Welcome back to the Personal Bible Study Challenge at BibleBaton.com! For the second step in our study of Ephesians 6, we’ll practice one of the fundamentals of Bible study: observation. How? We’ll learn 3 key things to look for in Scripture. Scroll down to dive into the study now! 😀
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Don’t know where to start studying the Bible?
You teach the Bible to kids—or you want to.
But you don’t want to just blindly follow your lesson plans. You want to have a grasp, personally, on what the Bible actually says—and what it means.
So you know you need to dig into the Scriptures for yourself.
But in case you don’t know where to start, this post will give you a couple of easy tips for what to look for in your Bible reading. 😉
Here are 3 simple tips for studying the Bible!
If you read a book on Bible study, like Grasping God’s Word (which I highly recommend by the way), then you’ll discover there are LOTS of things you should look for when you open your Bible. {← affiliate link}
But a list like the one in that book can be overwhelming. So today I’m sharing just 3 simple things to watch for when you’re reading the Bible.
In my own personal Bible study, these are the 3 things I notice the most often.
First, look for promises.
When I come across one of God’s promises, I note it in the margin of my Bible with a little “P” (for “Promise”). You can mark it however you want—highlight it in a certain color, put a star by it, or whatever floats your boat. But do keep an eye out for God’s promises!
And when you find one, take a moment to figure out:
- Who did God make this promise to?
- Is it a conditional or an unconditional promise?
- Is there a time limit for how long this promise applies?
Who did God make this promise to?
Some of God’s promises apply to everyone. For example, in Genesis 9:11 God promised that He would never flood the earth again. That’s a promise that every single human on the earth can take hold of. It applies to everyone.
Some of God’s promises are only for a certain person, or a group of people. God promised that Sarah would have a baby—even though she was too old. A woman today who is infertile or past the age of having children can’t seize this promise as her own; it wasn’t made to her. It was made specifically to Sarah.
Is this a conditional or unconditional promise?
Some of God’s promises are conditional. God promises eternal salvation to anyone who believes in Him. The condition to that promise is belief. Anyone who doesn’t believe doesn’t receive the promised salvation. Anyone who does believe is guaranteed salvation.
Some of God’s promises are unconditional. God promised Abraham that He would give him many descendants. There was no “if” clause in the promise. It wasn’t dependent on Abraham’s actions in any way. God made the promise, and God would keep the promise. It was as simple as that, because it’s an unconditional promise.
Is there a time limit for how long this promise applies?
Some of God’s promises last forever. God promises that He will not lie. That’s a promise that has no end. Adam could trust that God wouldn’t lie. So could Jesus’ disciples. So could Christopher Columbus. We can trust that promise today, too—and our great-great-great-grandkids can trust it, too. That’s a promise that will last forever.
But some of God’s promises only apply for a certain time period. In 1 Kings 17 God promised a widow during a time of famine that her flour bin and her oil jar wouldn’t run empty—until it rained again. That promise only applied until the rains came and the famine ended. She couldn’t expect for Him to keep them full after the rains came. And we can’t take that promise for ourselves today, because the time when it applied has ended.
Second, look for prayers.
I love looking for promises throughout Scripture because—even if they don’t apply to me now—they still tell me something about God’s character. But I also keep an eye out for prayers in the Bible.
There are at least 3 types of prayers that you can look for in Scripture:
- Prayers in narrative.
- Prayers in epistles.
- Prayers in psalms.
Sometimes you’ll also just come across a thought that you know is worth praying. Or, occasionally, something you should pray that you DON’T say, think, or do!
Personally, I like to mark prayers in the margin of my Bible with a big letter “A” (for “Ask”). But, again, you can mark them however you’d like to—whether that means color-coding, using a certain shape, etc.
Now, let’s take a closer look at those three places you are likely to find prayers in Scripture!
You can find prayers in narrative.
By “narrative,” I mean the stories in the Bible—including large portions of the Old Testament, the Gospels, and Acts. When you’re reading through those sections, look for instances when other people pray to the Lord.
You can learn a lot about how to pray (or how NOT to pray!) based on the examples you see of others throughout Scripture. For example, I’m always impressed by how Nehemiah took a moment to send up a quick prayer to the Lord right in the middle of a conversation with a super crucial conversation with a super important person. How often do we remember to pray during those crucial moments?
We can learn a lot from observing others’ prayers in the stories of the Bible.
You can find prayers in the epistles.
I know. “Epistles” isn’t a word that we use every day. But, very simply, the epistles are the letters in the Bible—everything from Romans to Jude.
And I just want to point out that there are some AWESOME prayers in those letters. Especially in the ones written by Paul—check out his prayers in Ephesians, Philippians, and Romans (to name a few). Wow!
Paul’s prayers are so powerful. So focused on the Lord. So full of right thoughts and right attitudes. Definitely worth emulating! At times I have literally copied Paul’s prayers out onto index cards and prayed them, word for word, exactly as he wrote them.
So definitely keep an eye out for prayers in the epistles.
Finally, you can find prayers in the psalms.
I’ll be honest. The Psalms are probably my favorite place to find prayers—especially when I’m struggling.
The Psalms are full of real, raw, human emotion. They are so easy to relate to! And yet they almost always include a section of praise God—putting humans and our troubles in proper perspective.
So I recommend heading for the Psalms when you’re struggling emotionally and you need a perspective adjustment!
Since the entirety of every Psalm could be considered prayers, I recommend marking the sections of Psalms that are particularly meaningful for your own prayers. Then pray the thoughts you find in the Psalms!
Third, look for commands.
I look for God’s promises—what He’s said. I look for prayers—what I can say in response. And then, finally, I look for commands in Scripture.
Obviously, many commands tell you exactly what you, personally, should do. But you may also observe commands that aren’t necessarily for you—and you can learn a lot from those, too. They may tell you something about God’s character. Or the way people respond (or don’t respond) may give you an example to follow—or not.
When I find a command, I like to mark it in the margin of my Bible with a “C.” But, as always, you can mark it in whatever way works for you. I just encourage you to make sure that you do make a note of it! 😉
Put on your thinking CAP!
Here’s an easy way to remember these 3 things to look for in your Bible study:
- C is for “Command”
- A is for “Ask” (prayers)
- P is for “Promise”
Together, these make the acronym “CAP.” So just remember, when you open your Bible, to put on your thinking CAP. 😉
Now it’s your turn!
Open your Bible to Ephesians 6:10-20.
Get your pencil or your marker ready.
Then read through the passage carefully, looking for commands, prayers, or promises. When you find one, mark it.
Afterward, take a moment to look over the things you marked and give some thought to how the promise(s) may affect your life or which command(s) you should obey. And then take a moment to offer a prayer to the Lord based on the prayer(s) you marked.
And that’s it! 😉 Next time, we’ll look at some more specific ideas for how you can mark your text as an aid to study. So keep an eye out for the next installment of this Personal Bible Study Challenge! 😉
And happy studying! 😀
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