Understanding the Bible

Praying and reading the Bible are two of the best ways to grow your relationship with God. Doing them will help you to live the good life. And using the Bible when you pray—doing both at the same time—can take it to another level.

The Good Life and Using the Bible When We Pray

Integrating what the Bible says with our prayers can be an amazing experience. Here are some ways to do this:

• Reading parts of the Bible while praying.
• Claiming the promises that are written in the Bible.
• Quoting Bible verses.
• Personalizing what is said so that it applies to our specific situation and circumstances.

The Good Life and Praying the Prayers of the Bible

Praying the prayers of other people recorded in the Bible can give us a super packed spiritual power punch. David, when he was the king of Israel, prayed a prayer like this:

“Create in me a clean heart, God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And sustain me with a willing spirit
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.” — Psalm 51:10-13

Putting This Into Practice

As an example, I’m going to incorporate this prayer with one of my own, and bring in a New Testament passage along with it. It is important to note in this example, that those of us who believe in Jesus will not have the Holy Spirit taken away from us—that’s a promise we can claim:

“Create a clean heart in me O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, please keep me close, wrap Your arms around me God. Strengthen me and uplift me as I seek to continually commit myself to You and Your ways. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Control me, and give me wisdom and understanding. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation. Please give me Your peace that surpasses all comprehension guarding my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7), and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach other people Your ways, so they will turn to You.”

The end part of this prayer is especially meaningful to me, specifically because it relates to the mission of encouraging people to embrace God’s love toward us. God has shown His love for us by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross to pay the price for our sins—so we could be saved. I talk more about this here.

A Final Thought

Praying and reading the Bible are two things, when done together, go hand in hand with living the good life. With that in mind, I want to leave you with a simple challenge that will help to build your closeness with God: make it a priority in your life to make relationship with God a priority—and pray, read the Bible, and even pray the Bible.

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If you are a Christian and you look to the Bible for help in living the good life, you may still be missing out. Some level of emptiness, longing, and disappointment in life can be real—for all of us, even Christians. What’s the answer? Being intentional about growing in relationship with God.

Praying Will Grow Our Relationship with God

And a Growing Relationship with God Is the Key to Having a Truly Good Life

Praying is talking with God like we’re having a conversation with Him. Don’t make things too complicated. As believers—those of us who have turned to God, put our faith in His Son Jesus Christ, and have the Holy Spirit inside of us—we are part of the family of God. And this means we have the opportunity and privilege to come to God in prayer. We know that He hears us when we pray, and that He cares about what we say.

When to Pray for Maximum Impact

I recommend praying in the morning, or whenever the beginning of the day is. Since some people do shiftwork, this can vary. The main thing is to do it at the start of whatever our day looks like. This helps us to align ourselves with God as we go through the day. Also, pray throughout the day, and pray before going to bed. In fact, I have heard it said that we should live a praying life. What would that look like? Constant conversation and contact with God.

Prayer Changes Things

Here are a few examples:

The Bible says: “. . . A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit” (James 5:16-18). Elijah, an Old Testament prophet, prayed that it would not rain. And it happened. Then he prayed that it would rain. And it happened again, just the way he prayed. The obvious application here is that praying can make things happen.

Also, when God’s anger burned against the people for making an idol and worshiping it, Moses prayed. And God changed things. Moses was a leader of the people of Israel, and he wrote the first five books of the Bible. The Bible says this:

“Therefore He said that He would destroy them, If Moses, His chosen one, had not stood in the gap before Him, To turn away His wrath from destroying them.” — Psalm 106:23

There are many other examples in the Bible and in the lives of people living in the world today where prayer has changed things. In fact, prayer is changing things every day! And developing a closer relationship with God through prayer is one of the greatest opportunities and privileges that we have as believers. It helps us to live the good life in just the way He intended. Why? Because we are more aligned with God and His ways—that impacts how and what kind of life we live.

Reading the Bible Will Also Grow Our Relationship with God

Reading the Bible is another way to develop a closer relationship with God. This is obvious since the Bible is God’s Word. The more we read it, the more we learn about God, His ways, and His intentions for how we should live. That’s why if we want to live the good life, we need to be reading the Word. I recommend reading the Bible at the start of the day, after taking some time talking with God in prayer. You can find more information on getting the most out of reading and studying the Bible here.

A Final Thought

There are many ways to come closer to God, but praying and reading the Bible are two baseline activities that have no substitutes. And doing both will grow your relationship with God. The results of doing this will be amazing for you.

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How are things going for you in your life right now? Good? Not so good? For many of us, we can get caught up going through life so fast, trying to pay the bills, and getting things done, that we never have the time to slow down and think about how life could be different. Can it get any better? The answer is, YES!

