Reading the Bible in a spiritual frame of mind

[Ashley Mathura]

Please help - is there anything I can do so as to read the Bible in a spiritual frame of mind and not as a skeptic?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Please help - is there anything I can do so as to read the Bible in a spiritual frame of mind and not as a skeptic?

Yes,
ask the CREATOR to help you, and tell Him if you want to be healed or not,
and if you are willing to 'repent' of living opposed to Him, selfishly, in the past or not.

THen see what He does, and do what HE says.

He grants understanding of His Word freely, to those who trust Him, as He is greatly pleased to do so.

He gives no shame with His help - rather takes away through Jesus all shame and all guilt, and gives in place of all guilt peace and joy and righteousness, by the blood of Jesus that was shed for all of our sins.

 

[Ashley Mathura]

Yes,
ask the CREATOR to help you, and tell Him if you want to be healed or not,
and if you are willing to 'repent' of living opposed to Him, selfishly, in the past or not.

THen see what He does, and do what HE says.

He grants understanding of His Word freely, to those who trust Him, as He is greatly pleased to do so.

He gives no shame with His help - rather takes away through Jesus all shame and all guilt, and gives in place of all guilt peace and joy and righteousness, by the blood of Jesus that was shed for all of our sins.

Amen - thank you!

 

[Goatee]

I would love to feel one with God's words and be wrapped up in the Holiness of our Creator.

I have a few Bibles but just can't seem to read them! I just feel lost when I start to read.

I am looking for one I can read on my tablet in bed.

 

[Dave G.]

Yes I agree with what has been said. Ashley, I'm praying for you that you will trust in Jesus Christ and ask Him to be your help in this. Don't try to absorb a ton a scripture right now but to trust in Him first, to pray for the scripture He wants you to see. Speaking first hand here, this can be very powerful in itself. Come to Him with just a little faith and an expectation that it will grow, an expectation that scripture will be taught as you allow yourself to be guided .

 

[Little Lantern]

Please help - is there anything I can do so as to read the Bible in a spiritual frame of mind and not as a skeptic?

It helps to pray before you begin reading. Simply acknowledge that you have been skeptical about the Bible and ask God to open your heart to receive Truth and to enable you to understand.
May He bless you as you seek Him.

 

[RC1970]

Please help - is there anything I can do so as to read the Bible in a spiritual frame of mind and not as a skeptic?

"Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand." ~ Saint Augustine

 

[Monna]

I am looking for one I can read on my tablet in bed.

Have you tried the "Message?" This is a paraphrase of the Bible by Eugene Peterson. It is one of many versions found on www.biblegateway.com. If you can't download it and read it offline, you could always go into that website, call it up, and choose whatever part of the Bible you'd like to read. You can even compare versions if there are things that are not all that clear, or which you think are a bit too loosely interpreted.

 

[Dave G.]

I would love to feel one with God's words and be wrapped up in the Holiness of our Creator.

I have a few Bibles but just can't seem to read them! I just feel lost when I start to read.

I am looking for one I can read on my tablet in bed.

Goatee, I'm praying for you too. Being one with the Word is about being one with Jesus first, or that desire and trust at least !

I go to Bible Gateway for verses and I have downloaded from Amazon three bibles on my tablet that I use for bible study and in church ( if you don't have a kindle you can download their APP). But I like leather bound for my reading in bed. Catholics generally get along with the Douay Rheims and I think there is an NAS that is Catholic approved.

Here is the thing though, I too could not get very far with the bible in my reading once. That is until I came to Jesus in a personal way and told Him I needed him. Then bible studies happened and the Word began to open up to me and speak to me.

 

[disciple1]

Please help - is there anything I can do so as to read the Bible in a spiritual frame of mind and not as a skeptic?

As it says in Romans chapter 10 verse 17 faith comes from hearing the message, here are some verses that will show you what studying will do for you.
Matthew chapter 4 verse 4
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Romans chapter 1 verse 28
Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

John chapter 8 verse 31,32
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, " If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
2 John
9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
Job chapter 23 verse 12
I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.

Matthew 11
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Luke chapter 21
33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Romans chapter 10
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Mark chapter 13
31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
James chapter 1
25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
James chapter 4
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Isaiah chapter 45 verse 19
I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob's descendants, 'Seek me in vain.' I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right.
Jeremiah chapter 9
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.
Jeremiah chapter 5 verse 1
5 “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem,
look around and consider,
search through her squares.
If you can find but one person
who deals honestly and seeks the truth,
I will forgive this city.
Psalm 119 verse 114
You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

 

[Monna]

Please help - is there anything I can do so as to read the Bible in a spiritual frame of mind and not as a skeptic?

