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How To Study Your Bible To Know God

Hundreds of pages, Bible stories, a cast of characters both of this world and in the heavenly realms, lie between you and a Father’s heart.

It doesn’t take much to read your Bible, you just open it up and start reading. 

But who really wants to know about ancient history? People whose names are hard to pronounce and places that may not even exist anymore. 

If you are like me, you don’t want to study the Bible to get to know the Bible. 

You want to study your Bible to get to know God. 

Using acronyms as Bible study methods—like S.O.A.P or R.E.S.T to name a few, may make it easier to know the Bible and even to consider ways to apply what you are learning to your life but, do they make it possible to know God?

To truly study your Bible, you need to learn how to unravel the mysteries of the conversations within it.

It is written in the Prophets,‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me…’

John 6:45

Don’t miss that slight twist in the story. God himself will be your teacher, when your heart’s desire is to get to know him.

It may sound strange but, Bible study methods that weigh heavy on knowing the Bible (facts, places, memorizing verses), will ultimately lead you to missing out on knowing God. 

God is a God of conversation and relationships. Listen for the: 

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    • Conversations that God had with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 
    • Conversations that God had with the nation of Israel in the desert and at the parting of the Red Sea. 
    • Conversations while on the road to Damascus and the road to Emmaus.
    • Conversations with Paul and face-to-face with the apostles.
    • Conversations about the universe and the works of his hands in the Book of Job.
    • Conversations about how the world began and how it will undoubtedly end, are all in your Bible

To study your Bible to know God you must first believe that He did not come just to have a conversation with them, but He also came to have one with you. 

You may have found your Bible study frustrating and confusing and I will be the first to admit that it doesn't seem to make much sense—most of the time. 

At least until I stopped trying to read it to know the Bible and started to read it to know God.

I began to ask, what is He saying to me through those stories?

The scriptures turned from a history book of facts and figures, into a place where conversations with God came to life. 

The Bible became easier to understand, once I knew God.

And while the conversations that happened thousands of years ago will never change, God has not stopped talking to you either. 

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 14:26

Do this—study your Bible in conversation with God. 

Find out what secrets the stories hold that apply to your life today, that he wants to tell you. 

Listen while he speaks to you through the power of the Holy Spirit and expect him to come to you and transform your Bible study time. 

Take Action: Think about your favorite Bible verse and ask yourself what the conversation is about. A secret of the kingdom is hiding in that verse. 

Jesus says that the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven are given to you and not to them (Matthew 13:11). 

Always look for the secrets that the stories may be telling that apply to the conversations that God is having with you. 

To God be the glory, Amen

Yvonne