How to Study the Bible

Bible study is not what we do for God; it’s what we do with God, which is why studying the Bible is one of the most effective ways to grow in your relationship with God and hear from Him. Bible study isn’t just for pastors and theologians, but anyone, and I’ll  share how simple it can be with my 4 R Bible study method. Enjoy!

For years we’ve led tens of thousands of women to study the Bible for themselves with my 4 R Bible study method that I’m going to teach you in this video so you can confidently study the Bible yourself whether you are a beginner or you’ve been studying most of your life.

Before we get into the 4 Rs, you want to start any study with prayer. Our primary prayer should be to ask God to lead us through the study of His Word and then trust that He will. This will greatly take away a lot of the intimidation of studying the Bible because when we focus on God first, we’re reminded that the pressure is not all on us, but that God is with us and He wants to speak to us through His Word. Now let’s get into the 4 “R's of Bible Study.

1. READ

First, you want to read the passage of scripture that you want to study. Now, reading the Bible is not the same as studying the Bible, but you do need to read what you plan to study. If you are new to Bible study and are not sure what scripture you want to study, I have a few videos that walk you through how to choose a scripture to study or where to start studying in the Bible that I’ll link below. So once you’re selected your scripture you want to first read it.

As you READ your selected scripture for study, you’ll want to ask yourself the question, “What is the scripture saying?” My suggestion is to read the text more than once and even in different translations. You’ll also want to read the scripture in full context. This means studying the surrounding verses of your scripture, its containing chapter, or even book. (You can do this over time) Reading the surrounding scripture ensures you’re pulling out the intended meaning of the verse. 

It’s kind of like when only a clip of a video goes viral online and everyone is so upset about it but when you see the full video it gives a completely different meaning to the short 10 second clip of the video that you saw. 

When it comes to our Bible study we don’t want to make conclusions from one verse without reading and understanding the verse in its full context. So when you study your Bible you want to read in full context, meaning not just one verse here or there (that’s fine for a devotion or quiet time) but not necessarily for Bible study.

As you read, there are a few things you’ll want to write down. First, write out any key verses that particularly stick out to you. Writing God’s Word is a great way to memorize it and keep it in your mind and heart.

Next, see if you can paraphrase what the scripture is saying in your own words to make sure you’re truly grasping an understanding of the text.

Finally, take note of the who, what, when, where, and why. Who wrote this scripture, what is happening in this verse, when was it written, and where? Why was it written? Understanding the background of the scripture will significantly impact your understanding of what’s being said.

2. REFLECT

After you’ve read the scripture, you then want to REFLECT. Ask yourself the question, “What does this scripture mean?” This is where you pull out the lessons learned from the text.  Lessons will usually be in the form of a PROMISE, PRINCIPLE, or COMMAND.

A PROMISE is a declaration that God will do something. It is not conditional; it’s simply a statement about God or a characteristic of Him based on who He is. When Jesus says “I will be with you always” in Matthew 28:20, that is a promise not dependent on what we do or don’t do.

A PRINCIPLE is a foundational truth that is conditional. It’s a statement that says:

Many people mistake this verse as a promise that God will grant us the desires of our hearts. But this is not a promise, it is a principle. When we first delight ourselves in Him, then we will receive the desires of our hearts. 

A COMMAND is an authoritative directive or order from God. It’s simply God telling us how He wants us to live our lives. Think of the 10 commandments. Love God. Love your neighbor. Don’t lie. Don’t kill. Commands are orders from God on how to conduct ourselves. 

As you reflect on the scripture, you want to write down any promises to believe, principles to live by, or commands to follow. You’re digging deeper into the text to gain a greater understanding.

3. RESPOND

Once you’ve taken time to reflect, you then want to RESPOND to the scripture. You’re asking yourself, “What can I do practically to live out what I’ve learned?” We read the Word so that we can be changed by its truth. Once you’ve learned from the scripture you’re studying, make a plan to do what it says. If the scripture reveals that you need to focus on God more and not be so easily distracted, maybe you need to take a break from social media. If your study helps you to learn the importance of thanksgiving, perhaps you should start a gratitude journal. When we reflect on the Word, we learn WHAT we need to do. As we respond to the Word, we discover HOW we can practically do it.

4. REQUEST

Reading and studying the Bible is much easier than actually living it out, which is why the last “R” stands for REQUEST. This means we pray to God for the help and strength only He can provide. After you study, it is important to pray over what you’ve learned. Many call this “praying the scriptures.” I have an entire video on how to pray God’s Word that I’ll link below. Essentially this means usings what you’ve learned from your study to guide your prayers. 

Let’s say you first read Philippians 4:6-7 and from your reading, you reflect and learn that instead of being anxious, we are called to be grateful and thankful. You respond to the text by deciding to start a gratitude journal. Your prayer then would be that God would give you the strength to overcome anxiety by remembering all the good that you have to be thankful for in your life. 

The life change that studying God’s Word offers doesn’t come from simply reading the word alone. It’s inviting God into our hearts to live out what we’ve learned to be true. So seal in the truths that you’ve learned by praying over what you’ve studied.

So that’s my easy 4 step process to studying the Bible for yourself. READ, REFLECT, RESPOND, REQUEST. And to make this as simple as possible for you, we've created the LIFE Bible Journal that guides you through each of the 4 "R"s every time you study.

Often, spending time in God’s Word is all you need to experience the peace, clarity, and strength your soul craves. It’s busy lives and full schedules that many times compete for the time and energy we need to study the Bible.

Our best-selling LIFE Bible Journal takes the complication out of Bible study to help make your time in God’s Word simple, practical, and meaningful.

Each journal page guides you through our simple 4 “R” Bible Study Method™ so you can:

Understand what you read in the Bible.

Learn the meaning of biblical texts.

Apply what you learn to your everyday life.

Experience how our simple process and beautiful design can inspire you towards intentional, transformational, and consistent Bible study with the LIFE Bible Journal today.

Now I would love to hear from you. What’s your life verse or what scripture has had the most significant impact on your life? Let’s encourage one another in the comments.

For even more Beloved encouragement and Bible studies, be sure to download the Beloved awoken app for unlimited videos to grow your faith, learn God's Word and encourage your souls available now in the apple or google play stores or at belovedwomen.tv

As always, thank you so much for watching, and until next time, be beautiful, be blessed, and beloved.