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Bible Study Thread about Bible reading Bible study

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I admit I am having real difficulty reading the Bible recently, does anyone have any thoughts to share on feelings towards the bible and how to deal with it.
There was some time in the past that I felt the Bible was one of the most boring books I tried to read. I remember there were some things that helped me to overcome that sentiment:
1. Realizing that I still had a sinful nature that was resistant to the knowledge of God, I committed to read and study scripture, as a way of "denying myself, and taking up my cross."
2. I had some experiences that gave me some inspiration to know God better, and that meant knowing the scriptures that revealed Him, so that gave me some motivation.
3. I had some bad experiences that helped me to realize how much I needed to know the Bible for my spiritual well-being.
4. I read a book about Bible study, and one of the most helpful things was to study one book at a time, so I started with Galatians, and one of the outcomes was to outline the book. The idea was to see the book as a whole, and not merely one verse at a time. This kind of study required me to read the book about 10 times before going to the next one. It gave me a significant familiarity with scripture, and resulted in a much greater understanding.
5. I knew that the best things in life don't come easy, so I was in this learning curve for the long haul, since I didn't know how long it was going to take me. I'm still learning, and have a 10 year plan for the next level.

There may have been other factors that don't cross my mind right now.
TD:)
 
many times i study certain subjects here lately i been meditating on prayer i look a few scriptures up on it study them out in my mind what there saying sometimes i do a google search on it. see what others has to say.. but yes you need to read so you will know the truth
 
I admit I am having real difficulty reading the Bible recently, does anyone have any thoughts to share on feelings towards the bible and how to deal with it.
You can get an Ipod and download a Bible app then just listen. I have a pillow speaker that helped me get through some sleepless nights. Had a wonderful dream while listening in my sleep one time too.
 
I admit I am having real difficulty reading the Bible recently, does anyone have any thoughts to share on feelings towards the bible and how to deal with it.

Always pray first Warrior and ask The Holy Spirit to guide you .
I would start off with Matthew and Psalms.
Perhaps read and stop if your mind starts wandering, and sit for a while meditating on what you have read. Make yourself notes on it.

If you belong to a church they may have study guides yo help you.

Remember we all need to get to know our Lotd and Saviour better. The bible is where you will fond Him and you will find a lot of love there.

The more you read the mire you will want to.
Don't give up Warrior.
 
I might be wrong, but It seems like you are trying to possibly read it like an ordinary book that one picks off a shelf and starts with chapter one. I use to read each book chapter by chapter just getting maybe the jest of it and that wasn't working out to well for me as I really wasn't learning much.

It was when I learned to pray first and ask the Holy Spirit to teach me is when my eyes were opened to that which God wanted me to learn and not just what I wanted to learn. Instead of book by book, chapter by chapter I now read and study it a word at a time verse by verse in what ever book I am reading. I will not leave a verse until I understand what is written and then I move on to the next verse until the Holy Spirit has led me through the whole chapter. By doing this I see so many new revelations of the mystery of God's word unfold before me that makes me hunger for truth.

A lot of times I visualize certain parts like a movie running through my mind like Joshua going into battle as the angel of the Lord goes before him, or like seeing Moses leading through the desert and manna falling from heaven. I visualize Jesus sitting on the Mt of Olives speaking and teaching the disciples. I put myself there in all the events that happened as it brings the whole Bible alive to me word by word, verse by verse, chapter by chapter and book by book as it draws me so much closer to know Christ and my relationship with Him.
 
I admit I am having real difficulty reading the Bible recently, does anyone have any thoughts to share on feelings towards the bible and how to deal with it.

This is a great question. Here is what I know...

It was written to be non-understandable to non believers. In other words, it gets easier as you go along. The best way I have found is I use Biblegateway.com and read scriptures as easy as click click click. Plus many of their translations you can click on it and it will read it to you. And I read along with it. That increases comprehension.

But my greatest understanding comes when I read it prayerfully. Meaning, I pray that the Holy Spirit will give me understanding and revelation through God's word. Then I read it slowly. Read a verse or three slowly and reach for the basic and obvious message within it...and then re-read it and reach for the hidden message within its text. Then I pause and pray, Lord, what does that mean? And read it again...and listen to the inner voice.

It's hard at first and you don't want to do it. But it does get easier! I promise.
One day I was thinking about how hard it is to understand...and I realized that I had never read the entire book cover to cover. And I thought...I'll be standing in front of the Lord one day...and what if He asks me, Edward, did you read my book? All of it? And Brother....I do not want to have to stand there and say no I did not, Lord.That would be embarrassing!