Living the good life is within reach…

What the Bible Says About Living the Good Life

Take a look at these words written in the Bible by Solomon almost 3,000 years ago, wisdom to live by:

“What advantage does a person have in all his work Which he does under the sun? A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever. Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hurrying to its place it rises there again. Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns…. I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is futility and striving after wind.” — Ecclesiastes 1:3-6 & 14

The Bible says that Solomon was the smartest and most successful guy in the world, EVER! If we want to live the good life, we need to listen to what he is saying. All our striving, trying, worry, and even frustration can be a waste of time. There is something more important!

Living the Good Life is Rooted in Relationship With God

Making more money, having lots of stuff, and achieving a higher social status won’t meet our deepest needs in life. Neither will going from point A to point B in the daily grind. The truth is, sometimes we spend too much time chasing after these things.

What Solomon clearly figured out is this: we find real happiness, peace, joy, and purpose only in relationship with God.

The point is, we should be chasing after God instead of the other things we think will make us happy.

A Final Thought

In a demanding world where doing things and staying ahead of the game often overshadow the more important issue of truly being happy and fulfilled, the Bible tells you where to find the wisdom to live the good life.

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Trusting God in difficult times is the only way to go. Wherever you are in life or what you are going through, God knows about it. God cares about it. God can do something about it. The truth is, finding real help is as close as picking up a copy of the Bible—God’s Word—and start reading it.

Real Hope and Help are Found Only in Trusting God

Jesus told them “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1). God is a God of hope, and He works miracles. He helps us along. In fact, trusting God is the only real way through the trouble and difficult times we are facing in life. Things like:

• Guilt, shame, and regret.
• Wishing we were somewhere else in life.
• Wishing we had made different decisions.
• Disappointment in relationships.
• Social anxiety and nervousness.
• Troubles at work.
• Loneliness.
• Depression.
• Having a health problem.
• Having a hard time making ends meet financially.
• Stress.
• Addiction.
• A sense of meaninglessness.
• Fear.

We Need to Trust in God When We Need Help

The issues we face and things that can go wrong are real. It can really be a mess sometimes. For me nearly ten years ago, a number of the circumstances that I listed above came together and brought me to the lowest point in my life. When the hard times came, trusting God was the only way I made it through.

The good news is that I went from the lowest point of my life back then, to the highest point of my life now, and it is all because of my relationship with God. The same can happen for you too. I talk more about this here.

I am amazed at the times when I have moments of clarity and realize that what happens in life is so much about Him, and so little about me. We live and exist only because He wills it so. He has our best interests in mind. We need to trust Him in difficult times.

A Final Thought

Your life will never be perfect this side of eternity. But, your life will never be better than when you are seeking a deeper and growing relationship with God, knowing Him, depending on Him, and looking to Him. Even running to Him when you need help.

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Learning how to study the Bible is for everybody. Doing this will help us understand what it says and be able to use it in our lives. It’s real! It’s practical! And the truth is, we can easily learn how to study it.

What is the Bible?

When it comes to learning how to study the Bible, remember this: the Bible is really a collection of books or letters. The Old Testament is the first part of the Bible, and it contains 39 books (Genesis through Malachi). The New Testament is the second part of the Bible, and it contains 27 books (Matthew through Revelation). That means there are 66 books in the Bible. Each of the books in the Bible are divided into chapters and verses for easy reading. Along with this, some of the chapters have been divided into smaller sections or groups of verses, which you should easily be able to notice when you’re reading it.

How to Study the Bible to Get the Most Out of It

When you study the Bible, keep it simple and follow these three steps…

Step 1

Pick a starting point and begin reading. I recommend reading all the way through books of the Bible. For example, reading the first chapter of the book of John in the New Testament on day 1. Then reading the second chapter on day 2. And so on…

Also, you can read a section or even one verse in the Bible if that makes sense. For example, if it is a really good verse like John 3:16, it may need more attention. But keep moving forward through the whole chapter, even if it takes a few days. Here is that verse from the New American Standard 2020 version of the Bible:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” — John 3:16

Step 2

When you finish reading a chapter, section, or verse, write a brief summary of what it said. The idea here is this: when you study the Bible, you will have some written notes about what it says. For example, John 3:16 says:

• There is a God, and He loves Us.
• God gave His Son.
• Everyone who believes in God’s Son will live forever.

Also, if you want to go deeper, you can check out a good commentary if you have one. You can even scan the internet for any information that may be out there. This could shed some light on the subject. If you want some help doing this, then go to our contact page and send me a message. I will email you back some material and resources.

