The Devotional Bible Study Method
Overview: The Devotional Method of Bible Study involves taking a passage of Scripture, large or small, and prayerfully thinking about it until the Holy Spirit shows you a way to apply its truth to your own life in a very personal and practical way. Goal: To take seriously the Word of God and “do what it says.�
The Devotional Method of Bible Study Directions: The devotional method of Bible study is designed to help you live out what you are reading in the Bible. The first thing you must do is pick out a passage from the Bible to read. It can be a chapter, a section, or a paragraph – it’s up to you! Once you pick out a passage of Scripture to read, simply follow the four steps listed below. As you go through each step write down everything. On the back inside cover of this booklet you will find a filled out example of the Devotional Bible Study form.
Step 1: Pray for insight on how to apply the passage you read to your life and check off that you have taken time to pray 2 things we know: God wants us to obey His Word and share it with others Tell God you are ready to obey what He will show you And you are willing to share that application with others
Use the SPACEPETS acrostic and answer the following questions. Is there a(n)… o Sin to confess? o Promise to claim? o Attitude to change? o Command to obey? o Example to follow? o Prayer to pray? o Error to avoid? o Truth to believe? o Something to praise God for? Pray the verse or passage back to God o Turn the passage into a prayer o Write down your prayer to God
Step 2: Read and meditate on the verse(s) you have chosen to study
Make sure to write down all of your meditations!
Use the following ideas to meditate on the passage you read. You don’t have to use them all, pick and choose what fits best with what you’re reading: Visualize the scene of the narrative in your mind o Put yourself in the situation and try to picture yourself as an active participant o As you put yourself in the scene write down what you see, what it would be like, what you would be feeling, etc. Emphasize words in the passage under study o Read through several times and each time emphasize a different word and watch for new meanings to develop o For example, read “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” and each time place emphasis on a different word in the sentence and it will mean something different every time. o Write down what you discover as you emphasis different words Paraphrase the passage under study o Rephrase the passage in your own words Personalize the passage you are studying o Put your name in place of the pronouns or nouns used o Write down the personalized version of the verse
Step 3: Write out an application This is where you write out how you will change because of the passage of Scripture you just read. Make sure your application is: personal – Written in the 1st person singular o “I will…” practical – something that can be done o “pray, serve, read, etc.” possible – something you can accomplish o “I will pray before school” provable – something that is measurable and can be checked up on o “I will pray for 10 minutes every day before school.” o This is an example of a personal, practical, possible, and provable application Step 4: Memorize a verse from your study Pick a verse from the passage you read and commit it to memory.
Example to Follow: When times get tough, turn to God
Command to Obey: Put my trust in God
Example Devotional Study Form Date: November 6, 2006 Step 1: Prayer
Passage: Psalm 56
□ Check when done
Step 2: Meditation
Prayer to Pray: “In God I trust: I shall not be afraid” Error to Avoid: Being afraid in difficult circumstances Truth to Believe: God is for me Something to Praise God for:
Visualization: If I was David I would find it very difficult to trust God if so many people were trying to kill me. I would be feeling very afraid.
Praying the passage back to God: “God, You truly are for me…you have kept count of all my tossings, put my tears in your bottle…In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? You have kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before You in the light of life. Amen.”
Emphasizing different words in the verse: “This I know, that God is for me.” I know with confidence that God’s on my side God cares for me God takes extra special concern for me
Paraphrase:
Step 3: Application
I will read Psalm 56 whenever I am going through a hard time and will claim the truths that this chapter provides.
David is being pursued by the Philistines and they are trying to kill him. And during all of this David puts his confidence in God. He knows that when he is afraid he can run to God for protection. He knows that God cares for him and will watch over him. Step 4: Memorization Personalizing a verse: This I (insert name) know, that God is for me (insert name).”
“This I know, that God is for me.”
SPACEPETS: Sin to Confess: I have often doubted God in tough times Promise to Claim: God is for me Attitude to Change: Believing that God cares deeply for me Adapted from “Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods” by Rick Warren
Devotional Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Step 2: Meditation
Step 2: Meditation
Step 3: Application
Step 3: Application
Step 4: Memorization
Step 4: Memorization
Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Step 2: Meditation
Step 2: Meditation
Step 3: Application
Step 3: Application
Step 4: Memorization
Step 4: Memorization
Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Step 2: Meditation
Step 2: Meditation
Step 3: Application
Step 3: Application
Step 4: Memorization
Step 4: Memorization
Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage: Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Step 2: Meditation
Step 2: Meditation
Step 3: Application
Step 3: Application
Step 4: Memorization
Step 4: Memorization
Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Step 2: Meditation
Step 2: Meditation
Step 3: Application
Step 3: Application
Step 4: Memorization
Step 4: Memorization
Devotional Study Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Step 2: Meditation
Step 2: Meditation
Step 3: Application
Step 3: Application
Step 4: Memorization
Step 4: Memorization
Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Step 2: Meditation
Step 2: Meditation
Step 3: Application
Step 3: Application
Step 4: Memorization
Step 4: Memorization
Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Devotional Study Form Date: Step 1: Prayer
Passage:
â–Ą Check when done
Step 2: Meditation
Step 2: Meditation
Step 3: Application
Step 3: Application
Step 4: Memorization
Step 4: Memorization