Have you ever found it hard to apply Bible passages to your daily life? I have. Is it hard to think about what to pray? Yes. Do you find it hard to get excited about reading God’s Word? Sometimes.
Well now I’ve found a great way to solve all three problems. Whilst scrolling through my Instagram feed and surfing through the net researching on ways to get excited about the Bible again, I’ve found a great way to a) Understand the scripture you are reading b) Think about how to apply it to your life and c) Pray on it.
Let’s get started!
You will need:
- Open your notebook to a fresh page and draw four columns. The first column should be smaller than the other three. This is where you will write the scripture you are studying. Label the headers of columns 2-4, Reflection, Application and Prayer.
2. You are basically set to start. All you need to do is read the passage of your choosing and highlight any important key words using this table to help you! To start you off lets study a small passage from the Bible together.
‘Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’ – Ephesians 3:12-15
Ephesians 3: 12-15 | REFLECTION | APPLICATION | PRAYER |
-The apostle Paul begins his letter to the Ephesians stating that he is not perfect but strives to essentially be like Jesus through the will of God in his life.
-He continues by saying that although he has not yet reached his goal he follows these simple steps to achieve it. a) He forgets what is behind him. b) He ‘strains’ towards what is ahead and keeps ‘pressing’ on to achieve his goal. |
-To understand that just like Paul I am not perfect but I want to strive to be the best I can be in all that I do, focusing on God’s will for my life.
-Let go of the things behind me and move on. To forgive myself because God already has. -To look forward and ‘strain’ (as Paul says) towards my goal, and to ‘press’ on even through tough times. [Lot’s wife: Remember when she looked back at Sodom and Gomorrah in flames?] |
O Heavenly Father I thank you for my life and creating me in your image and likeness. I pray that you help me to let go of things that are not necessary and focus on your will and plan for my life. I thank you for your forgiveness and pray that you help me to forgive myself of past mistakes. Lord grant me the strength to press on and look forward to my heavenly goal. In your blessed name I pray, Amen. |
It’s as easy as A,B,C (…or R, A, P!) You can use this step by step method to really dig deep into God’s word and use it as a platform to pray to God.
Remember, the Bible is God’s way of talking to you and praying is a conversation with God. Don’t feel pressured to pray long extravagant prayers, talk to Him like you would a friend. If you need any help in reading scriptures or don’t understand a passage feel free to comment below and we’ll be here to help!
1 comment
What a great idea! This method makes it so easy to study the Bible, and I love how it helps us understand, apply, and pray about the scriptures. Drawing columns for Scripture, Reflection, Application, and Prayer sounds like fun. I can’t wait to try it with other passages!