Tips For Reading And Understanding The Bible Better

All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16.

Understanding The Bible Better

There are so many Christians walking around with little to no understanding of Gods word, why is that? How can people be expected to follow the instruction of the Bible if they cannot understand it? Bible reading is an important foundation in the life of every believer. If ever there is something that hinders your ability to read God’s word you need to address it immediately. Disregarding the issue may cause your time spent in the word to suffer. Eventually becoming discouraged or uninterested in the Bible, which is exactly what Satan wants.

I remember trying to read and understand the Bible when I was younger. None of the words made sense, and I always felt like I was reading Shakespeare anytime I opened it. Because of this I got discouraged and I stopped trying to read the Bible altogether. This was not the proper way to deal with my lack of understanding and because I was young, I never really thought too much into it. I was too young to understand the importance of being in the word daily.

I knew I wasn’t the only person who struggled to understand the scriptures. I’ve heard it countless times, the complaints of being unable to understand the Bible. Just because I had difficulties reading and comprehending the Bible doesn’t mean I should have abandoned bible reading altogether.

Tips That Changed My Bible Study Game

Reading the Bible is an essential part of being a Christian. God has provided us unlimited access to his word that is alive and sharper than any two-edged sword, and we would be foolish not to take advantage of that. All these years later, now as an adult, I still have occasions when I grapple with bible reading, but I’ve learned a few things along the way that have changed my bible reading game.

Nowadays when I read the bible I use my notebooks, highlighters and have my phone or computer ready with helpful web-pages loaded up. So, if you struggle to master the Bible, know you are not alone and there are things you can do that will significantly improve your time in God’s word.

Romans 10:17 

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

• Find Your Perfect Translation

I’m sure you know the Bible comes in so many translations. I didn’t take advantage of this when I was younger, I only attempted to read whatever was available, which for me growing up was the King James version of the Bible. Talk about hard to grasp, KJV is no joke. Though the King James translation is one of my top picks, it is the one I struggle with the most. Because of this I have acquired quite a few different translations of the Bible in hunt for my perfect translation.

At the moment, the two Bible versions I use daily are the NIV and NKJV. This may vary from time to time. Last fall, when I was writing chapters for a book I was working on for a client, I solely used ESV. I prefer access to as many Bible versions as possible because it allows me to cross reference verses for further understanding.

The great thing about the modern times that we live in is our access to unlimited online resources. Take advantage of this, check out various translations online to find the one that works for you. This can take some time. For the first few years of my walk I had an assortment of different versions of the Bible. Until I favored a particular translation, and that became my perfect translation. Once you’ve identified the appropriate translation for yourself, you will notice an immediate difference in your ability to understand what your reading.

• Take Lots Of Notes

I know you’re probably thinking to yourself that taking notes is a hassle and won’t be of much help with your bible reading but you wrong. Taking notes has been the most beneficial tip for me. I know I learn best when I not only read something, but then rephrase it into my own words. That’s what I do in my bible reading notebook. When you read something the best way to determine if you comprehended it is to summarize it into your own words. In my Bible notebook I usually stick to the same framework of questions. I answer the questions after I have finished reading, to ensure I understood it. Here are some questions I answer in my notes when reading.

• What is the passage meaning in my own words?
• What does this tell me about God?
• What does this tell me about man (humanity)?
• What am I commanded to do?
• What verse stands out to me and why?
• How can I apply this to my daily life?
• Things to pray about

Depending on the passage I am studying, I will use some, if not all, of these questions in my notes. I always start at the top of the paper with the scripture I am focusing on and copy it word for word on the page. Copying the scripture is another great way to help memorize it. Heading the page with the scripture allows me to know what each page of notes is about. This comes in handy when going back at a later date to read through my notes. Below is just an example of how you could set up a Bible study notebook page.

• Copy Bible scriptures word for word.
• Underneath the verse, write the passage meaning in your own words.
• Write both; what does this tell me about God, and what does this tell me about man?
• If the passage points to any commands, write those down along with ways to apply what the verse says to your everyday life.
• Write what part stood out to you the most out of everything you read.
• List prayer points, things to pray about having to do with what you learned from the passage you read.

• Use Bible Study Tools & Resources

To get the most understanding out of Gods word, we need to do a little research and a little digging. This means utilizing the tools and resources available either online or in publication. I had no idea the volume of resources available for studying the Bible. There are endless study aids and you will certainly find one that helps you if you search.

