The following post is one of our most read posts of all times. I guess lots of girls are looking for practical ways to study the Bible. Since we are focusing on God's Word all month, we dug this post up from the archives. Read it again (or for the very first time!), and let us know how you plan to study God's Word in 2015! (And don't miss the giveaway at the end!) Here are ten practical ways you can stand in God's truth.
1. 365 Days of Truth
The best way to study the Bible is to make it a part of your daily life. Simply setting aside ten or fifteen minutes every day to learn more about God through His Word will go a long way toward helping you stand for truth. There are lots of great resources available to break the Bible down into 365 smaller sections; that's one for every day of the year! Pick up a one-year Bible or check out this article that's loaded with info on how to read the Bible in a year.
2. Thirty-One Days of Wisdom
There are thirty-one chapters in the book of Proverbs and thirty-one days in each month. Simply choose the chapter of Proverbs that corresponds with the day of the month. (For example, I would read Proverbs 7 today because it is January 7.) After thirty-one days, I promise you will gain a lot of wisdom. You can start today!
3. Mirror, Mirror
I bet you look in your bathroom mirror at least once every single day. (Hey, that's what girls do!) That makes your mirror a great place to soak up God's truth. Place several key verses on note cards, or write them on your mirror with a write-and-wipe marker. Then read them out loud as you fix your hair or apply your makeup. It's a great idea to change the verses out after a few weeks in order to expose yourself to more truth.I've got some adorable cards that you can simply print and cut on my website.
4. Get Technical
Download a Bible app on your phone or iPod, and ask your parents to do the same. That way when you find yourself waiting in the car, at the doctor's office, or at a restaurant, you can pop open God's Word for a dose of truth. (Sure beats spending all of your free time with those Angry Birds!)You can also sign up to have Bible verses texted to you daily through websites like GodlyThoughts.com or Bible-sms.com. There are also apps available to do the same thing. Here's a list of apps designed to help you memorize Scripture.Do you know about a great Bible app? Leave us a comment below with the scoop so we can check it out.
5. Flip Out
In addition to going high-tech, you can pore over God's Word old-school style—that is by using actual pen and paper! Write ten to fifteen of your favorite Bible verses on 3 x 5 cards. Punch a hole in the corner of each card and attach them with a ring. Flip through the cards several times a day for a rapid-fire dose of God's truth. Exchange the cards for new verses every few months.
6. Work Together
Everything is more fun with friends, even getting into God's Word. Ask a friend or two to hold you accountable for reading God's Word. Text or call each other daily to remind each other to read the Bible. I have two friends who text me every single morning sharing what they have read in the Bible that day. I have found knowing that they are going to text keeps me accountable and pulls me out of bed on those days when I'd rather sleep than spend time in God's Word.
7. Stick to the Stories
Jesus taught tough truth using stories or parables. This teaching style helps break down complex truths about God into bites that are easier to digest. To hear truth straight from the source, focus on reading Jesus' teachings in one of the gospels. Here is a list of all of Jesus' parables.
8. Hear Him Preach
Jesus was more than a great storyteller; He was also a powerful preacher. His most famous sermon is known as the Sermon on the Mount (because He preached it on a mountain). Jesus covered everything from prayer to salvation to worry in that single sermon.If you're the kind of student who likes to listen to someone break lessons down for you rather than searching out all the right answers on your own, the Sermon on the Mount is a great place to start. With so much truth packed into a single sermon, this passage is like God's Truth for Dummies (not that I'm calling names).
Take your time poring over it, and ask God to use this sermon to help you build a foundation of truth. The Sermon on the Mount can be found in Matthew 5–7.You can also listen to the Bible on CD or mp3. No, you can't hear the sermon actually read by Jesus (that would be way cool!), but you can listen to this passage being read by some other great voices. (You might hear the voices of some of your favorite celebrities on this audio version of the tniv Bible.) This is a good option if you learn best by hearing.
9. Speaking of Stories . . .
We girls love to connect with other people. We are more likely to study someone's story than we are to memorize facts. That's good news, because the Bible is filled to the brim with stories of people standing for God's truth. Here are folks who took big stands for God's truth. You're gonna love their stories. Noah: Genesis 5–10 Joshua: Book of Joshua. (He got his own book!) Hannah: 1 Samuel 1–2 John the Baptist: Matthew 3, 11, 14, 16, 17; Mark 6 and 8; Luke 7 and 9; John 1. He is also referenced several times throughout the book of Acts. Paul: Read about Paul's radical collision with truth in Acts 9:1–22.
10. Get a Coach
It's okay to get help from others as you make the move to get into God's Word. There are great Bible studies available that can guide you as you learn more about the Bible. You can choose Bible studies that help you focus on a single subject (such as boys, friendship, or service), Bible studies that break down a single book of the Bible, or Bible studies that hone in on a specific biblical character (such as David, Mary, or Paul). I could never list all of the Bible studies that might be helpful to you, but here are a few of my favorites.
And here are a couple Bible studies written by yours truly.
- Becoming God's True Woman . . . While I Still Have a Curfew by Mary A. Kassian and Susan Hunt
- God Girl: Becoming the Woman You're Meant to Be by Hayley DeMarco
- James: Faith Under Pressure by Pam Gibbs
- True Princess: Embracing Humility in an All About Me World
- Beautiful Encounters: The Presence of Jesus Changes Everything
When it comes to searching for truth, there isn't a "right" way or a "wrong" way. The important thing for you to remember is that God's Word is truth. In order to tap into the power of that truth, you must find a way to get into the Word and get the Word into you!