Step 3

Do some thinking to determine how it applies to your life or someone you know. The idea here is to have some idea how to use what the Bible says in the chapter, section, or verse that you studied. For example, after studying John 3:16, two obvious applications of what is being said is that Jesus is the Son of God, and we need to believe in Jesus to get our sins forgiven and go to heaven when we die. It actually goes a bit deeper than this, and checking out some commentaries and other resources will help. But the basic message is still the same. I talk more about this here.

Keep This in Mind When Learning How to Study the Bible

The Bible is true in all that it says. The prophecies (things the Bible says are going to happen in the future) written in the Old Testament about the coming Messiah came true in Jesus Christ. This is amazing when you consider that the Old Testament was completed hundreds of years before Jesus came fulfilling those prophecies. In fact, the central message of the Bible focuses on the person and work of Jesus Christ. I talk more about that here.

A Final Thought

The Bible is your guide, and you can learn how to study the Bible by practicing this simple process.

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Learning how to understand the Bible starts with knowing the whole story of Scripture. The Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). These are the first words written in the Bible. The last words written in the Bible are “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen” (Revelation 22:21). Between these two bookends of history is where the true story we find ourselves in is explained—God’s plan for all of us. And understanding God’s plan will help us understand the Bible.

The Bible Says God is the Creator of Everything

Think of it. . . God was in the beginning, and He created everything. He created the heavens and the earth, the sun, the moon, and our solar system. Even our galaxy, the universe, or multiple universes, and whatever else is out there. As far out as creation goes, further than the most advanced telescope will ever be able to see, He created it.

He created time itself, as well as the elements and building blocks of matter and the physical laws of science that govern the entire cosmos. He created animals, fish, plant life, and every living thing.

The Bible Says God Loves Us and We Need Help

Moving to the end of chapter one in Genesis and through chapter two, God created humankind—the first two people ever—a man and a woman. Adam and Eve.

Then, in the beginning of Genesis chapter three, it is written that humankind rebelled against God. This happened by an act of human will to do something He said not to do. And that amounted to sin. Because of this, God issued judgement on the world, and those of us living in the world from that point on. The results of this impact every person who has ever lived or ever will live. Sin permanently damaged our relationship with God. But God loves us, and there was still hope…

How God Showed His Love for Us

Hope explained…

Toward the middle and end of the third chapter of Genesis, the Bible says that God made a way for each person living in the world to come back to Him. And it is based on a personal decision that we can all make, a choice, for every person who will ever live after that.

This decision would involve a coming Savior who would pay the price for the sins of the world—God’s Son Himself. That’s who Jesus is.

Understanding God’s Plan

The rest of the Bible, from the third chapter of Genesis and all the way through the last chapter of the book of Revelation, is God reaching through space and time to:

• Reveal Himself to us.
• Make sure we know He Loves us, and that we understand His purposes on earth.
• Encourage us to seek Him, through turning to Him and putting our faith in God’s Son Jesus Christ, making it possible to have our sins forgiven and be in relationship with God.
• Help us see how we can play a part in what He is doing.
• And to show us how He richly blesses those who seek Him—His people—in this life and for eternity.

Understanding the Benefits of Studying the Bible

Remember this: “. . . men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2^nd Peter 1:21). That’s how we got the Bible.

When we spend more time reading and studying the Bible, we come closer to the One who moved people to write it. And that brings us closer to God. So, if you want to get closer to God, then reading and studying the Bible is a great way to do that. It helps us to understand God, His ways, and what He has planned for us. Understanding the Bible strengthens our faith. And it helps us to learn and apply the wisdom, knowledge, and practical advice that God offers to us.

Ultimately, reading, studying, and understanding the Bible builds closeness in our relationship with God. That helps us to gain His perspective on the things that we go through in life.

This also helps us have more peace and happiness. We have more wisdom and can make better decisions. We can know God’s Will. Finally, we can deal with difficult and troubling times, as we begin to see and understand our circumstances the way He sees them.

The Bible and Only the Bible

Other resources can help us understand the Bible and what it says. Here are a few…

Writings from Christian leaders today and in the past, creeds and statements of faith, and books written by Christian authors can have guiding value.

Teachings from churches and denominations, religious groups, and classes taught at Christian schools and academic institutions can be informative and help to grow our faith.

Evangelists, preachers, teachers, pastors, and counselors can give us advice and guidance that can change our lives.

But, the Bible alone, and only the Bible, can be trusted as infallible written truth and the final authority of the faith.

I say this to encourage you not to accept what someone says or writes, just because they say it or write it. People can be wrong. Test what they say or write against what the Bible says. The Bible is always right!

A Final Thought

God loves us! And His plan is for you to know Him and the great things He has planned for you.

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