I'm sure you've heard the expression "If you aim at nothing, you're guaranteed to hit it."
With that in mind, what is your goal, your expectation, when you sit down to study?
Keeping a resolution? Checking it off your list? Getting all your "good Christian" points for the day?
I admit, most of the time when I study my goal is "get the lesson ready". I lose sight of the amazing fact that studying God's word is a live conversation with the Creator of the universe. However, I also know that taking a few minutes to begin the conversation (in prayer) before opening my Bible changes everything. If you practice this, your study time will become an intimate exchange rather than a routine lecture.
So as you sit down for your next study time, lay out all the issues on your heart – the things that kept you up the night before, the things you dread for today, decisions you have to make, encounters you expect, anything. Then watch as your Bible study begins to address those concerns. If you're a note-taker, you might keep a record of your questions and the answers God gives as a permanent testimony.
I'd love to hear from you about how God opens up His word to you.
Lauren says
Sometimes, I honestly don't know what my goal of studying is. Sometimes, it is checking something off my list. Other times it is keeping a resolution. I think this post will help out a lot. It'll help me really focus on the why. I think it will help me see why I truly am studying.
Thanks for the post!