recently i wrote this post on how the methods of being in God’s Word aren’t as critical as the principle of being in God’s Word. methods are still helpful, though, and i’m often asked about specific resources or devotionals. i do include one of my favorite devotionals here, but these methods are specific ways to study Scripture itself.
*note: check out this article from Jen Wilkin:
“Your Devotional is Not a Bible”
some of my favorite methods —
(not exhaustive — i could likely add more in the future, but these are current, simple go-tos)
in general —
observation, interpretation, application — i was going to list this as a method for in-depth study, but i think it’s important for any sort of time spent in Scripture. the Bible isn’t a book about me. it’s a book about God. what is His purpose for any given part?
these questions are helpful regardless of what you’re studying (& in this specific order!)
observation — what does the text say? what’s the context? do i comprehend it?
interpretation — what does the text mean? what did the author intend to get across?
application — in light of the two previous things, how should it change me?
(i can definitely write more about this or give an example of my own if you’d like!)
for in-depth study (also known as inductive) —
blue letter Bible — when i’m reading a specific passage or book and want to dig in a little deeper, blue letter Bible is my main tool to use when looking at original greek or hebrew words. you can search for specific verses to expand upon, and it’s also really great for word studies. we may see the same english word appear in multiple places, but that one word could actually be various words in the original language. i actually have an example of this in this blog post.
ESV journaling Bible — this is the exact Bible i use (though I have the double column one). it’s been really special to take notes as i read passages throughout the years. if something is particularly impactful, i’ll even mark the date next to the passage. it’s been such a tangible way to mark & keep track of God’s work in my life as i invest time in His Word!
at His feet studies — written by hope blanton & christine gordon, these studies are designed to be “approachable Bible studies for women in any season”. & they are! there’s only a couple pages of commentary in each study, allowing you to use Scripture as your main content. each study also equips you with general observation questions first — so that you can do your own work to dig into the text — only then to give you application/reflection questions.
some specific studies i’ve used that focus mainly on the text of Scripture:
jen wilkin studies — i’ve done hebrews & plan to do sermon on the mount.
i’m currently working through a jude study by jackie hill perry.
(these are really helpful because they’re not a Christian
author’s content with some Scripture on the side.
your main study is God’s Word itself, with some helpful
questions to assist you. basically if you seek out inductive
studies, that’s the good stuff. they follow the pattern
of observation/interpretation/application.)
for incorporating both prayer and scripture —
sara hagerty’s adoration printables — i use these both for praying out loud and also journaling. i’m so thankful that it directs my heart toward adoration first. we can so often go straight to supplication (making requests to God) or even thanking him for what He’s done, both of which are good and Biblical. but this points me to Scripture and allows me to spend time adoring God simply for who He is.
praying through the psalms — i don’t have a specific resource for this, but simply use a certain psalm to guide your prayers. oftentimes this is so helpful because it prompts you to think of things that might not have already been on your mind. simply read a verse or two at a time, and pray in response. when you run out of things to say, look down and read the next couple verses. it cultivates a conversation with the inspired Word of God. if prayer is meant to be a conversation with God, and conversations require both talking & listening, this helps with that.
(i can also give an example of this in the future if that would be helpful)
other supplementary resources —
*listed as supplementary because these are things to help aid in your study of God’s Word. they aren’t meant to be primarily relied upon. don’t receive God’s Word secondhand. these aren’t meant to be used instead of Scripture but are helpful resources to assist you in your study of Scripture.
ESV study Bible — i do have a physical copy of this, but i mostly use the online study Bible version that comes when you register for an account on esv.org. it’s really helpful to pull it up on my computer as i’m wrestling with a certain passage or want to know more. before looking at commentaries though, do the work yourself. commentaries are another useful secondary tool to pair with your own studying, but remember, commentary notes aren’t Scripture itself — it’s people’s comments on Scripture. it’s a good practice to even look at multiple commentaries to see if commentators generally say the same things or not, and if those things are in line with your own conclusions or if they vary. study Bibles are definitely great for digging deeper!
the Bible project — whenever i begin to study/read a new book of the Bible, i love to make use of the Bible project’s videos to give me an overview of what i’m about to read. they have animated videos for each book of the Bible that help to set up the context, videos about themes that run throughout Scripture, and various series. one of the latest is all about how to read the Bible!
new morning mercies — this is a really good devotional from paul david tripp. he is a trustworthy source, and while he gives his own words for each of these daily devos, even those are saturated with Scripture. there’s also a passage listed at the end of each day that you can make use of for further study. i can’t stress enough that when it comes to devotionals, let them be secondary. another human’s words cannot bring the kind of life that God offers from His Word.
i have yet to even touch on my favorite Christian books! mainly because i wanted to start with the most important thing: being primarily in God’s Word itself, not going to other people for their own insights or opinions about God’s Word — even though they may very well be trustworthy sources! receive God’s Word firsthand, people!
don’t be mistaken though, i have a plethora of favorite faith-based books that have helped me tremendously in my walk with the Lord. let me know if you’d like me to make a list of those!