Understanding The Bible

Bible Question #1? Find the Answers!

When I read my Bible I have difficulty understanding what I am reading.

The Bible is not always an easy book to understand. But, the Bible is God's word to his people. Therefore, we would expect that He would help people to understand it.
One way to understand scripture is to avoid some very common mistakes people make when reading it:

• While the Bible can speak to you on a very personal level, don't expect to find a verse telling you who to marry, what job to take, what investments to make, etc. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit may use scripture to give you guidance which you may apply toward answering these questions and others.
   
• Read the Bible with your heart open to find out what God would like to say to you. Let Him decide what to reveal to you. He knows what is best for you. Don't necessarily judge your Bible reading by whether or not you find what you are looking for. Open yourself to finding what God wants you to understand. What He has for you may be very different from what you are expecting.
   
• Don't just open the scripture at random, point to a verse blindly, and expect it to answer your questions. Most Christians have probably tried that method at least once in their lives. There is no evidence that God chooses to use His word in that manner.
   
• Don't fall into the "if only I could find a translation or version which makes sense to me" trap. Real biblical insight comes from the Holy Spirit, not the skill of any human translator. This is true whether the translator lived centuries ago, or in our lifetime.

There is one and only one method I know of that is absolutely guaranteed to open scripture to you in a way that may absolutely amaze you if you have never tried it before. Let me suggest the following steps:

1. Take your Bible in your hand and hold it. Then, before you even open it, pray. Spend time in prayer with God and fellowship with Him, tell Him what's on your mind and what's going on in your life.
   
   
5. Talk to Him about your spiritual needs. If there are any areas in your life in which you need to talk with Him and get right with Him, now is the time to do it. Most importantly, ask Him to speak to you through the scripture you are about to read. Ask the Holy Spirit, the author, to use the text to speak to your heart and to reveal to you what the text means.
   
   
6. Then, begin reading. Not just a verse or two, but read for awhile letting your mind get caught up in the text. If you have been faithful and honest in step #1, over time, you may be surprised at the increased level of clarity and meaning you find in the text. You may even be quite surprised the first time the Holy Spirit takes a verse and really "brings it home" to you.
   

That, I believe, is the secret to reading scripture with insight and understanding. Don't depend on yourself, a translator, commentator, or Bible teacher to do it. Although these other sources all have their place in a program of Bible study, there is nothing more powerful than the personal help and instruction of the Holy Spirit.

On our sister website Questions God. Com we have 70 Bible Reading Plans designed for individuals in every step of their Christian walk here. To be successfully in your Bible Reading check out our Bible Study Methods here. No matter what step you are in your Christian walk we have 5 free Study Guides sent daily by email for 21 days that you can sign up for here.

The Gospel of John is a great place to start reading in the New Testament for those new to the Bible or New Christians. We have two study guides to go along with reading the Gospel of John. This one is approximately 5 minutes long (PDF) here or (Word) here or print here.The other one is approximately 15 minute reading plan sent once a day by email. More information here or sign up here.

If you have a question which you would like to see answered on this page, we would like to hear from you. We will do our best that each question will be answered here.

Here are a few helpful tips on how to study the Bible and grow spiritually this year. Are you ready? Here goes…

Study a Book of the Bible - If you are new to the Bible or a new Christian we highly recommend starting at the Book of John in New Testament. We have two study guides on Gospel of John.

Plan 1 - With the 21 day Bible Reading 5 minutes a day Gospel of John Challenge, you'll walk with Jesus through the Gospel of John and engage God's Word on a daily basis. It's as easy as reading a chapter a day go here.

DOWNLOAD PDF Print the PDF and keep a copy in your Bible or Read Online here.

Plan 2 - This plan is 21 day Bible Reading 15 minutes a day Gospel of John challenge for new Christians and for those searching and people on the go. Start your day by talking to God, reading the Bible and reflecting on your day. We have created a special series of study guides to go along with your daily reading on Gospel of John sent once a day by email for 21 days on the Gospel of John here.

MORE INFORMATION HERE OR SIGN UP HERE

FREE BIBLE STUDY GUIDES

Bible Study Guides that are relevant, engaging and life-changing —- making your life better now, and giving you a real, solid hope for your future. Use these study guides to improve your understanding of the Bible and strengthen your faith Each Bible reading plan is different in type and length. They are as varied as each individual so you have many to choose from. Consider the following options, but remember to choose one. Regular reading in God's Word is not optional. It's a necessity!

Request any of our free Study Guides here.

1. God’s Simple Plan of Salvation – Searching for Answers – 3 week guide here.
2. New Christian Study Guide – New To Christianity – 3 week study guide here.
3. Steps to Spiritual Maturity Guide – Nurturing Resources – 3 week guide here.
4. The Gospel of John – Knowing God Better – Personal book study - 3 weeks here.
5. Inspirational Daily Devotionals – Encouraging Spiritual Reflections – daily here.
6. Monthly Newsletter – Christ Centered Information – once a month here.
7. Personal Evangelism Training – Share the Gospel – fun creative way here.
8. Bible Studies – Instructive Resources – connecting you nearer to God here.

Free Study Guides
FREE STUDY GUIDES MORE INFORMATION HERE

70 FREE BIBLE READING PLANS

Use one of our many daily Bible reading plans to easily read Scriptures in a year! Reading the Bible daily is important to grow your faith and hope! They range from two week commitments to year-long commitments, from reading straight through cover to cover, to topical readings, to a mixture of readings each day. Check out our 70 Bible Reading Plans at our sister website Questions God. Com 70 BIBLE READING PLANS HERE.


SUMMARY OF BIBLE READING PLANS 1 TO 70
New to the Bible or New Christians Bible Reading Plans - Each plan is different - Plans 1-12 here.
Blended Bible Reading Plans - Old and New Testament combined daily - Plans 13-17 here.
Classic One & Two Year Plans - From the Beginning Genesis to the end of Revelation in order - Plans 18-23 here.
Chronological One Year Plans - Read the events of the Bible in the order they occurred - Plans: 24-25 here. 
Genres (Literature) Style One Year Plans - Reading the different Genre types - Plans: 26-27 here. 
Short Term Reading Commitments - Two week Plans for those with busy schedules - Plans 29 -41 here.
Children's Bible Reading Plans - 10 minutes a day for Children and Family Bible Readings - Plans 42-50 here.
Assorted & Diverse Excellent Bible Reading Plans - Variety of Books of the Bible Reading Plans - Plans 51-70 here.

 

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The scriptures are perfect, but men are fallible. I prayerfully check all of the material I put on my sites. However, I am quite capable of missing something or making a mistake. If you find anything at all on these pages that is questionable or find any links broken please contact us here.