How to Consistently study the Word of God

By Oluwatoyosi Adegunle

Edited by Bibi Babatunde-ikotun

Hey there! I trust this meets you well!

By now, you should be used to the lockdown and the stay-home experience, maybe not entirely but you should be adjusting. In all fairness, it could be hard adjusting even if you have always worked from home, it would still feel funny in a way.

You know what makes all of these easier and better to manage, we are children of God, we are carriers of Joy, and God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, power and sound mind to understand how to manage situations like and be at your best self spiritually, career-wise, emotionally and mentally.

What is worth doing at all, is worth doing well, and the same goes for studying the word of God. Have you noticed that consistency with the right attitude in everything you do usually makes things better for you? It is very possible to consistently study the word of God, and consistently not study the word of God. 

It is important to emphasize the differences between reading and studying the word of God. The word of God says that the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. Reading the word of God is a step into studying, and should not be consistently and independently done every time. To study is to go deeper, to read is to scheme through a chapter or verse once.

To study the word of God is to grow. When you read more, and by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit or out of curiosity you do an in-depth study of situations, personalities, and conversations in the bible, this enhances your knowledge of God, because you can understand why he did some things, how he did it, the depth of his love and power as the sovereign God. The more exposed you are, the more knowledgeable you become about God and the more reflective you become, because now you have learnt/are learning his ways and thoughts, and you know to act and relate deeper with him and better with the people around you.

You could be studying consistently, but with the wrong motives like: 

• To mark attendance of studying scriptures, just in case anyone asked you
•  To be able to argue very well and prove that you know the scriptures

There are several wrong motives for studying, but the only motive you should have for studying is growth and edification, and help other people grow as well. Think of bible study as friendship, you have to be intentional about getting to know someone you are interested in, to properly get yo know them. Consistently studying scriptures is one of the ways to get to know God, and be more familiar with Him. 

If you find it hard to consistently stay with the word of God over a long period of time, here are very practical ways to study the word consistently:

1. Create a schedule: If you will do anything seriously, you have to come up with a plan. What bible passage do you want to study? How many hours can you conveniently and consistently study for? What time of the day do you feel you can study and assimilate better? Do you work from home? Do you have a 9-5 job? How can you seamlessly add studying into your daily schedule? You need to consider these questions and have an actual to-do list by using either a manual or digital notepad. Just make sure you have it written and close to you
2. Use a bible app: YouVersion bible app is probably the most popular and one of the best bible applications because of its amazing features. This app lets you read in many versions, there are lots of bible study plans to check and there's a way to track your progress and measure your consistency, it reminds you via notifications of what you should be studying at a particular time, and random bible verses. These features literally put the scripture in your face and remind you of your bible reading activities. You can choose a bible application that works best for you.
3.  Use a timer or set an alarm: It is very possible to get carried away or so engrossed with work that you forget to study the scriptures. In this case, it would be really helpful to set a timer or reminder. Some bible applications have this reminder feature, and if the one you use doesn't, every mobile phone sure has an alarm feature, so, set an alarm or reminder and stick to it.
4. Do away with distractions when you're studying. Distractions can come from anything, your mind, your phones, people around you, noise and any other thing. At this period, it is important to clear your head, mind and environment.  Keep your phones away, turn your data off, so you don't get tempted with twitter, WhatsApp or Instagram updates, stay in a quiet place, maintain a quiet posture in your spirit so you can make the most of that time.
5. Choose what works best for you, manual or digital bible: I personally prefer to use a manual bible because I love to highlight scriptures, not like you can't highlight with bible applications too, it just helps me stay more focused and in tune with what I study. This is what works best for me, choose what works for you, and stick to it.
6. Pray for consistency: In all honesty, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and power that really doesn't want us to grow spiritually. Even as you plan to stay consistent in a lot of practical ways, you have to pray to God to also give you the divine strength to study consistently. As a believer, you have to take spiritual growth as seriously as every other aspect of your life.
7. Ask the Holy Spirit for help: It is very possible that you use all these practical steps to help you study the word but you quickly snooze the alarm when it rings or forget that you have the bible app. At the end of the day, you have to understand that it is not by your power nor your might, it is by the grace of God. Remember, the pressure is not on you but on God that has saved you. His word in Philippians 2:13(TLB) says "For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him, and then helping you do what he wants." When you start to think you're doing it by your own accord, you'll begin to fail at it. 

I pray that you receive the fire of the Holy Ghost to drive you into the place that you desire God day after day like your life depends on it because it truly does. Don't forget, this COVID 19 period is a great time for spiritual growth.