We out here we out here.
some raw & real thoughts from yours truly
Hey people! So I've found myself in multiple convos lately with gals who want to know God more but are unsure about how to even go about reading His Word. I feel like many of us wonder if there's some secret formula to reading your Bible, but nobody actually asks because we feel like it should be an obvious answer, or we should “just know” how to do it. Simple answer: there's no one "right way" to read your Bible, but I'm going to try my best to give some helpful tips. Let me first start out by explaining the “why” in reading the Bible. You guys, The Bible is literally the living and active Word of God, sharper than a two-edged sword, and pierces places of our heart and soul that no other book can. Reading the Bible draws us nearer to Him, transforms us, renews our hearts, and grows us in fruits of the Spirit. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. [Hebrews 4:12] ^^if you find any other book that can do this, let me know!!! If you want to grow in your walk with the Lord, you NEED to be rooted in the Word of God. Not only does the Word battle forces of darkness, it literally feeds our soul with a piece of heaven! And staying rooted in the Word means reading it, chewing on it, and letting its words change you. When I fully surrendered my life to the Lord a few years ago, I was so eager to grow, but didn’t want to do the "hard" work of reading my Bible. It seemed so monotonous and boring. I was at every church function, was actively being discipled, was always asking questions, and learning a ton of stuff! I was praying to God on a daily basis with my own words, but I was not growing in learning more of His word and His voice. And it led me into these cycles of ups and downs where I would be really great one day and totally drained and stagnant the next. And I really believe it’s because I wasn’t rooted. I was talking to God, but I wasn’t seeking to know God more. And I was missing out. In the process of getting to know a friend, you spend time with them, learning about them to grow in fellowship with them. And over time, you understand them more, and listening to their voice becomes more natural and enjoyable and SOOTHING. It’s the same with Papa. We read the Bible to know Him more. And in knowing Him more, we will naturally know ourselves more, because our identity is in Him. Simply learning from others is not enough. Humans have limitations, but the Kingdom of Heaven does not. Therefore, if we’re solely learning from other humans, we will be limited in our knowledge and understanding and growth. But, if we get our wisdom directly from the Source—the living and active Word of God—we literally receive wisdom that is out of this world. The Spirit guides us into all truth, and that truth is rooted in the Word of God. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. [John 14:26] Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. [1 Corinthians 2:12-13] APPLICATION Okay so, how we actually do this Bible reading thing? As mentioned earlier, there’s no formula or way to read the Bible, and what works best for me might not work best for you, but I’ll give you some pointers as to what I’ve found helpful. 1) PRAY. Take a moment to center your heart on Him and be honest with where you’re at! The Father is so so gracious, and He just wants your “yes.” So be honest: even if it’s the weakest yes you have, just give it to Him and He will use it. If you’re stressed or anxious or unfocused (aka me like every other day), bring those feelings to Him in raw honesty and ask Him to focus your heart and speak to you through His Word. God doesn’t just hear us, He actually responds when we cry out to Him! Sometimes, I have so many thoughts and anxieties going on in my mind that I can’t even read my Bible until I take a second and just pray and let God bring peace to my heart so that I can focus on Him. He really does that, and it’s so cool!!! “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” [Matthew 7:7-8] 2) READ. The key here is not to get through all 28 chapters in Acts in one day. The key is to know Him more. And sometimes knowing Him more means dwelling on one verse. If you’ve never read the Bible before, I’d recommend going through one book of the Bible, keeping your readings small (like, one chapter a day). Focusing on small sections gives you the opportunity to really chew on what you’ve just read and deeply commune with Papa in the process. If I have thoughts brewing after a few verses, I’ll stop there. There’s no internal time clock ticking telling you that you must finish the Bible as fast as you can (am I the only one that feels like this sometimes??). 