Personal Bible Study

Psalm 119:97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
Christianity is not a legal relationship, it is a love relationship. John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. John 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

The goal for the Christian/Believer is to be more like the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the LORD Jesus Christ Himself who makes us like Him. But you need to spend time with Him. And you do that by personal study of God’s Words found in the Scriptures.
Believer, you must find time to make time to study the Bible. 2Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Five P’s for spending time in B/S each day:

1) The Proper Period
You must find the right time. Your B/S time should last at least half an hour to an hour. Resolve in your heart that you will diligently study God’s Word. But some time is better than no time, so if you can’t start at one hour, begin with half hour. It should be your very best time. Don't give the Lord your leftovers. And don't try to find time — make time, and make it a priority.

2) The Proper Preparation
Bible study is time spent in the study of God’s Word. It is a time where you open the Book to purposely investigate, scrutinize, search & study the Scriptures. John 5:39 Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. The goal in B/S is to know God and His Will as revealed in Scriptures. Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

There are a few things you can do to be prepared for this time. First, be physically alert. Find a time when the cobwebs are out of your mind and you can think clearly. Second, be mentally aware. Be focused, and know He’s there. And third, be morally pure and clean. Make sure there are no unconfessed sins in your life. Some people don't have a B/S time because they feel uncomfortable looking God in the face with sin in their lives. 1 John 1:9.

3) The Proper Place
Find a place where you can focus. Jesus said enter into your closet and pray Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
That simply means find a place of isolation where you can shut the door on the world and open the windows to heaven. The LORD Jesus sought out places where He could be alone, and so should you.

4) The Proper Provisions
In order to have an effective B/S time, you need the right tools. Tools to use:
• a readable Bible - Invest in one with plenty of room to jot notes in the margins.
• a study journal - Expect God to give you something and write it down. Also use it to record things you’re praying about.
• a notepad - Write down daily insights you get in your study time.
• Others – Concordance, Bible Dictionary & Webster Dictionary

5) The Proper Procedure
Finally, procedures to follow in your B/S time?
Get still and quiet. The Bible says in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Focus your mind on Him. Calm down, relax, and recognize His presence. Take a deep breath and focus your thoughts on the Lord.

Get into the Word of God. It's better to start by reading the Bible than it is to start in prayer. It is more important for you to hear from God, even than for God to hear from you. God already knows all about you, but you need to know a lot more about Him.

Study the Bible for quality and not quantity. It’s good to have a goal to read the Bible through in a year, or a similar goal; This is the time when you study the Bible with an open mind.

Meditate. As you focus on the Word of God and meditate, let it permeate you. Ask:
• Is there a command to obey?
• Is there a promise to claim?
• Is there a sin to avoid?
• Is there a lesson to learn?
• Is there a new truth to carry with me?
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Record what God has given you. Write down what God says to you, His impressions upon your heart and what He tells you to do in your study. It doesn't have to be flowery. You're not writing it for publication or to impress other people.
Begin to share out of your study time. God did not make us to be reservoirs; He made us to be conduits. Don’t keep to yourself what you have learned. Tell & share with others what God is showing you.

Finally, obey what God tells you. Your spiritual train is running on two rails. One is revelation and the other is obedience. And if either rail stops, your train stops. Res olve & Learn to obey the Word of God.
I pray these simple suggestions will help you have a daily B/S time in the presence of our loving, almighty, powerful God.