Bible Study How To: 8 Simple Tips for Studying the Bible

If we are seeking the Lord, we are positioned for success in studying the Bible. Many of Jesus’ disciples had no formal training in academic study of the Scriptures, yet they had great revelations of the things of God because they were simply devoted to Jesus.

Quick Answer

To study the Bible well, prepare your heart before you open the book: worship, pray and wait on God. Then open the Word, look up original word meanings, let Scripture interpret Scripture, write down what you learn and meditate on it through the day. Devotion to Jesus matters more than academic training.

These tips work whether Scripture reaches you through your eyes or your ears. If you love learning by listening, my posts on how to memorize Scripture by listening and quiet time when you are blind or visually impaired pair well with everything below.

Here Are 8 Tips for Studying the Bible

1. Start with worship

Before opening up the Bible, start by spending time in worship. This helps us get into God’s presence and connect with Him. We enter God’s presence through praise (Psalm 100:4). By starting off our time with God with praise and worship, we are inviting Him to speak to us personally and through His Word. We are creating space to be led by the Spirit in our Bible study so we are not led by our fleshly intellect.

2. Pray and wait

After a time of worship to help us enter His presence, it is helpful to then begin a time of prayer and waiting on Him. Prayer helps our hearts open up to Him as we bring Him our requests, questions and honest thoughts. Then, our prayer time can turn into simply focusing on the Lord in silence.

This is all helping to open our heart to Him in an authentic way instead of just rushing into Bible study. Worship, prayer and stillness help us connect with the Author before we begin reading His book.

3. Open the Word

Maybe during our worship and prayer time, we have felt led by the Spirit toward a certain Scriptural passage or concept, so go after that. Even if we do not have a specific direction of where to begin reading, we can simply begin a new book of the Bible we have not read before or review a familiar passage or verse.

I personally do not believe Bible study is a formula, because we are each in our own relationship with God and we have to let Him take us on a journey of knowing Him. Our part is to simply position ourselves to receive from Him, and He is faithful to give us our daily bread. That is why many of these steps are preparation for Bible study. We need to authentically connect to God from our hearts before we ever jump into His Word.

4. Look up the original word meanings

The Bible was written in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. So, we have to discover the original meaning of words based on these languages.

Once we have found a verse we want to learn more about, just google that verse with the word “lexicon.” For example, “John 3:16 lexicon.”

I like to then go on Bible Hub where I can click on each word from that verse. I then read the Strong’s Concordance entry for that word to discover how it was used in its original language. Then, I look at the root words if there are any to dig deeper into the meaning of that word. There is so much richness in discovering the original meanings of the words in the Bible.

5. Research the concept

After we have found a word, verse or passage, we can dig deeper by letting Scripture interpret Scripture.

Research all the places where this word or concept appears to build on what we have already learned. The Strong’s Concordance will show every place where a particular Hebrew or Greek word appears.

We may also want to research the background of a passage. It can be helpful to understand the history and the context of what was taking place at that time. Further, we can research the cultural customs of the day or even look up general information about plants or animals if that applies to our study. God often used plants and animals to communicate deeper meanings, so discovering information about them will help us understand what He is saying.

6. Write it down

After we have researched the original definitions and discovered how our word or topic fits into the whole context of Scripture, we can write down our findings. Keeping a journal of our relationship with God helps us keep track of what He is teaching us and can encourage us in the future when we reread our writings. If you want prompts to get started, my 20 Christian journal prompts were made for exactly this.

7. Ask the big question

The reality is that knowledge makes us prideful, while love builds up and is greater than knowledge (1 Corinthians 8:1).

I like to always ask myself the big question during my Bible study:

How does this apply to love?

Knowledge should be used for love. Everything we study should help us love God and others better. We have to check our motives for Bible study and ensure we are studying these concepts for the purpose of knowing God better, otherwise we are just accumulating vain knowledge.

If we are studying the Word with the heart to better love God and people, we are on the right track.

8. Meditate

Throughout the day, meditate on what God revealed through His Word. Think about what it helped us realize about God, about ourselves and where we can grow.

Some things are only meant to be treasured in our heart between us and the Lord. However, if an opportunity comes along, we may want to encourage someone with what we have learned in our quiet time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start studying the Bible as a beginner?

Start smaller than you think: one Gospel, ten minutes a day. Worship and pray briefly first, read one passage slowly, write down one thing you learned and one way it applies to love. The Gospel of John is a wonderful first book because it centers on knowing Jesus.

What is the best order to study the Bible?

There is no commanded order. Many people start with John or Mark to meet Jesus, then Acts, then a letter like Philippians, adding Psalms and Proverbs alongside. Let the Spirit lead you. The goal is relationship with the Author, not completing a syllabus.

What tools help with Bible study?

A trustworthy translation, a lexicon like the free ones on Bible Hub, Strong’s Concordance for tracing words and a journal. Audio Bibles and screen readers make every one of these accessible if you are blind or low vision.

How long should Bible study take each day?

Consistency beats duration. Ten faithful minutes every day will grow your faith more than an occasional marathon. I started with ten minutes each morning, and the hunger that grew from those small starts reshaped my whole walk with God.

I hope these tips encourage and empower you for your own Bible study times with the Lord! If you are also building the habit itself, my 6 tips for starting a daily devotional routine pair perfectly with these steps.