Hi all. I don't really have anybody to consult with after reading parts of the Bible, so I'm quite struggling to wrap my head around it. I am starting with the New Testament, but still struggling quite a lot.
In substitute of having somebody to discuss the Bible with, does anybody have any advice for a new Christian when studying the Bible? Should I make notes, and what of, and when? How much should I read per day? Any help at all in not only reading the Bible, but reflecting upon it, would be greatly appreciated!
I think God has given you some very good advice;
I will share with you my testimony of how God led me and how He still leads me in this regard:
I thinks its also most important to pray first; I always ask God to open my heart unto understanding and recieving the life and light of His Word: Just let the Spirit tell you what to say to God;
I am also led to set aside different ways of approaching my reading:
I would awake and refresh myself in a psalm, then i would read during the day if im out; when i have time: Just keeping a small bible with me; opening it when i have time when not at home:
but during my normal day: I would read as i am lead; for a while;
sometimes i will do different word searches:
And use this time to write down the passages that pertain to the word or emotion im searching;
And at night i would take out another study session to read from 5-10 chapters a night started from genises:
SO i have different study times; in which i approach the word differently; so that I train my flesh to not get tired: I would stimulate myself and pray for the desire to keep that joy and eagerness to meet my times of reading:
Praying for the power to keep up with my studies; because we do it all through faith:
When I do the study that starts from genesis: I give a time to that a day; and i read 5-10 chapters: BUT I study and mark my bible:
I use five markers; and after i did this; I new how to find anything in that bible:
I would use a Pink; an orange; a yellow; a blue and a green marker:
I would mark my whole bible this way:
If you are reading the new testiment: Then you can start doing this also:
And you keep notes:
What God leads me to do is I use the pink marker to highlight passages of Scripture I feel led to share with people; things I see that I understand and I can share in a way that others can understand:
These pink markers were my studies to share; sermons if you will:
I would write down the Scripture; put a pink mark on the card; so that i know this is for preparing a study:
For instance:
Lets say i started at Romans 1:
And this caught my attention:
Romans 1
5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from
[c] faith for his name’s sake.
I new that I could share this with people and show them that faith gives us obedience:
So I would write faith and obedience on the card: Highlight that in pink; and when ever i came across more passages that lined up faith and obedience; i would also write them on that same card:
So the pink marker is to highlight things i understand and can share:
I used the Orange marker for things i understood; but couldnt quite express; I would mark them in orange so that i new to look more into that passage in regards to learning how to express what i feel about that passage:
I would use the green marker: If i felt i understood; but didnt know how to approach understanding more:
and I would use the blue marker if i didnt understand something at all:
with the blue and green parker i just put dots next to the passage:
dont want the bible too messy; for i used it for 10 years:
And my favorite yellow marker was to highlight all the things that just brought joy to my heart: All of the things i could quicky share with someone; that could express the joy of knowing Jesus:
And i would write dont the yellow markers on cards; and i used these for my memory verses:
It found that it allowed me to store treasures in my heart that encouraged me:
David said i hid thy word in my heart:
So we have these markers:
PINK
To highlight things that you feel able to share with others; WE Study to share what we learn: I pray for that ability after i read:
Praying before and after; and reading in different sessions:
Sometimes maybe to brease through psalms;
sometimes to read as i am lead; just letting God take me somewhere:
sometimes to start from the begining; and do about 10 chapter or five; which is an hour or two:
so we take out different times in the day to read; and then we pray and worship between; so we continue to feed ourselves; and keep ourselves strong to continue reading: Training our flesh to enjoy what we do in Christ; praying for the power to do so:
So again;
We have PINK
which is to mark things i can put in sermons or teachings:
WE HAVE ORANGE
TO mark things I understand; but not enough to put it in a teaching; so i now to study this more:
Giving me more study times during the day:
WE HAVE GREEN
Making a dot next to a passage may need a little help with:
and a BLUE marker:
To put a dot next to things i dont understand at all:
And a YELLOW
To make the things that just encourage me; and it will be a lot of these; but their yellow; and it doesnt cause confusion when reading:
the pink is see through also:
And the orange:
But the green and blue; i used dots; Bless you:
Ask anyquestions you may have; you can message me; or ask us all; bless you