February 6th, 2023
by Gerald Hawk
by Gerald Hawk
Let’s dig a little deeper into making our devotional time with God more meaningful, beneficial, or impactful. As mentioned in the previous article, talking to God in prayer is a necessary part of our personal quiet time each day. Prayer should definitely bookend our search of the Scriptures, and has a place throughout our meeting with the Lord as well.
The purpose of approaching God in prayer at the outset of any reading of the Bible comes from the very fact that the Book is His Book. By God’s Holy Spirit we have received the very words that God intended for us, without error, in the Bible (2 Peter 1:21). It is God’s Holy Word, bearing His perfect character (2 Timothy 3:16). We come to God and ask Him to reveal the truth of His Word to us by His Holy Spirit. It is the author that can illumine our minds to understand the spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:12-13). So coming to know God and what God has for us is a spiritual exercise, and not simply an intellectually one.
In addition to prayer, and the subsequent matter of reading and setting our minds upon the Word of God by God the Holy Spirit. We can take the following steps in the study of the Word of Truth to ascertain the correct meaning of any given text (2 Timothy 2:15).
1) Context
- Read all the chapter(s) surrounding a verse(s).
Finding the theme of a book can be helpful as well (a Study Bible is useful - i.e. Ryrie, Scofield, etc.)
- Look at a Bible Dictionary (i.e. Holmans) to explore the cultural or historical setting.
- Also consider making a Word Study using a Bible Concordance (i.e. Strongs, Youngs)
2) Related Texts
- This is called cross-referencing (sometimes you have a center reference Bible or i.e. Treasury of Scripture Knowledge)
3) Comments on the Text
- Commentaries are a wonderful tool to compare what you have learned by study. Sometimes it confirms what you have thought, gives clearer insight, or it may be that you disagree with the commentator. (i.e. Bible Knowledge Commentary)
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
The purpose of approaching God in prayer at the outset of any reading of the Bible comes from the very fact that the Book is His Book. By God’s Holy Spirit we have received the very words that God intended for us, without error, in the Bible (2 Peter 1:21). It is God’s Holy Word, bearing His perfect character (2 Timothy 3:16). We come to God and ask Him to reveal the truth of His Word to us by His Holy Spirit. It is the author that can illumine our minds to understand the spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:12-13). So coming to know God and what God has for us is a spiritual exercise, and not simply an intellectually one.
In addition to prayer, and the subsequent matter of reading and setting our minds upon the Word of God by God the Holy Spirit. We can take the following steps in the study of the Word of Truth to ascertain the correct meaning of any given text (2 Timothy 2:15).
1) Context
- Read all the chapter(s) surrounding a verse(s).
Finding the theme of a book can be helpful as well (a Study Bible is useful - i.e. Ryrie, Scofield, etc.)
- Look at a Bible Dictionary (i.e. Holmans) to explore the cultural or historical setting.
- Also consider making a Word Study using a Bible Concordance (i.e. Strongs, Youngs)
2) Related Texts
- This is called cross-referencing (sometimes you have a center reference Bible or i.e. Treasury of Scripture Knowledge)
3) Comments on the Text
- Commentaries are a wonderful tool to compare what you have learned by study. Sometimes it confirms what you have thought, gives clearer insight, or it may be that you disagree with the commentator. (i.e. Bible Knowledge Commentary)
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
Recent
Archive
2024
April
August
October
November
December
2023
June
2022
October
Categories
Tags
Angels
Associations
Authority
Baptism
Baptist Distinctives
Bible Memory
Bible Reading
Bible
Blessings
Boldness
Burdens
Calling
Cares
Carols
Children
Choices
Christianity
Christmas
Christ
Church Government
Church Practice
Church
Citizens
Comfort
Commitment
Committment
Communion
Companions
Congregational
Contentment
Corporate Prayer
Country
Creation
Creator
Cross
Crowns
Dating
Deacons
Decisions
Dedication
Deity
Devil
Devotions
Devotion
Discipleship
Discretion
Doctrine
Eternal Life
Eternal Punishment
Eternal Security
Ethics
Evangelism
Examples
Example
Eyes
Faithfulness
Faith
Fellowship
First Advent
Fleshly
Forgiveness
Friends
Friend
Future
God-man
God's Existence
God's Word
God\'s Word
Godhead
Godliness
God
Good Word
Gospel
Grace
Grief
Growth
Hardship
Heart
Heaven
Hell
Help
Holiness
Home
Hope
Independent
Individual Soul Liberty
Interpretation
Jesus
Joy
Judgment
King
Last things
Leadership
Local Church
Lord's Supper
Lord's Table
Loss
Love
Man
Marriage
Membership
Members
Memorization
Messiah
Modesty
Music
Nations
One Another
Parents
Pastoral Leadership
Peace
Persecution
Plans
Praise
Prayer Meeting
Prayer
Priesthood
Priorities
Priority
Promises
Prophecy
Propriety
Purity
Quiet Time
Rapture
Redemption
Rejoice
Relationships
Relief
Resurrection
Reverence
Rewards
Sacrifices
Sacrifice
Salvation
Sanctification
Santification
Satan
Savior
Scriptures
Scripture
Separation
Service
Singing
Sin
Society
Song
Sovereignty
Speech
Spiritual Growth
Spiritual Warfare
Strength
Study
Suffering
Surrender
Temptation
Thankfulness
Thanksgiving
Thanks
The Faith
Theology
Trends
Trials
Tribulations
Trouble
Trust
Truth
United
Unity
Violence
Waiting
Wife
Will of God
Witness
Woman
Word of God
World
Worship
gentleness
mercy
worldliness
No Comments