One of the things I am asked when I teach Bible classes or speaker at Ladies’ Days or lectureships is how I do personal Bible study. The first time someone asked me this, I was surprised; and I had to really give it some thought. I was surprised that something that seemed routine for me was not for others.

I have since learned that Bible study is not always easy for someone, and people do need some direction in successfully doing regular Bible study.

Here are some general instructions to help you get started:

• Try to study at the same time every day.

Having a regular time to study helps you get into a routine and allows you to stay focused.

Pick a time when you will not be interrupted. Some people like to study first thing in the morning before everyone else get up. Others like to study late at night. Maybe afternoon works better for you while children are napping. Whatever the time, try to get into a routine.

• Pick a topic or a certain book of the Bible.

You might make your selection for a topic based on something you have heard your minister discuss.

You might choose a book of the Bible you have never read or one that has some particular interest to you. You might want to choose books by the same writer. You might be interested in the five books that the apostle John wrote, the four gospels, the Psalms, Proverbs, the story of Esther, the story of Job, the story of Ruth, or some other book.

Maybe you have a particular interest in a subject like salvation, heaven, angels, sin, baptism, repentance, or some other topic.

• Once you have picked a topic put together the tools you will need to study.

You will need some things that will make your study profitable. You will need a good dictionary, a Bible dictionary, a notebook for making notes for later reference, and a Bible. Be careful about using modern translations of the Bible since they are not always accurate. The New King James, the New American Standard, the English Standard Version are all excellent translations that are a little easier to read than the King James or the American Standard.

I like to highlight certain passages in my Bible as I study. I like to mark verses that I want to memorize or verses that I use often in my classes. You might like to do this as well. You might use different colors for different topics. I will suggest two types of pens that I use that won’t bleed through the pages of your Bible. They are Accent Dry Pencil, which is a Bible highlighter, and Pigma Micron fine point pens. Both of these are excellent tools for marking in your Bibles.

• If you choose a book of the Bible, study the background. Research the writer, where the book was written, to whom it was written, why it was written. All of these things are important to study. Knowing to whom the writer is speaking will help you understand what is written and why.

• Read the context carefully. Don’t take just one verse and try to find the meaning. You need to know what comes before and what comes after in order to fully understand what the writer is saying. Sometimes you will need to read the entire chapter or maybe more than one chapter to get the full meaning.

• Study with an open mind. You may be surprised that in your study you find things that you have heard all of your life that are different than what the Bible says.

One of the most interesting stories that has been “embellished” throughout time is that of the birth of Jesus. If you want to know what I mean, just read the story from the gospels of Matthew and Luke.

Here are just two of the things about this story that are different from what you may have been taught. Joseph and Mary were already in Bethlehem when Mary gave birth. There is no mention of them stopping along the way (Luke 2:6). The wise men actually visited baby Jesus in a house when he was a young child, not with the shepherds (Matthew 2:9-11). This is the reason Herod had all the male children under two years old killed.

I hope these suggestions will encourage you to study the Bible.

Whatever you choose to do, start a Bible study. It will be one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself.

Sandra Oliver

*For more information on how to study the Bible you may wish to visit http://www.howtounderstandthebible.abiblecommentary.com/