Digging Deeper Into Your Bible

I’m always on the search for new ways to dig deeper into my Bible. I believe as Christians, it’s important that we are continuously in the Word and placing it on our hearts and minds.  We must be studying the Word, not simply reading it. When we study it, we allow it to move from our short-term memory into our long-term memory, as we dissect, reflect and apply it into our daily lives.

The best way I’ve found to study my Bible is in conjunction with my Prayer Binder. I came across this idea on Pinterest. There are tons of different formats and styles to create your own Prayer Binder, plus lots of ideas on Pinterest to get you started. I looked at a variety of samples and created my own version which has worked well for me. I’ll break down my Prayer Binder for you all to see, in case you are inspired to create your own.

The first thing I did was purchase all my supplies from Staples as they had the best selection and speedy deliver.  The supplies are listed below:

• Quick-Fit Heavy Duty Small Size Round Ring Binder- 2in
• Clear Inserts
• Lined Paper
• Post-Its
• Dividers
• Highlighters

I found some Prayer Journal printable over at Daily Dwelling (http://www.dailydwelling.com/prayer-journal-printables-updated). They are free to download in PDF format as 8.5 x 11. I chose to scale mine down to fit my smaller binder. I also did not use all of them, just the ones that fit with my vision.

Next, I put in my dividers and separated it into two parts. The first part of my binder is prayer. This wasn’t my original intent, but on the inside cover of the binder I use post-its to jot down any prayer requests for family, friends, acquaintances, community, church and world. It’s also where I jot down Scripture verses that I want to pray over myself or others daily. I love how I can quickly reference it, see everything at a glance and make changes or updates with ease.

The next three headings are self, husband and children. I placed Self first because I’ve come to realize that I need to have a heart-to-heart first with God and lay all my stuff at His feet before focusing on those around me. If my heart is not right with God, then I find my prayers are not always aligned with His will. I need to change my heart and attitude first in order to best pray over my husband and children. Under this section, I’ve also placed any printable that I found useful to me. Some of the ones I printed are: In Your War Room: 10 Truths to Remember, 10 Virtues of the Proverbs 31 Woman and 30 Days of Gratitude. I also wrote down my priorities, spiritual focus for the year and quotes from books I’ve read that were impressed upon me.

In the section for my husband and children, I have created a prayer page for each person in our family. It has seven topics for each child and eight topics for my husband, which allows me to cover them in prayer. The topics are: spirituality, character, friends, protection, problems and praise. In addition to these, my children have future spouse and for my husband, he has career and finances. I left enough space under each heading to place a small post-it to write down specific prayer. Again, I love that it uses post-its because I can easily up-date them as new prayer needs arise, as well as, see answers to prayer. This idea was from Barbara Hughes book Disciplines of a Godly Woman. (I highly recommend this book).

The second section of my binder is for spiritual growth. This is the study portion of the binder which takes you deeper into Scripture. I knew I needed variety, as well as, efficiency. At this stage in my life, it’s hard to find a long stretch of time for just me. I decided to get up an hour before my children to have this time set aside to study Scripture without distraction and total quiet. This works most of the time, but not all the time. I also am not perfect, so this does not happen every day as I’d like, but it’s nice to know that I can come to it when I do have the opportunity and get a lot out of it.

I came up with an activity for each day of the week that started with the same letter as the day of the week. I know it’s a little cheesy, but it helps me remember what I’m going to do that day.

Sunday- Sketching Scripture

Also known as Bible journaling. This is an artistic way to bring Scripture to life through drawing and/ or creative mediums (water colours, pencil crayons, highlighters, etc.)

Monday- Memorizing Scripture

Record Scripture that you would like to place on your heart. Continue to add Scripture as you read through the Word or come across Scripture in literature.

Tuesday- Tuning in to Scripture

Listen to sermons and Bible studies online. Follow along in you Bible and take notes as you go through it.

Wednesday- Worship with Scripture

Print song lyrics to worship songs. This helps you learn and memorize the words, gain deeper understanding and connect more intimately with the words. You can also simply listen to the music in the stillness or sing along in praise.

Thursday- Reflect on Scripture

Also known as Meditating on Scripture. Pick one verse that speaks to you in your daily Bible reading. Reflect on these questions: What does it tell you about God? What does it say about who we are and how we are to live? What does it teach us about Christ and salvation? What does it tell us about God’s people and our relationship with people?

Friday- Free Hand Scripture

Writing out the words helps the Word soak in to your heart and mind. A great method to use is S.O.A.P. In this method you write out Scripture, write an Observation, Apply it to your life and write a Prayer.

Saturday- Story Map Scripture

Also known as word and verse mapping. I use graphic organizers to help get a more thorough understanding of a passage of Scripture.

You can find a variety of different formats and layouts on Pinterest. I have attached the links below to the sites I found useful. I have also created some that have worked well for myself that I will attach below too.

• Homeschool Creations- https://www.homeschoolcreations.net/soap-printables-for-studying-verses-teaching-gods-word/
• Prayer Binder Printable-  Prayer Binder Printables

As, I said above, I do not do this everyday, because some times my children get up at the same time as me and the morning routine begins and other times I sleep in rather than getting up on time. Sometimes I favor a certain format better than another or I feel I can dig deeper with a certain passage of Scripture by using one method over the other. It’s nice to have it all ready and available to use, so you have the freedom to do what suits your need that day.

I usually start my Prayer Binder with the study portion first, then end in prayer simply because once I’m in prayer I don’t want to stop. There’s always someone or something else to pray about and I feel guilty cutting it short. Also, if I end in prayer, it gets my heart right with God and sets the mood for the day. I often am more peaceful and ready to take on all that the morning throws my way. Another, great thing to remember is that prayer doesn’t have to just end. It’s something we can continue to do throughout the day with a lot more ease than bible study. I have been trying to pray short breath prayers while I’m doing simple chores around the house. For example, if I’m feeling like I need God’s help with dealing with a child, I can stop and pray for His guidance and wisdom, or if a friend texts that they are in need of specific prayer, I can pray at that moment, rather than waiting for later in the day, because by that point, I often forget to do it. Again though, make the Prayer binder work for you and your lifestyle.

At the back of my Prayer binder, I have a couple sections that simply keep me organized. I have a section for ministry work that I’m involved in- such as keeping track of important dates, times and events, or notes from a meeting. I also have a section for my blog to record any topics or ideas that are placed on my heart. I found that without a place to write it down, I would forget about them. This way, I can come back to it and select a topic that I feel really passionate about writing. I encourage you to add to your prayer binder as you see fit. I hope it will be useful to your spiritual growth, as I know I’ve gained a wealth of wisdom as I’ve walked with the Lord through His Word.

Many Blessings!

SHARE: I’d love to hear how you dig deeper into God’s Word? What has worked for you? What is your favourite way to delve into God’s Word?