If you want to grow in your relationship with
God through the study of His Word but studying the Bible seems complicated, overwhelming,
or even intimidating you've come to the right place. In this video, I'm teaching you how to Study
the Bible for yourself with a super easy 4 step process. And you’re going to want to watch this video
to the end to learn how you can get your hands on a free gift that will take your Bible Study
to the next level. Stay tuned. [INTRO] Hello Beloved and welcome to Beloved Women
with me, Christina Patterson where we encourage, uplift and equip women in the love of Jesus
Christ and the truth of God’s Word. If you’re new here welcome to Beloved and
be sure to subscribe so you never miss a weekly video. And for those of you returning welcome back. We love Bible Study here at Beloved. It is the first of our 3 core principles,
Bible Study, Sisterhood, and love. Which is why we've created hundreds of resources
on our website, app, and social media to help you grow in your relationship with God through
the study of His Word. Still, I've learned that there is no video
Study, Bible Study book, sermon or podcast that can help you hear from God more personally
than studying the Bible for yourself. I also know studying the Bible can feel intimidating
and confusing if you're not sure where to start or what to do. But I want to encourage you that the Study
of the Bible is not limited pastors and theologians alone. God gave His Word to all of us for guidance,
protection, comfort and so much more that I do not want you to miss out on. So today I’m sharing with you a simple 4
step process to help you learn and grow from studying your Bible. I call it the 4 R's of Bible Study which stands
for: Read
Reflect Respond
Request Now before we get into the 4 R's I want to
remind you that Bible Study isn't something we do for God, it’s what we do with God. The Bible tells us His Word is living and
active and we need His guidance and the leading of the Holy Spirit to be able to hear God
through His Word. And we do that by simply asking for it. Our primary prayer should be to ask God to
lead us through the study of His Word and then trust that He will. This will greatly take away a lot of the intimidation
of studying the Bible because when we focus on God first we’re reminded that the pressure
is not all on us but that God is with us and He wants to speak to us through His Word. READ Now let's get into the 4 "R"'s of Bible Study. The first R stands for READ. As you read your selected scripture for study
you’ll want to ask yourself the question, “what is the scripture saying?” Our suggestion is to read the text more than
once and even in different translations. You’ll also want to read the scripture in
full context. This means studying the surrounding verses
of your scripture, it’s containing chapter, or even book. It is important to note, that reading the
surrounding scripture will help to ensure you’re pulling out the intended meaning
of the verse. As you read, there are a few things you'll
want to write down. First, write out any key verses that particularly
stick out to you. Writing God’s Word is a great way to memorize
it, and keep it on your mind and heart. Next, you’ll want to see if you can paraphrase
what the scripture is saying in your own words, to make sure you're truly grasping an understanding
of the text. And finally, take note of the who, what, when,
where and why of the text. For example, “Who wrote this scripture”,
“what is happening in this verse”, “when was it written and where”, and “why was
it written”. Gaining insight on the background of the scripture,
will significantly impact your understanding of what's being said. 2. REFLECT After you’ve read the scripture, you’ll
then want to REFLECT. Ask yourself the question, “what does this
scripture mean?” This is where you will draw out the lessons
that are meant to be learned from the text. These lessons will usually be in the form
of a PROMISE, PRINCIPLE or COMMAND. A PROMISE is a declaration that God will do
something. It is not conditional, it's simply a statement
about God, or a characteristic of Him based on who He is. When Jesus says "I will be with you always"
in Matthew 28:20, that is a promise not dependent upon what we do or don't do. A PRINCIPLE is a foundational truth that is
conditional. It's a statement that says if you do this,
then this will result. Let's look at the popular scripture Psalm
37:4, which says: Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will
give you the desires of your heart. Many people mistake this verse as a promise
that God will grant us the desires of our hearts. But this is not a promise, it is a principle. When we first delight ourselves in Him, then
we will receive the desires of our heart. A COMMAND is an authoritative directive or
order from God. It's simply God telling us how He wants us
to live our lives. Think of the 10 commandments. Love God. Don't steal. Love your neighbor. Don't Kill. Commands are orders from God on how to conduct
ourselves. As you reflect on the scripture you’ll want
to write down any promises to believe, principles to live by, or commands to follow. By reflecting on His Word in this way, you’re
digging deeper into the text to gain a greater meaning. 3. RESPOND Once you’ve taken time to reflect, you will
then want to RESPOND to the scripture. You’re asking yourself, “what can I practically
do to live out what I’ve learned?” One reason we read God’s Word is so that
we can be changed by its truth. So once you've learned from the scripture
you’re studying, make a plan to do what it says. If the scripture reveals that you need to
focus on God more and not be so easily distracted, maybe you could try to take a break from social
media or whatever may be holding on to your attention outside of necessities. If the text helps you to learn the importance
of thanksgiving, perhaps you could start a gratitude journal. When we reflect on the Word we learn WHAT
we need to do. However, as we respond to the Word, we discover
HOW we can practically do it. 4. REQUEST Reading and studying the Bible is much easier
than actually living it out. This is why the last "R" stands for REQUEST. Request means we pray to God for the help
and strength that only He can provide. After you study it is important to pray over
what you've learned. Many call this “praying the scriptures”. Use what you've learned from your study, to
guide your prayers. If you learned from a study that forgiveness
is important in the Christian life, and that you should forgive because God forgives us;
then you should take time to pray that God would help you in this area. For example you may ask God to forgive you
for any unforgiveness you may have in your heart, and then strengthen you as He works
to change your heart to forgive those who may have hurt you. The life change that studying God's word offers
doesn't come from simply reading the word alone. It comes from inviting God into our hearts
to enable us to live out what we’ve learned to be true. So seal in the truths that you’ve learned,
by praying over what you’ve studied. So that’s my easy 4 step process to studying
the Bible for yourself. READ, REFLECT, RESPOND, REQUEST. And to make this as simple as possible for
you, I've created the How to Study the Bible work book filed with printable study pages,
examples using this method, tips and more to help guide you the next time you study
the Bible. So if you're ready to see how simple studying
God's Word can be and the life change that comes from it click the link below to get
your hands on this instant free download. Before you go I’d love to hear from you. Please comment and let me know what is your
life verse? What scripture completely transformed you
and your relationship with God. I can’t want to read your scriptures in
the comments where you'll also find mine. If today’s video was helpful please like
this video so I’ll know then be sure to share with a friend because you never know
who might need some Beloved encouragement today. And For even more Beloved encouragement including
Daily Devotionals, practical advice for everyday Christian living, Bible studies are more be
sure to download the Beloved Women mobile app variable for free in the apple and google
play stores or visit us online at www.belovedwomen.org. As always thank you so much for watching and
until next time be beautiful be blessed and be loved. Today’s video is brought to you by the Beloved
Collective, a membership site for Christian women providing guided video bible studies,
printable study guides, and online community to help you connect with God in simple, practical,
and meaningful ways. Join today at mybelovedcollective.com.