Once I implemented study aids into my bible reading time I was able to pick up so much more from what I was reading. There are too many Bible resources to name, but I want to mention a few of the most helpful tools.

• Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
• Concordance
• Study Bibles
• Harmonies
• Bible Atlas

Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias are self explanatory. Bible dictionaries are helpful when you want to find out the meaning of a used word and read the Greek and Hebrew references of it. Bible encyclopedias contain more information than a Bible dictionary. Bible encyclopedias are wonderful for understanding the context of what your reading. You can find out the cultural and historical information which lends itself to interpreting scripture in context, which is crucial.

Study Bibles are a mix of both of those resources packaged together in a convenient format. Concordances are especially good when you want to target specific details like topics, people, themes, and places.

Few people have heard about Harmonies, but they are a fantastic Bible study source. Harmonies organize the books of the Bible that have overlapping or parallel themes and orders them together in a concise format.

Lastly, a Bible atlas is always a valuable resource to have. They contain original maps showing the world during that time and can show the specific routes biblical characters took that correspond with the bible.

These are just some of the resources available for studying the bible. There are also commentaries, devotionals, lexicons, the amplified bible and much more. Experiment with varied resources to find what works best for you.

1 Peter 1:25 

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

• Don’t Ignore Unanswered Questions

Out of all the things I’ve mentioned in this post, this tip specifically is one that I feel is extremely important. When I was younger and trying to understand the Bible I had a lot of questions. Questions about things that made little sense to me at the time, and questions about things I didn’t comprehend. There is nothing wrong with questioning or challenging information, in fact, that is how we learn and understand things. Learning the Bible is no different, you will read and you will have questions about what you’ve read. You can be confident that with a little studying you can use the Bible itself to resolve any challenges.

When I had all these questions as an adolescent, no one could answer me. I don’t know if they didn’t have the answers, or they just weren’t listening. Either way, it left me with many unanswered questions. The enemy loves to use our unanswered questions to create doubt and confusion. Therefore, it is so important to study God’s word and research these things for yourself.

Don’t leave unanswered questions to linger. Find the answers to the best of your ability. There will be things that are yet to be revealed, but study to find out if that is the case. If you have a question, dispute or if you are confused about something you read don’t let it fester allowing the enemy to use it to generate uncertainty. Use your resources and do a little research to unearth the answers.

Unlike when I was a child and needed to rely on others to resolve my Bible questions, I can now do it myself. Whenever I am studying the Bible and taking notes I will without a doubt have questions pop up in my mind. If I cannot answer the question from what I am reading or have already read I will jot down any questions or confusion that comes to mind. This allows me to remember what questions I need answers to so I can do further research.

Whenever I get really stumped, I go to other believers in my life who I am closed to. Usually this will be my father-in-law who is well versed in all things Bible. It’s good to have an elder in the faith to have fellowship with. Just be sure whoever you allow to mentor you is following biblical doctrine.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another,”. Proverbs 27:17.

Still, to this day I have so many “ah ha” moments when I’m studying God’s word and come across the answer to a question I had been searching for. It’s not only gratifying to finally have the answer, but it is also amazing to witness how the Bible already contains all the information required to understand it properly when you do a little research.

• Pray Before Bible Reading

Before you open up your Bible to read it, you should first begin with prayer. Starting with prayer will get you in the proper headspace, it will also allow you to bring any concerns up to God before starting. Some examples of what you can apply into your prayer are:

• Ask God to open your spiritual eyes and ears so you may receive all that word has to offer.
• Pray for the discernment to rightfully divide the word.
• Bind the Spirit of Slumber (for people who feel like every time they read the Bible they get sleepy and cannot focus).
• Ask God to remove all hinderances that are assigned to distract you and keep you from receiving God’s word.

Remember the word is alive, and it is what we use to renew our minds daily.  We eat food every day to nourish our physical bodies, likewise; we need to feed our spirit with God’s word daily. The Bible has this amazing ability to search the hearts of those who read it. It is the only text in the world able to convict and change the hearts of the readers. It is an endless source of Godly wisdom and knowledge and we are instructed to study it and be students of it. The Bible is the only book that has so drastically changed the life of million’s of people. No matter what you are dealing with in life, you can find the solution amongst the verses.