Discover the vital next step on how to read the Bible effectively. Move beyond the right state of heart to the right method: reading slowly, attentively, and repeatedly while following the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
📖 The Holy Bible Blog Series
In our last discussion on the “Step to Read the Bible Effectively,” we explored the crucial need for an appropriate state of heart before engaging with Scripture. Unlike reading other subjects intended for intellectual growth, effective Bible reading requires a heart free of unforgiveness, offense, bitterness, and past pain.
Following that foundation, we now move to the next vital step: the actual method of reading. It is not enough to possess the right heart; you must also employ the right approach to the text itself.
This episode will share knowledge for effective Bible study, focusing on reading methods and how to actively engage with the text to receive deeper understanding and revelation from the Holy Spirit.
Let’s begin by asking: How do you read your Bible? What is your reading pattern like?
Step to Read the Bible Effectively: Read Slowly, Attentively, and Repeatedly
TB Joshua in his numerous sermons has always made it clear that the best method for reading the Bible effectively is to read slowly, attentively, and repeatedly. Why is this method so important to receiving revelation and understanding from the Bible?
This deliberate act is necessary because you need the active attention and presence of the Holy Spirit. Even if your human reason may initially reject the Word, your heart must crave it. You can repeat the Scripture aloud until the truth it contains becomes a reality in your life.
Read slowly, attentively, and repeatedly, and do so with a heart of forgiveness, because you need the corresponding spiritual power to truly understand what you are reading. This is why you must carry the Holy Spirit along.
As cited in 2 Peter 1:21, “Holy men were carried along by the Holy Spirit as they read [or spoke] the message that comes from God.”
You must examine everything you read in the Bible. Do not simply read the literature or the history of the Bible – the stories of Elijah, Elisha, Tamar, Samson, and Samuel. That constitutes the historical part of the Bible.
The Need for Corresponding Power
The true source of our power comes from that corresponding spiritual power that suggests the practical steps to take in our lives.
When you encounter certain passages of Scripture that might be parables or difficult to interpret, you need spiritual insight to find their meaning. This is why TB Joshua suggested we must humble ourselves.
You must keep meditating on the Scripture until it becomes reality to you. You may not fully understand it the first time you read it, but you must continue to meditate. If you don’t grasp it immediately, simply keep meditating.
When it comes to the Bible, speed reading must not be used. We must read slowly, attentively, and repeatedly. As you are reading the Bible, it is, in turn, reading you. The Holy Bible acts as a mirror that shows you exactly who you are, revealing, for example, whether you have truly forgiven.
Step to Read the Bible Effectively: Reject Speed Reading and Focus on Quality
While speed reading can be effective for subjects like chemistry, history, or literature which aim for the molding of the mind it is fundamentally unsuitable for engaging with divine truth, the Scripture.
When you read a history book, you are reading about human events. But when you read the Bible, you are, in a sense, reading the Holy Spirit because it is His inspired Word.
You cannot be faster than the Holy Spirit.
The correct pattern for Bible study is: The Holy Spirit leads, and you follow. A common challenge today is when the reader attempts to lead and expects the Holy Spirit to simply follow their pace and agenda.
It is not enough to approach the Bible with mere intellectual education or a literary understanding. That kind of comprehension is insufficient. You must humbly examine everything you read.
The Spirit must suggest:
- Where to read (guiding your study).
- The meaning of what you read.
- The decoding and coding of the text (especially parables or passages that require deeper spiritual interpretation).
We shouldn’t focus on quantity but on quality. Don’t focus on how many chapters you cover in a single reading, but rather on the revelations you receive from each reading.
Snippet for the Next Episode
Now that we have established the need for a corrected heart state and the method of reading slowly, attentively, and repeatedly, it’s time to examine the result.
The next episode focuses on what to expect when these two steps are active: the profound revelation and understanding that only the Holy Spirit can provide. Tune in to see how quality engagement with the Word transforms your study.