Tag: inductive study

People Matter to God

Reading the bible can be overwhelming. There are so many people, stories, and teachings. It can all be a little (or a lot) confusing. I have friends who see the Old and New Testament as in conflict with one another, so they dismiss the bible, not recognizing the value in it.

When I read or study the bible I follow the simple inductive approach of asking questions about the passage I am reading. Finding answers to the 5Ws & H (who, what, when, where, why & how) is an important key to understanding what the bible says.

Start with Who

Start with the oblivious…if you are reading a New Testament book, start with the author. What does he say about himself? His life, faith, or his struggles?

No matter where you are reading in the bible, try to learn about the original audience. Who was the book written about? Or who was the book written to? Where did they live? What was happening with them? What was their culture like? How were they struggling or doing well in living out their faith?

Next, although most importantly note is said about God and Jesus. How are they described? What teachings or instructions are mentioned?

Make a List

I like to make lists…of all the things I need to remember. I have the general to-do list, today’s grocery list, and a someday list. I also make lists in my bible study journal about God and Jesus. Keeping a list of what I have learned from my bible study helps me in several ways. First, writing it down helps me remember what I have studied. Second, I include the scripture reference, so that I can find it again when asked about it. Third, a list helps me build a more complete picture or understanding about God and Jesus.

Start Today

Open your bible…read one chapter of a book. What did you learn about the author? What did you learn about the original audience (recipients)? What was said God and Jesus? Start your list. Think about what you have written…how does it align with what you had believed? Pray about your list…by asking questions or offering thanksgiving and praise.

Isaiah 45:5 “I am the Lord, and there is no other;

Besides Me there is no God.

I will gird you, though you have not known Me;

6 That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun

That there is no one besides Me.

I am the Lord, and there is no other,

7 The One forming light and creating darkness,

Causing well-being and creating calamity;

I am the Lord who does all these.

The Psalms

The psalms we have all read them, but do we really understand them?  I know I sure had not until…

A few months ago I offered to lead a breakout session at a women’s conference.  I decided to speak about the psalms.  I had done a similar session several years, so I thought I would get it out and brush it up and be good.  But God had other plans.  As I look through my materials and considered what to do, the focus of my session changed…from just a discussion about the psalms in general to specifically learning how to pray through a psalm.  My hope was women could take the principles from the session and apply them to other psalms on their own.  So started my summer adventure in the psalms.

So I started reading studying psalms by applying the inductive study principles.  All I can say is WOW!  Studying the psalms this way certainly helped me to better understand the psalms and begin to pray them and apply them to my life.

First you need to know what the psalm says

You do this by reading the psalm, several times until you become familiar with the ideas and images presented.  I suggest that you read the psalm aloud at least once, of course you could sing it 🙂

I also find it helpful to mark the key words and phrases.  These are often repeated.  Identifying the keys words and phrases help unlock the meaning of the psalm.

Then you need to understand what the psalm means

You can do this by looking up in a dictionary any unfamiliar words or by reading other verses in the bible that using the same word or phrase.

Another helpful tip is to figure out the structure of the psalm.  By this I mean the flow of ideas or emotions in the psalm.

Now you are about ready to pray the psalm

At this point I suggest you read a section of the psalm, then pray it personalizing it to your life, your situation.

Then pause and listen for God to speak to your heart, before you move on to the next section of the psalm.

Finally I would encourage you to write down when you learn about the psalm as you studied through it and then write down your words as you prayed through the psalm.

Under the Resource tab I have uploaded the materials from my session.  You may find it helpful to read the example of the psalm I gave using the inductive study principles.  If you do or have any questions, please contact me.  If you make a comment, I will respond.

I pray the psalms will take on a whole new meaning in your life, as they have in mine this summer.