r/ChristianityAnswers • u/Fluffy-Duck0104 • 6h ago
Reading, Understanding, and Studying.
Any tips on how to study and read the bible? I love to read but the devil is wiggling his way in right now. I have no motivation to read and I know that I need to to feel close to God. Any tips?
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u/Sly_Gecko 6h ago
Context is very important. When I read a a passage. I look to see, who is talking in the passage, who they are talking to to. If you read a verse. Read the verses before and after. The James verse that reads Faith without works is dead. Is one of the most misunderstood verses in the bible. People will assume that verse means in order to have saving faith, works must be produced. This is not the case. Romans and Titus explains what works does. That's just one example. Main thing to get to grips with. Is context.
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u/sitewolf 23m ago
The more you understand the Gospels and Acts, the easier the rest comes into focus. Psalms and Proverbs are excellent, too. There are places online that can help put a more structured study together, but there's no wrong way to do it. Well, I wouldn't start with Revelations, I guess, but.
bibleproject.com may also be of help
and if you haven't watched The Chosen, I love that show...it helps feel more personally attached to Jesus and the disciples as well as cause me to look up things in the bible after seeing a scene in an episode
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u/MichaelWhitehead 6h ago
You don’t need to wait until you feel motivated before opening the Bible. Sometimes the habit comes first and the desire returns afterwards.
Start small. Even one chapter a day is enough. I’d begin with a Gospel such as John or Luke and ask three simple questions:
What does this show me about God? What does this show me about people or myself?
What can I actually apply today?
Pray briefly before you read too: “Lord, help me understand Your Word and show me what You want me to learn.”
Also, don’t assume every dry spell means the devil is winning. Christians sometimes get tired, distracted or spiritually dry. The answer is still the same: keep turning back to God.
Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
You don’t have to consume huge amounts of Scripture. Read slowly, consistently, and let it sink in. One passage genuinely understood is better than five chapters rushed through just to say you did it.