Write as You Read

by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

I have found that, humanly speaking, reading the Word of God with a pen in hand has been the greatest help in my personal devotional life, as it helps me concentrate and focus on what I read.  There are several types of writing that can be helpful:

1. Write out portions of Scripture, word for word. God knows how prone we are to forget. As we write it down, we’re being helped to remember. 

2. Write in your Bible.

• Circle repeated words and phrases.
• Jot down notes about the meaning of a specific word or phrase.
• Write down the date by a specific Scripture or passage that God uses to speak to your heart in a particular way.
• Record your personal response to what you’ve read.
• List the name of someone to pray for as it relates to a particular passage.
• Write insights you have by a given passage.

3. Summarize and apply. As you read through the Bible, write down one or two sentences that summarize that chapter. Then, write down one or two sentences of personal application, expressing how something in this passage can be applied to your life.

• How did it speak to you personally?
• What did it mean to you?
• What does God want you to do about what you’ve just read?

As you write, you’ll find it easier to concentrate on what you’re reading, and you won’t have as many times when you’ll look back and say, “I’ve just read three chapters, and I have no clue what that was about!”

© Used with permission. Adapted from “Getting into the Word and Getting the Word into You” by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  http://www.ReviveOurHearts.com