Why Study God’s Word

Memory Verse: 
But He answered and said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”  Matthew 4:4

This week we learned about the role of scripture in our lives. We learned about the disciplines of reading, memorizing, meditating, integrating, and studying God’s word. Over the next five days, we will put those disciplines into practice.

Monday: Reading God’s Word

Today we will set up a reading plan which we will follow for the remainder of the week. Choose any book of the Bible and divide the number of chapters in that book by five. This will tell you how many chapters you need to read each day to complete the book by Friday. Ask God to help you commit and set aside time each day.

Tuesday: Memorizing God’s Word

It is important to memorize God’s Word. Knowing God’s commandment helps us know how to live our lives in a way that is acceptable to God. Memorizing Scripture also helps us to be ready to witness to others. Read Psalm 119:11. I memorizing God’s word to heart, we can better keep ourselves in check, thus setting a greater example to others.

Consider memorizing some of the Scriptures that you are reading during your reading plan this week.

Wednesday: Meditating on God’s Word

Read Philippians 4:8

Here Paul says to think about these things. He is telling us to ponder and reflect. Meditating will mean different things for different people. For some it is simply pondering Scripture quietly for deeper meaning. For others it may mean speaking the Scriptures aloud and having a conversation about them with God as a means to attain understanding.

Plan to spend your reading time today in a quiet place. Meditate on God’s words.

Thursday: Integrating God’s Word into our lives

Before focusing on today’s reading plan, pray and ask God to show you as you study His word, how it can be applied to your life. A great way to start is to personalize the Scriptures you’re reading by putting your name into each verse. If you like to journal, consider writing what you’ve learned and making a plan to apply it to your life. The more Scripture that we put into our lives, the more our lives will reflect the Scripture that we read.

Friday: Studying God’s Word

It is important for us to study the instructions and stories that God has given to us. 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17 says that Scripture is profitable for teaching, correcting, training, and equipping.

• Consider the passages that you read this week. Commit to studying those passages in greater depth.
  
• Began by writing a summary for each chapter.
  
• Do a character study for any persons you read about.
  
• Make a list of biblical truths you discovered during your reading.
  
• Search your Bible for cross references.
  
• Do a background study of the book you read.
  
• Write out a plan for life application.