How to Get the Most Out of Your Bible Study Time
Bible Study can be intimidating... Maybe you have done the same silly thing that I have done... open the Bible somewhere in the middle and put your finger on a verse and hope 
for some inspiration! I believe that God could work through that random approach, but I believe He wants us as growing Christians to spend a significant amount of time in the Word, and in order to do that, we should be intentional about our time and prayer. Making a healthy habit takes practice and I have a resource that might help!
Do you desire to read the Bible?
Don't worry if you don't have a desire to read the Bible. Do it anyway... you might be pleasantly pleased by a new desire blooming in your heart after you form your new best habit.Check out this convicting (and yet, encouraging) quote from John Piper. Just like eating healthy food, you acquire a taste for it, but then it transforms your life and makes you so much healthier!
“If you don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great.”― John Piper, A Hunger For God
Wow! Make room for the greatness of God and get rid of all of the little things that are taking up room in your heart but not giving you any rest. Jesus will take your burdens that are taking too much room in your heart and give you rest. Just let Him in... through reading God's Word daily and growing in Him."Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.'" Matthew 11:28
Love Letter to God
Have you sat and ate at the Banquet table of God? Maybe you want to... but you feel intimidated about where to start? Try my "Getting the Most Out of Your Time with God" Bible Study Form. It uses the SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) method of Bible Study, it's super simple and... if I do say so myself, the printable makes it feel rather romantic and a little like a love letter to God.
But if I read the Bible...
Reading the Bible comes with responsibility... but also a reward.
“The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly.”― Søren Kierkegaard, Provocations: Spiritual Writings of Kierkegaard
Yeesh. So...What's the reward?
Study the Bible with passion and you will find your passion.Maybe you didn't hear that.Study the Bible with passion and you will find your life's purpose. Put Scripture on a pedestal and your life will fall into place. God's power will fill you for a new day!(For more on hearing God's voice, check out my most popular blog post: How To Hear God's Voice- 6 Practical Tips)
“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”― Augustine of Hippo, Confessions
I like the SOAP Bible Study method because it's easy to remember and easy to do... and it leaves my soul feeling CLEAN (haha, puns.) No, but really. My soul feels so refreshed after doing a little in depth Bible study like this. Yours will, too. 💓My "Getting the Most Out of Your Time With God" Bible Study sheet would be wonderful as a small group activity before or after your regular programming, for a prayer meeting project, or a great take-home project for your women's Sunday School group. If you have a group that you would like to introduce to the world of deeper Bible Study- this is a GREAT place to start!And it's free! All I need is your email and you'll also get other exclusive resources for Bible Study. 