10 Simple Ways to Deepen Your Bible Study

Have you been reading your Bible but desire to go deeper, learn more? As I was preparing for the 2019 Breathe Retreat I spent a lot of time in prayer and reading. As I did so, I uncovered ten simple ways to deepen my Bible study. Some were taken from taken from How to Study Your Bible by Kay Arthur while others were shared from friends.

1. Be Prayerful

Before I open up the Word of God, I say a prayer. Not only do I say a prayer when I begin but I remain in a spirit of prayer while I read. I am constantly asking “Father, please show me what You desire me to see here.” Especially when I read a phrase I don’t quite understand.

2. Read

Read and re-read the verse/chapter you are studying. If you want to deepen your Bible study, you can’t surface read the Bible. I find that re-reading a passage or verse helps me to understand it better and pull out multiple applications (ways I can see the Word in my life).

3. Identify

Identify the type of literature you are reading. Is it poetry, a historical account, a biography, a proverb, prophecy, a letter, or all of the above?

4. Be Objective

Try not to say well I know the Bible says this but for me it must mean this.

5. Identify 5 W’s and an H

Write down who, what, when, where, why and how. This takes us back to writing reports in school but it is applicable to deepening your Bible study. You need to know the answers for these questions so you can properly apply what you read.

6. Find the Context

The context refers to the cultural and circumstantial surroundings. For example in Acts 10 Peter recounts how God told him to eat unclean things three times in a dream and then a servant of a gentile, Cornelius came seeking Peter. God was telling Peter that the gospel is not just for the Jew but the Gentile.

7. Mark Repeating Words or Phrases

See if there are any words or phrases repeated and mark them. You might consider making a list for further study. (Use an exhaustive concordance and an expository dictionary of Biblical words to help you. You may also use https://www.blueletterbible.org/)

Not only do I mark repeating words or phrases but I color code my markings in the Bible. This helps me because when I need to read a quick verse to build my faith I can flip through my Bible, see a blue highlight and know there is a blessing there for me.

For example:

• Pink=Favorite
• Green=Promise
• Blue= Faith
• Orange/Red= Warning
• Yellow=Important

8. Identify the Theme of the Reading

Some readings if not all, have a theme. Is it faith, is it salvation, etc.?

9. Apply

This is where the rubber hits to road. Ask God how you can apply what you read to your life.

10. Personalize and Memorize

Take time to personalize and memorize the promises of the Bible and claim them as your own. You might consider a scripture memory system like
https://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/

Breathe Bible Reading Plan

Do you need a place to start? How about doing this Bible study on Breathe! As mothers we all need some time to rest and rejuvenate. Let’s see what the Word has to say about it! Click here to get a free copy of the Breathe Bible Reading Guide complete with the reading plan below and a Bible journal template.