The Bible is the living Word of God, full of wisdom and guidance for our lives. But sometimes it can be quite challenging to understand and apply what we read properly. Fortunately, there are several methods that can help you dive deeper into Scripture to better understand the Christian worldview.
Here are four Bible study methods you can use! 📖✨
1. SOAP method
The SOAP method is a simple and structured way to study Bible verses and apply them to your life. SOAP stands for:
- Scripture: Read a Bible verse, story or passage and write it down.
- Observation: What do you notice? What does this say about God? What does this say about humans? Are there any promises, commands or warnings?
- Application: How can you apply this text in your daily life?
- Prayer: Pray about what you have learnt and ask God to help you apply it.
With this method, you learn to not only read the Bible superficially, but to apply the knowledge and wisdom in your life. By writing down your thoughts, you remember the lessons better and can look back on them later. Things you don't understand right away, you can find out further.
2. Bible journaling
Bible journaling is way of studying God's word through creativity: drawing, painting and writing in your Bible or a special notebook. For many women, this helps to process Bible verses in a visual and personal way. You could for example:
- Handletter and decorate Bible verses
- Write down prayers, reflections and new insights
- Colour coding: marking certain themes with a colour. Think verses about God's love, promises, sin, sayings of Jesus, etc.
It is useful to take notes in a journal Bible, so your notes are next to the corresponding text! Bible journalling is ideal for those who are visually oriented and love creativity. It helps you connect with God's word in a different way and is also great fun!
3. Bible study by theme
Another effective way to better understand the Bible is to study specific themes. This helps you gain a deeper understanding of what God's word says about certain topics.
Some themes you can study are:
- Faith versus works
- Identity in Christ
- The fall of humanity
- Angels, demons and Satan
- Marriage, relationships and dating
- The role of Holy Spirit
- Prophecies about the Messiah
You can use a concordance, Bible app or online study tools to find relevant verses and discover patterns. You can do this on your own, but also together: it'll help you get new insights and knowledge! Studying the Bible in this way gives you a broader and deeper understanding of God's will in different aspects of life.
4. Bible word study
An in-depth way to better understand the Bible is through word study. This involves examining specific words from the Bible to learn their true meaning within the context.
You can study as follows:
- Choose a word or theme you want to study (such as grace, holiness or salvation).
- Look up where else this word occurs in the Bible and see what the context is.
- For some words, there is no exact translation in English and the deeper meaning remains hidden. You may want to look up the Hebrew or Greek translation meaning to determine exactly what the author wants to say.
Word study helps you gain deeper insights into God's word and better understand what certain words really mean. This can enrich your faith life and help you better understand the biblical narrative!
Choosing a Bible study method
Everyone learns in a different way, so it is good to experiment with these methods. You can also alternate between Bible study on your own, with friends, your partner or at church. In the end, it's all about opening your heart to a relationship with Jesus! 🙌🏽
Would you like a daily reminder of your favourite Bible verse? Or send a sweet Christian card to someone? Take a look at our collection of posters and cards! 🪴
