SEARCH GOD’S WORD DAILY

“They received the word with readiness, and SEARCHED the SCRIPTURES DAILY to find out whether these things were so” – Acts 17:11b

Like the Berean Believers, every Follower and Lover of Christ must be well-equipped to SEARCH GOD’S WORD DAILY and effectively: “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with readiness, and SEARCHED the SCRIPTURES DAILY to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:10-11). The Bereans received God’s Word with enthusiasm, and proceeded to search and study DAILY to become grounded in what they were taught. There are many useful Bible Study methods, but adapted here is the W.O.R.D Study Method, a comprehensive method of understanding the Bible, developed by Erika Michelle (see https://asymphonyofpraise.com/).

Before every Bible Study, pray that the Lord would open your eyes, open your heart, and open your ears to Hear His Voice.

WRITE. Write your daily verse in your personal journal: “My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, WRITE THEM on the tablet of your heart” (Pro.3: 1-3). The first step, after prayer, is to WRITE the Word in your journal, and then read over the passage at least once or twice.

OBSERVE. Observe the keys to the passage: “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart” (Psa.119: 33-34). When reading a passage, endeavour to understand the CONTEXT! You have to know who is writing, who they were writing for, and when it was being written. When we observe, we use the “Five W’s”:

• W - WHO: is the author, WHO are they writing about and WHO are they writing to?
• W – WHAT type of genre of literature is it – book of law, history, poetry or an epistle?
• W – WHEN was the book written?
• W – WHERE was the book written?
• W – WHY did the author write the book?

RELEVANCE. How is this verse relevant and applicable to your life today? “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom.15:4). Some questions to answer include:

• How can you personalize this passage?
• How can you apply it to your daily life?
• Does the passage instruct, encourage, or correct?
• What changes in your life does this verse encourage you to make?
• How can you apply this verse to your life to make your life sparkle and shine with the glory of the Lord

DECLARE. Pray and declare the Scriptures over your life: “I shall not die, but live, and DECLARE the works of the Lord” (Psa.118:17). This final lap involves declaring the life and praying the power in God’s Word over our lives. These include: 

• Declaring the promises of this verse over your day.
• Declaring the changes you are going to make as a result of the admonition, revelation or correction.
• Declaring the encouragement and teaching over your walk with the Lord.

Write – Observe – Relevant – Declare. Beloved, this is one of many effective methods of studying the Bible – God’s Word! Will you begin to practise this proven, profitable pathway to searching the scriptures DAILY? Receive God’s Grace!