II Timothy 3:15-16 makes it clear that God’s word is applicable to every part of our lives. To get the most out of this or any study of God’s word, we must understand the basics of these four basic principles:
1. Reverence
If you are going to have a relationship with God, it begins with an understanding that He is to be revered as God and we are to humble ourselves before Him. In that setting we are in a frame of mind that He can speak to us.
2. Revelation
God wants to speak to you. He will only speak to you when you are ready to listen. When we revere, He will reveal. Because God loves us and has a plan for us, He desires to reveal His truth to us. As we humble ourselves before Him, we are now ready to receive His revealed truth.
3. Relationship
Relationship is established with Him when He reveals Himself to us because we have sought Him. Communication is the basis of every relationship, including our relationship with Jesus.
4. Response
When He reveals Himself to you, He is going to call you to a response because His purpose in your life is to grow you and make you more like Him.
Based upon these four principles, you can use the following study method to develop a personal and powerful time alone with the Lord. Here are three basic questions that you can use to approach any verse or passage of scripture. These questions incorporate the principles above and provide a simple method of communicating with Jesus through the verse or passage you are studying. It begins with the principle of Reverence by looking first to learn about how God reveals Himself in that particular scripture. It then moves you to listen to God speak to your heart and life in a truly applicable way. Get your bible and a pad and pen, and then set aside some quiet time to speak with the Lord.
Here are the three questions:
1) What does the verse reveal about God, Jesus, and/or the Holy Spirit?
2) What does the verse say about me as a human being or individual?
3) Does the verse contain one of the following?
A promise to claim
A sin to refrain
A habit to maintain
Try this simple method on your favorite verse or chapter. As you answer these questions, you will see very quickly how this God speaks to us through scripture. You will also learn how to unlock the great truths and lessons of the bible. Most importantly, you will learn to spend time with Jesus in a way that He can make Himself real to you speaking to your heart through His word.