3) RESPOND. One of the best ways we can learn is by responding to what we just read. Responding moves the words from our head to our heart. I didn’t start actually soaking in the Word of God to the core of my being until I started writing down my thoughts and interacting with the Lord through my reading. The Bible is the only book where we can actually sit with the Author and process with Him—so take advantage of it! Do what helps you learn best. Some ideas: write down what stood out to you, write a poem, draw a picture, ask questions, memorize a verse. Maybe you feel God speaking some words to you—write down what you hear! And if you’re confused about what you just read, ask the Lord or someone you trust—it’s okay to not understand. Responding for me often looks like writing down a few of the verses that were highlighted to me and then writing down what I feel Him speaking to me from that chapter. For example: “What stands out to me today is___” or “Wow, I didn’t know that____” or “Dang, I really see God’s character here in a new way….” “Hm, I wonder why Jesus’ first miracle was turning water to wine??” (Seriously, I really do wonder that...) I often end my time by writing a prayer in my journal. When I pray, it’s like a conversation with God. So, I’ll just thank Him for who He is and what I was reminded of in His Word that day. Often times, I’ll relate the passage to my life and remember how God is working in current situations! So, those are my three tips for reading your Bible: Pray, Read, Respond. It’s really a fun book to read once you dive into it!! 3.26.18- perfect lil' reading nook in Cusco, Peru!! A few last thoughts. If it’s your first time reading the Bible or if it’s been awhile, here are some practical recommendations I have for you: Get a Bible. Seems like a good first step, yeah?? There are so many different versions out there, but my two favorites are the ESV Study Bible and the NLT Life Application Study Bible. I like to read multiple versions of the Bible because sometimes I get confused and just need to look at a different version for clarity and understanding. The ESV Study Bible is more traditional and literal translation of the Bible whereas the NLT uses more modern words and phrases. Start in one of the Gospels. And by Gospels, I mean Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. I think reading about Jesus’ life on earth is one of the best ways to get connected in Scripture and just to better understand who Jesus is and what he’s about. It’s a great way to grasp the gospel message and read for yourself why Jesus is the real deal rather than just hearing about it in church. There’s only so much that pastors can capture; it’s so fun actually reading these stories for yourself!! Make a practical schedule. It may take a while for reading your Bible to become a daily part of your routine. My recommendation: look at your schedule, find a good 30-minute slot, and stick to that time every day! Maybe it’s your lunch break, maybe it’s waking up 30 minutes earlier, maybe its 30 minutes before bed. If it’s written in your schedule, then you’re less likely to just “put it off” until tomorrow. Ask questions! It’s okay if it’s confusing. There are still times when I’ll be reading and I’m just like “God, what???” And that’s okay!! Ask Him those questions and listen for an answer from Him. Or seek counsel from other Christians around you! There’s a lot of humility and growth opportunities when you ask questions, even if they seem obvious. Remember Who you’re spending time with. The Bible is literally the Word of God, and He wrote this book so that we could know Him more. What a great opportunity! This isn’t like any other book. The Word of God is living and active! Like it actually changes us when we soak in the words on those pages. No other book has the power to transform us in the supernatural way that the Bible does. That’s divine!!! Give yourself grace. It may take a little time for you to prioritize reading your Bible. It’s okay! God isn’t a condemning God, and He will never shame you for forgetting to read your Bible. He’s always there, waiting with arms wide open for you to come into His presence. If you feel far from God, now is the perfect time to step back in to your faith. Do yourself a favor and crack open your Bible! To reiterate, this is just one of the many ways to spend time with the Lord and interact with His Word. This is not the only way to read the Bible by anyyy means—my heart is simply to help those who have little experience or blueprint in reading this amazing book.
And finally, if you’re not a Christian and you somehow stumbled across this blog, GREAT!!! Let me just mention that you’re never too far gone for Jesus to save you. He wants your heart, and when you give your life to Him, He promises to forgive ALL of your transgressions and bring you into new life with Him, leaving your past behind. How awesome is that! Get a Bible, read it for yourself! Thx for reading! <3 Mikayla
1 Comment
Alex
3/20/2019 11:36:17 pm
Love it sista <3 Keep posting your #deepthoughtswithMika . I always love hearing what you have to say!
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past postswhich way leads to life? visionI love sharing what the Lord is doing in my life! And I hope that my experiences can encourage you, and most importantly, that you are pointed to the grace & love of Jesus. |