Bible Study Methods
By Tori Harris
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
We are commanded to study the Scriptures. However, reading and studying the Bible should not be something we do just because we are commanded. As with anything we do in our Christian walk, we should have the desire to please God and obey Him. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” How are we supposed to keep His commandments if we do not study the Word to learn what they are? Also, according to 2 Peter 1:3 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17, the Bible has everything that we need to know. Why would we not study it?
Maybe now you see the need to study and have that desire to learn from the inspired Word of God, but where do you begin? Put simply, the Bible is deep, and every time we open it, we can learn something new. How are we supposed to approach this? This is something I have struggled with, and in this article I want to share two methods that I have found.
I recently did a Pinterest search for “Bible study methods,” and I was amazed at the number of results. Caution has to be taken when looking for Bible related things on sites such as Pinterest, because there is an enormous amount of false doctrine in the world. I changed and reworded some things in these methods so that they align with Scripture.
The first method I want to look at is called ACTS.
Ask. Pray before you begin studying, thanking God for His Word and the opportunity to study it. Ask for help understanding it and applying it to your life.
Chapter. Read the chapter multiple times, carefully and prayerfully.
Think. Reflect on the chapter. What can you learn from it? How can you apply it to your life?
Scripture. Write out any Scripture that particularly stood out to you in the chapter.
Next is the SOAP method.
Scripture. Read a passage of Scripture. You can also write it out.
Observation. What stands out to you? Does the passage contain any instructions or commands? What lessons can be gleaned from it?
Application. How can you apply what you have learned?
Prayer. Thank God for His Word and ask for help applying what you just learned to your life.
Extra tips and suggestions:
Begin and end your study in prayer.
Make a routine, with a specific time and place for your personal Bible study.
Keep a notebook or binder to use for writing down your observations, applications, questions, prayers, etc.
Develop a system for using highlighters and/or pens in your Bible.
The Bible contains everything we need to know. It is often described as a roadmap to heaven. Using certain methods such as the ones in this article can help us come away with an even greater understanding and appreciation for God and His Word.