How do you read your bible?

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savedandhopeful

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#1
#1
Do you follow a certain plan, like one printed in your bible, or do you choose to pick a book (I.e. psalms, proverbs,one of the gospels),Do you just open your bible and read what ever is in front of you?
I am not asking these to start a debate on which version is best(I hope this thread does NOT turn into that)...I'm only asking because I am curious.
 
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Reformedjason

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#2
#2
Right now I am doing an inductive study. I do it book by book.
 
jonathanbchristian

jonathanbchristian

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#3
Feb 16, 2011
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I have just been studying to back up my arguements on forums :)
 
RedTent

RedTent

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#4
Oct 31, 2011
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I use many different methods. I am taking a course in OT, using many different approaches. The guide I use has much history attached, and also the people who did the guide knows ancient Hebrew, as well as what the Hebrew sages thought it meant. So each chapter of the OT has pages and pages of background information as well as giving New Testament verses that fulfill the OT.

I also take a topic and look up every verse that applies to that topic by using the concordance. For instance, not long ago I did a study on law, printing out every verse in the whole bible that applied to law.

I always spend some time in psalms, thinking of it as a praise book, mostly.

Other times I have a question I would like my Father to answer, for instance what does the book of Hebrews have to say about growing in Christ. Usually I use several commentaries for their opinions about what God is telling me. I have my favorite commentaries, and ones I find limiting, like Matthew Henry.

Right now my main study is in Daniel.
 
Huckleberry

Huckleberry

Senior Member
#5
Aug 25, 2013
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#5
savedandhopeful said:
Do you follow a certain plan, like one printed in your bible, or do you choose to pick a book (I.e. psalms, proverbs,one of the gospels),Do you just open your bible and read what ever is in front of you?
I am not asking these to start a debate on which version is best(I hope this thread does NOT turn into that)...I'm only asking because I am curious.
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Here's what I do:

In the morning I read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds to the day of the month.

I usually have three or four different books I read concurrently,
that way if my brain is getting tired or (GASP!) bored from one book,
I have other ones I'm into at any given time.

It does help me to read most of the books in order,
though it's obviously not necessary.
 
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PowerPuffGirl

Junior Member
#6
Sep 1, 2013
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I have a quest Bible and it has three plans on the front and that's what I am following. The first is 6 weeks: 2 on the life and teachings of Jesus, 2 on the teachings of Paul and 2 on the Old Testament. The next plan is 6 months with a little bit of every book of the Bible. The third plan is the entire Bible. I am on plan 2 right now. I really enjoy it because I am understanding the Bible much more this way.

The Quest Bible is AMAZING!!! It has questions and answers on the margins about what you reading. For example in Genesis, the word "monsters" is mentioned. On the margin the Quest explains that those monsters Genesis is referring to could be dinosaurs! I know you didn't want us debating which Bible version is better. I just wanted to mention that the Quest Bible has helped me a lot. :)
 
Angela53510

Angela53510

Senior Member
#7
Jan 24, 2011
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#7
Most years I read 3 chapters in the Old Testament plus a Psalm and one chapter in the New Testament to get me through the Bible and a bit more in a year.

This year I have been reading a chronological plan of "Read the Bible for Life" which drives me crazy sometimes the way it jumps around, but other days is very enlightening because they put the things that happened together on the same day. Yesterday I read parallel passages from Isaiah, 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. I really enjoyed that.

There are lots of plans on the internet you can log into and keep track of what you are reading.

I think the main thing is to read your Bible every day - that is when God really starts to help you grow through the Word.
 
p_rehbein

p_rehbein

Senior Member
#8
Sep 4, 2013
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#8
I always say a prayer first, and then open the Bible and read........There have been times that I set a course to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and try to do that every couple of years, but, for the most part, I enjoy reading as I feel led. Sometimes a thought will come to me and I will search the Scriptures for what applies to that thought. Also, depending on what is going on at a particular time, I may have a goal to search for. Other times someone may ask a question about Scriptures, and I will read to be able to answer the question with the appropriate Scripture.

