Overview
In this 6-session study, you will look closely at and practice various methods of exploring Scripture, including study and meditation.
Introduction
Getting the Most Out of Study & Meditation
This section introduces the topic, explains the structure followed in each study, and offers tips for those approaching the study on their own as well as those participating in a group.
Session One
Immersing Yourself in God’s Thoughts
The words of Scripture are God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). Inhaling these carefully breathed words of life can transform us into radically different people who think as God thinks and love as God loves. In this session, you’ll explore how to approach Bible study as much more than merely an intellectual examination of facts and information.
Deuteronomy 6:1–9
Session Two
Reading and Responding to Scripture
When the remnant of Judah that returned from Persia had rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls, they worshipped God by listening to his Word. This study considers how they how they processed Scripture: They set an example for us of letting God-breathed words interrupt their lives, with the expectation that God would speak to them.
Nehemiah 8:1–18; 9:1–3, 38
Session Three
Comprehending God’s Truth
When we study Scripture, we examine the text carefully to comprehend what the Holy Spirit is communicating through the words on the page. Although the Scripture itself says almost nothing about study, it does urge us to make the effort required to truly hear the Word and follow it, both of which involve comprehension. This session uses Isaiah 11 to look closely at the core elements of effective Bible study.
Isaiah 11:1–9
Session Four
Meditation and Obedience
One of the ways we connect with God is through Scripture, but merely reading Scripture or even studying it is not enough. The connection is extended and made stronger as we meditate on Scripture. Psalm 119 connects meditation and obedience. God does the perfecting as we meditate on Scripture and then let it resonate in our lives all day long.
Psalm 119:97–104
Session Five
A Biblical Model
One classic method of entering into a Scripture text is called lectio divina, which is Latin for “divine reading.” A key to this method is to be open to hear God afresh in Scripture. In this session, you’ll practice lectio divina principles as you consider Hannah and Mary’s biblical prayers.
1 Samuel 2:1–10, Luke 1:46–55
Session Six
Entering a Gospel Scene
Another common method of meditating on Scripture is to use the imagination to enter the biblical scene as an observer. In this approach, we mentally recreate a scene from Scripture, asking ourselves what we would see, hear, smell, touch, or taste if we had been present. In this session, you’ll explore a passage in the Gospel of Mark using this method.
Mark 10:17–23
Total number of pages: 67
Jan Johnson is the author of twenty-three books and many Bible studies and lectio divina exercises, including Prayer and Listening and Reflection and Confession.