I took a year to read the entire Bible, Genesis to Revelation. About one to three chapters per day depending on how long they are. Then I read it again, two more times. And this was merely my program to read the entire thing. I also read it at other times, during sermons and bible studies to look things up. That don't count. Many sites have Bible reading programs. BibleGateway used to email a few chapters every day to e for their read the Bible in a Year Reading Program.

If you do this, or similarly, I promise you that it will get easier to understand, you WILL be given revelation from the Hoy Spirit. The Lord rewards obedience and will speak to you.That's the job of the Holy Spirit, to lead us into all truth.

Good reading, Brother! (Remember, What's that mean Lord?!) He answers.
 
I admit I am having real difficulty reading the Bible recently, does anyone have any thoughts to share on feelings towards the bible and how to deal with it.
I know the feeling, and what I have found is that it is a breakdown of the relationship between yourself and God, and that means that you are not having an intimate time with Him when you read the bible.

When I first came to the awareness that God speaks to me through the bible - it was world-changing and I remember that I just couldn't get enough of it! .. then as is typical I suppose, the wiles of the adversary brought about challenges and changes in my enthusiasm and drive and there are times when I won't be able to read more than a couple of verses and my mind would wander off to other things. There have been times when I have not had full trust in God, and I've had resentment, and so then when I would read the bible I'd become embittered and thinking that "oh that's all well-and-good, if................" etc, and I would literally feel like throwing the bible in the trash and walking away from it. So I think I have a fairly good range of experience of the matter to be able to offer some ideas for you and I wouldn't want to get too deep into the details if we can help it :)

First of all, is the translation, and I say this because if you're reading a particularly dry or judgmental flavour of speech, you're going to get sick of it pretty quick. So you should definitely do what others have suggested, and go looking on biblegateway.com for a type of language that speaks to you in a way that is gripping. But then I also know that it's hard to actually do that because you have to click first on a book and a chapter and scroll to the verse, and while you are doing all of that, you are distracted by the thought "what should I read?" and "I already know what it says" and "I don't know if that's what God wants me to read" etc, and so there is the opportunity for de-motivation to sap your enthusiasm even before you have even received a single word of God. So that's why the real paper book is better, because when you are at that stage of saying "God, I just want to hear from you, and anything will do" then you can open the book in faith and He'll be right there.

So that brings me about to the next point, and it's probably the most important point when you are struggling to get motivation to read the bible at all: is to have a really comfortable publication.

It's no fun at all when you're squinting or if the font is not very clear, or if the cover is so rigid that you can't easily fold it right open and hold it in one hand while you drink your coffee. You need to be able to walk around outside with it and you need to be able to carry it in your bag whenever you go out. You need a really comfortable bible that makes your reading a pleasure, so that every time you pick it up it feels like putting on a well-worn glove. And when you get just the right combination of the print style and the language style, then the bible is as comfortable as being an extension of your own mind (1 Corinthians 2:16), while in fact it is the Word of God that speaks to you and you are in communion with Him. It's also important to be living in a lifestyle that encourages you to be reading the bible, and that means that you need to be not living with people who routinely expect you to watch television with them all night every day after work - but instead, occupy yourself with activities that keep your mind active in the real world and present in the moment - so that the bible comes to life as being the partnership between you and God. It's the best we can do to have a relationship with God when we don't particularly have a person in our life that is able to be the walking-talking vessel of The Holy Spirit toward us (1 John 4:16).
 
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Am I right in thinking you can listen to the bible being read on Gateway.
I bought NKJV on cd. I couldn't stop listening. It only took me a few weeks to listen to the whole bible. I am going to start again.
If I don't feel like stidying I find listening to a couple of hns first helps.
 
I don't find any book of the Bible as being dry anymore, but all being instruction in the righteousness of God as we see Christ in each book and how we are to live a holy life in Christ. I will use Leviticus since it has been brought up. I thought it to be dry also until the Holy Spirit gave me revelation to the mysteries of God's word in that which was and that which would come in Christ Jesus.

Leviticus is God's guidebook for His newly redeemed people showing them how to worship, serve and obey a holy God. Fellowship with God through the sacrifice and obedience show the awesome holiness of the God of Israel. Ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy, Lev 19:2.

Leviticus focuses on the worship and walk of the nation of God. In Exodus Israel was redeemed and established as a kingdom of priest and a holy nation. This book shows how God's people are to fulfill their priestly calling. The book is replete with figures and allusions to the person and work of Christ.