I try to study Job at least three times a year, but spend most of my time reading the New Testament.
 
RedTent

RedTent

Banned
#9
Oct 31, 2011
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#9
Am I really the only one who studies the bible as well as just read it?
 
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savedandhopeful

Guest
#10
#10
RedTent said:
Am I really the only one who studies the bible as well as just read it?
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I try to take on too many areas of study at the same time, so I guess in reality I am not studying it very well at all...
 
crossnote

crossnote

Senior Member
#11
Nov 24, 2012
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#11
RedTent said:
Am I really the only one who studies the bible as well as just read it?
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I am sure the Lord has reserved to Himself other 'students' of the bible. (Rom 11:4)
 
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OwenHeidenreich

Guest
#12
#12
i usually open the first page and read it (unless its in lamentations then im like eh)
Then out of nowhere i would recall a book that I heard some pastor talk about... Like today I thought about Hosea and started to read it.

Then later on that day I opened the bible and it was on exodus so i started reading exodus because I wanted to read the life of moses before I read the life of hosea.
 
p_rehbein

p_rehbein

Senior Member
#13
Sep 4, 2013
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#13
RedTent said:
Am I really the only one who studies the bible as well as just read it?
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No............but the question in the OP was "how do you READ your Bible."
 
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savedandhopeful

Guest
#14
#14
Maybe my post was not worded clearly, I know for myself, when trying to follow a "formal" printed plan , I get discouraged if I miss a day...so I was just curious as to what methods others use.
 
p_rehbein

p_rehbein

Senior Member
#15
Sep 4, 2013
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savedandhopeful said:
Maybe my post was not worded clearly, I know for myself, when trying to follow a "formal" printed plan , I get discouraged if I miss a day...so I was just curious as to what methods others use.
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There are a lot of "formal printed plans" out there, and some of them are even worthwhile.......I would rather study Scripture on my own, or in a Bible Study Group at church........I just like that way better.

It's not difficult to study Scripture on your own, just select a subject/theological ideology, verse or Chapter you enjoy and begin to search through all of Scripture for the Scriptures that support/enhance what the one you chose to study says.

I did this once with what is commonly and mistakenly referred to as the Lord's Prayer........and it was quite rewarding spiritually for me.......I can post is as a New Topic to show you how it turned out.
 
ChosenbyHim

ChosenbyHim

Senior Member
#16
Sep 19, 2011
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#16
savedandhopeful said:
Do you follow a certain plan, like one printed in your bible, or do you choose to pick a book (I.e. psalms, proverbs,one of the gospels),Do you just open your bible and read what ever is in front of you?
I am not asking these to start a debate on which version is best(I hope this thread does NOT turn into that)...I'm only asking because I am curious.
Click to expand...
Well I am right now reading through the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation.

And in terms of how I read and study the Bible. I study the Bible dispensationally and I seek to rightly divide the word of truth since it is commanded in Scripture (2 Timothy 2:15) as well as praying to God to open my eyes to His word (Psalm 119:18). It is also important when studying the Scriptures, to compare Scripture with Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:13).
 
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BeanieD

Guest
#17
#17
This is kind of how I do it too. There are many times when this will even lead me to other scripture. It is amazing how God helps us to see things that we may have missed during other studies.
 
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savedandhopeful

Guest
#18
#18
I love it when I read a verse or verses over and over and then all of the sudden ....a light comes on and I see something I never saw before in that verse...
 
p_rehbein

p_rehbein

Senior Member
#19
Sep 4, 2013
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#19
savedandhopeful said:
I love it when I read a verse or verses over and over and then all of the sudden ....a light comes on and I see something I never saw before in that verse...
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ME TOO!

(sadly, the older I get, the more often this seems to occur...........)
 
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