Our goal in reading any passage in the Bible is to understand the meaning that God intended. Toward that end, I want to give you a dependable approach for reading the Bible that uses a four-step guide. I’ve put this guide into in an acrostic called MAPS:
- Meditate and Memorize
- Apply
- Pray
- Share
Imagine a treasure map that leads you to the reward of intimacy with God in his Word. The psalmist says it this way: “I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil” (Psalm 119:162, ESV). My hope is that following these four steps will help you find great spoil in God’s Word on a daily basis.
1. Meditate on and memorize God’s Word
… storing it in your heart and mind so that you walk closer with Jesus each day.
Reading the Bible can involve merely seeing or saying the words without pausing to ponder what they mean. But meditation is different. Meditation on God’s Word begins with listening thoughtfully and thoroughly to God’s Word.
Meditating on the Bible involves thinking deeply about what we’re reading and reflecting prayerfully on what it means. God calls us not to just read his Word but to “meditate on it day and night” (Psalm 1:1–2, italics mine).
Similarly, memorization is one of the most significant ways you can meditate on God’s Word and experience God’s love. It involves repeating the Word over and over again in our minds, and sometimes with our mouths, until it becomes second nature. The psalmist wrote, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).
Memorization is the process of “storing up” God’s Word in a way that helps us walk with God in our lives. Regardless of how often you memorize, think of it as if you are setting aside time for a show or a movie, except you’re setting aside this time for something that will benefit you far more (and forever).
2. Apply the Bible’s truths
… to every layer of your life, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform you and revolutionize your ultimate purpose for living.
It’s possible to meditate on and memorize God’s Word yet miss the point. The devil would delight for us to meditate on and memorize God’s Word, so long as we do nothing about it in our lives.
God warns, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). As that passage continues,God emphasizes listening and looking into his Word. But if we stop there, we’ll deceive ourselves and miss the point altogether.
Of course, no one obeys God’s Word flawlessly, so we shouldn’t expect perfection. But for those who have God’s Spirit living in them, there should be evidence that the Word is gradually transforming their lives. Studying the Bible is not merely about gaining more information in our heads, it is about experiencing supernatural transformation in our lives.
3. Pray boldly
… confident that God will answer and align your heart with His Word.
This third step in studying God’s Word — pray — is vital for experiencing intimacy with God. Neither prayer nor Bible study is a one-way street. Through studying the Bible, we hear from God as we spend time with him, and this naturally (or better put, supernaturally) leads to expressing our hearts to him as he hears from us.
And don’t forget who we’re talking about here: the God who spoke all creation into being; the God who causes the sun to rise and calls the stars by name; the God before whom mountains quake and seas roar; the God who rules and reigns over all things everywhere. This God wants to speak to you and hear from you.
Even more than that, he guarantees to give you what you ask when you ask according to his Word. Listen to Jesus’ promise to his followers in John 15:7: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
4. Share God’s Word with others
… letting it flow through you to your neighbor as well as to others around the world.
Finally, in Jesus’ parting command after his resurrection, we find him instructing his followers to go and make disciples, baptizing and teaching them in his name (Matthew 28:19–20).This command from Jesus — and purpose for our lives — means that what we see in God’s Word is not intended to stop with us.
Jesus is telling each of us as we make him known to constantly pass God’s Word on to others in a way that helps them know and obey it. Be sensitive to any opportunities God provides throughout your day to share with others out of the overflow of what he has spoken to you in his Word.
Conclusion: An Invitation From God
You’re not on this journey of studying God’s Word alone. The same Holy Spirit who inspired God’s Word over the course of centuries is with you when you open God’s Word today. You have the Author of the Book with you, and he promises to help you understand it as you humbly look to him.
Bible reading is truly a supernatural activity in which God himself speaks directly to you through his Holy Spirit. This activity is more important than anything else we could do in our day, so let’s learn to do it well.
Because of Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the grave, you and I have an open invitation from God, whenever we want, to experience intimacy with him through his Word. Let’s shout, “Yes!” to that invitation every morning and evening, meditating on and memorizing God’s Word, applying it to our lives, praying according to it, and sharing it with others.
This article has been adapted from David Platt’s latest book, How to Read the Bible: A Simple Guide to Deeper Intimacy with God.
This simple and practical guide to studying and understanding Scripture will help you see the Bible as a priceless treasure that reveals God’s love for you and His relentless pursuit of a deeper relationship.
How to Read the Bible is not just a book; it’s an invitation to experience God’s Word in a way that transforms your life. Whether you’re new to reading the Bible or seeking a fresh approach to study and apply it, this guide provides the tools and insights you need to explore Scripture with greater clarity and purpose.
David Plattserves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations. David lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