The Bible I use is called The New Open Bible KJV study edition. It contains so much more, like what I just wrote above as this is just a small part of the introduction into Leviticus. I couldn't even list all the extra study tools within it. You might want to check it out. I'm on my second one as I wore the first one out.
 
I don't find any book of the Bible as being dry anymore, but all being instruction in the righteousness of God as we see Christ in each book and how we are to live a holy life in Christ. I will use Leviticus since it has been brought up. I thought it to be dry also until the Holy Spirit gave me revelation to the mysteries of God's word in that which was and that which would come in Christ Jesus.

Leviticus is God's guidebook for His newly redeemed people showing them how to worship, serve and obey a holy God. Fellowship with God through the sacrifice and obedience show the awesome holiness of the God of Israel. Ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy, Lev 19:2.

Leviticus focuses on the worship and walk of the nation of God. In Exodus Israel was redeemed and established as a kingdom of priest and a holy nation. This book shows how God's people are to fulfill their priestly calling. The book is replete with figures and allusions to the person and work of Christ.

The Bible I use is called The New Open Bible KJV study edition. It contains so much more, like what I just wrote above as this is just a small part of the introduction into Leviticus. I couldn't even list all the extra study tools within it. You might want to check it out. I'm on my second one as I wore the first one out.
Do you admit that the study tools and commentary are what is "not dry" to you? Otherwise, can you please show how chapters 13-18 are so inspirational to you? (Except for 17:11, we already know what that means). Be specific.
 
Do you admit that the study tools and commentary are what is "not dry" to you? Otherwise, can you please show how chapters 13-18 are so inspirational to you? (Except for 17:11, we already know what that means). Be specific.
When I use the study tools it helps to understand what is written for our learning. I know you only asked about 13-18, but took liberty to do the whole book of Leviticus.

In Leviticus chapter 1-17 (Sacrifice) teaches that God must be approached by the sacrificial offerings (1-7) by the meditation of the priesthood (8-10) by the purification of the nation from uncleanliness (11-15) and by the provision for national cleansing and fellowship (16-17). The blood sacrifices remind the worshipers that because of sin the holy God requires the costly gift of life (17:11). The blood of the innocent sacrificial animal becomes the substitute for the life of the guilty offeror.

Without shedding of blood is no remission, Hebrews 9:22.

Sanctification (18-27) The Israelites serve a holy God who requires them to be holy as well. To be holy means to be set apart or separated. They are to be separated from other nations unto God. In Leviticus the idea of holiness appears eighty-seven times, sometimes indicating ceremonial holiness (ritual requirements) and at other times moral holiness (purity of life). This sanctification extends to the people of Israel (18-20), the priesthood (21-22), their worship (23-24), their life in Canaan (25-26) and their special vows (27). It is necessary to remove the defilement that separates the people from God so that they can have a walk of fellowship with their redeemer.
 
When I use the study tools it helps to understand what is written for our learning. I know you only asked about 13-18, but took liberty to do the whole book of Leviticus.

In Leviticus chapter 1-17 (Sacrifice) teaches that God must be approached by the sacrificial offerings (1-7) by the meditation of the priesthood (8-10) by the purification of the nation from uncleanliness (11-15) and by the provision for national cleansing and fellowship (16-17). The blood sacrifices remind the worshipers that because of sin the holy God requires the costly gift of life (17:11). The blood of the innocent sacrificial animal becomes the substitute for the life of the guilty offeror.

Without shedding of blood is no remission, Hebrews 9:22.

Sanctification (18-27) The Israelites serve a holy God who requires them to be holy as well. To be holy means to be set apart or separated. They are to be separated from other nations unto God. In Leviticus the idea of holiness appears eighty-seven times, sometimes indicating ceremonial holiness (ritual requirements) and at other times moral holiness (purity of life). This sanctification extends to the people of Israel (18-20), the priesthood (21-22), their worship (23-24), their life in Canaan (25-26) and their special vows (27). It is necessary to remove the defilement that separates the people from God so that they can have a walk of fellowship with their redeemer.
I take your first sentence to be a "yes" to my question. So then, since I said "otherwise," you needn't have wasted time with your explanations, which I take it the information came from your study tools. In case you didn't get the point, Lev. by itself is dry. I'm sure your heart is in the right place, trying to defend it as an inspired work. But just because it's inspired, doesn't mean it can't be dry for the readers.
 
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