most importantly, His Holy Spirit.

 

 

Wow! This can be scary! It was for me. However, as I learned about God's character, His word became more of a comfort and less of a fear. 

 

Sometimes we can be discouraged by our lack of understanding. Nevertheless, we shouldn't let this stop us from pressing forward. The Bible, which is actually a collection of 66 different books, is designed to be read and studied over and over again.

 

As it says in Hebrews "the word of God is living and powerful", which means God reveals His word to us on deeper levels as our faith grows. I am confident that if God gave me understanding in all things the moment I believed, I would not have been able to handle it. I would have made a big mess of everything.

 

It is important to remember that reading is different than studying. When you read, you might flippantly open the Bible and read a few verses for a "quick fix", but when you study, it is a good idea to pick a book of the Bible and go through it several times. First, read it all the way through at least two or three times to get the "gist" of what is being said - then go back chapter by chapter and take notes; ask yourself questions and use the cross references and a concordance. Hold off on using a commentary. Make this your last resort. First and foremost, we need to seek God and allow His Spirit to be our teacher.

 

Because the Bible is a spiritual book, there are a few things we need to do to prepare our hearts and minds for God's word. The following steps have made a big difference in my study time and  prayer life. You might have already read several "How to Study Your Bible" books, but still, I humbly offer these steps to you in hopes that they will speak to your heart and turn you in the right direction.  If you make it a point to follow these three steps every time you come to God's word, you will be blessed at how much your faith and understanding of His word will grow.

 

 

Spend some time alone with God. Think about what you hope to gain from your study. In a prayer or a letter, confess all doubt, fear, and any known sin. Tell the Lord that you have a willing heart and that you are open to all He has for you. Confess any unwillingness and ask the Lord to help you be willing.  If you write a letter, seal it and do not open it until you have completed your study. You will be amazed at how God answers your prayer.

 

If you have not fully surrendered to Christ as your Savior, this is the perfect time to ask God to make Himself known to you during your study time. (See Psalm 51.)

 

 

Ask the Lord to give you a teachable spirit. This is especially important for the seasoned Christian. The tendency can be to think "I've heard this before" or "I already know this".  This is not a healthy place to be. It gives the devil a foothold into our life and we can easily fall into sin. Remember; the word of God is alive, so we must have the attitude of "What is God going to show me this time?"

 

Remind yourself that walking with God is not based on feelings. Our walk should always be based on faith - even when it goes against our way of thinking. God says that there is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death (Proverbs 14:12).

 

 

We need to be like David and say "Show me and I will follow". Following the example in Psalm 119, make your personal requests of God and your commitment to His response.

 

Take baby steps at first and try not to have unrealistic expectations of yourself. For instance, I used to be a hard-hearted person. There was no room for forgiveness in my heart. So my first list went something like this:

 

My request:

 

1. Father show me why it is important to forgive.

2. What do you want me to change?

 

My Commitment

 

1. I will forgive those who have hurt me because you have shown me forgiveness.

2. I will stop using foul language because I have learned it does not reflect Your character.

 

Now that you have a heart prepared for God, you can be sure that you are in a position to receive all that God has for you this time around.

 

My prayer for you is:

 

"that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead..." Ephesians 1:17- NJKV

 

 

(c) Teresa Ortiz 2007