Depends what you mean by skeptic. The people Paul preached to in Berea were very careful about accepting what Paul told them. They went back to what they already had, and checked his message against their Scriptures (most, but possibly not all of what we call the Old Testament) "searching diligently" to test the truth of what he said (Jupp, they had processes of due diligence back then). God wants you to use your mind - but to be aware of your presuppositions, your preconceptions and your assumptions, so that you use your mind openly, expecting to hear God speak to you.

Suspend your inner voice of judgement for the moment,
Suspend your inner voice of cynicism as well,
and finally, suspend your inner voice of fear that you just might hear something that will challenge things you hold dear, or that you don't want to hear.
Open yourself to separate yourself from what you do; be open to seeing your blind spots and acknowledge them as such.
And let God's voice come to you, ask him sincerely to speak to you.

I would strongly recommend that you choose a version of the Bible that uses modern vocabulary and language. The Bible was not written to sound like something magical or other-worldly (or very old-fashioned). God wants to speak to you in terms that you understand.

Sometimes, it can be good to read portions of the Bible together with good, and applied explanation. The Bible is not theory - it is extremely practical, but parts of it are difficult to interpret in a way that seems relevant to our day and age. I can recommend, for example, reading Eugene Peterson's "Traveling Light - Reflections on the Free Life." (InterVarsity Press, 1982). He takes you through Paul's letter to the christians in Galatia, and makes it very relevant for our day and our society's attitudes towards freedom. He explores 14 different freedoms found in that letter that the Christian believer is empowered to practice, focusing on "free to..." rather than "free from ..." Suddenly this book in the Bible seems like it has important things to say about me, and my relations with others around me.

 

[Aimz]

Hello Ashley,

I like this question a lot. I think what we could do is read it after clearing our minds of bias and outside inflience just picking up the New Testament and reading it through a book at a time and questions will soon pop up for reflection. Try to ignore chapter and verse if you can as it breaks up the narrative instead of helping it flow! Maybe read Mark, Luke, Acts before Matthew and John? Or try having an audiobible on for an hour or so in the evening instead of the tv or a podcast, I find hearing it helps me get in the Spiritual mind set much easier than reading it for myself. iTunes has a selection of different translations. I also found meaning for meaning translations like the New Living Translation and Good News beneficial at the beginning of my relationship with Jesus Christ rather than the literal word for word translations like the King James version that I use more so now.

Yes, it helps to ask Jesus to open your heart and mind before reading the bible you do not need to speak out loud just an honest please help me here Jesus from your will and He’ll be with you guiding you.

Take care and all the best,
Aimz.

Please help - is there anything I can do so as to read the Bible in a spiritual frame of mind and not as a skeptic?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Please help - is there anything I can do so as to read the Bible in a spiritual frame of mind and not as a skeptic?

As Jesus says, you must be born again.

Amazingly for many who are born again, all their questions 'evaporate'! They are all answered or don't matter any more at the point / time/ that they are born again.

The natural mind cannot understand anything of the spiritual, so this may be the biggest obstacle for everyone.

 

[bekkilyn]

I would love to feel one with God's words and be wrapped up in the Holiness of our Creator.

I have a few Bibles but just can't seem to read them! I just feel lost when I start to read.

I am looking for one I can read on my tablet in bed.

Try the New Century Version (NCV) if you are looking for a "beginner" bible in common english. The Common English Bible (CEB) with Apocrypha may also work well for easier-to-read language, but yet is closer to a word for word translation.

If your issue isn't so much about the language, but the overall structure of the bible to the point where you don't know which books to begin with or how to order your reading, there are various types of "One Year Bibles" or "Daily Bibles" out there that are structured in the form of daily devotional, and it will break down reading day by day, usually giving you some old testament, new testament, and psalms for each day.

I have a number of different bible translations for study, but I really enjoy reading my NCV Grace for the Moment daily bible on my Kindle each morning to start the day.

 

[mozo41]

hold to any truth over a day and it will become filled with worms ...

 

[Dave G.]

As Jesus says, you must be born again.

Amazingly for many who are born again, all their questions 'evaporate'! They are all answered or don't matter any more at the point / time/ that they are born again.

The natural mind cannot understand anything of the spiritual, so this may be the biggest obstacle for everyone.

Yes.

 

[Aimz]

Hello, I do not understand.

hold to any truth over a day and it will become filled with worms ...

 

[Dave G.]

Hello, I do not understand.

Me either.

 

[mozo41]

Hello, I do not understand.

if we hold to a truth ( nail it down ) our journey into truth ends ...

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Hello, I do not understand.

That is not a truth from Scripture(what you replied to) - it is awkward on this forum because we cannot flag posts that are contrary to Scripture, nor posts that are vain philosophies of man.
Those are premitted (post contrary to and not in Scripture) generally overall , in the rules on this site.