We should all study
the Word of God. If you want to know God, His promises to you, and who you are
in Christ; if you want to be transformed by the renewing of your mind; if you
want to walk in obedience to the Lord, you must know the Word of God. In I Timothy
4:9, God commands that we train ourselves to be godly. The mature person in
Christ easily distinguishes between good and evil.
I am going to show
you how I study the Word in hopes of encouraging you who don't study or helping
those who do and need some tips. I am going to use the KJV version. I love the
KJV the most and the NIV the least. Since the KJV is more difficult to
understand, you may want to read the NASB, especially when reading the Old
Testament. I do fine with the KJV in the New Testament, but it's difficult for
me to understand in the OT.
I will teach you how
to study a portion of I Peter 3 since I teach on that chapter a lot and love
it. First, read one verse at a time, write out what you think it means, and
then pray over it.
#1 Verse 1 ~
Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey
not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the
wives.
#2 'Likewise' refers
to the previous chapter which speaks about Christ's suffering and how some
wives may suffer in their marriage because of disobedient husbands just as Christ
suffered from disobedient men. The wives still must be submissive to their
husbands and win them with the way they live their lives and not with words.
#3 Pray over friends
or women you know who are married to disobedient husbands. Pray their husbands
will come to believe in the Lord and that the wives will be godly in their
behavior.
#1 Verse 2 ~ While
they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear
#2 A woman wins her
husband with godly behavior because lives in trust and not in fear.
#3 Pray that you will
have godly behavior that trusts fully in the Lord so that your husband will be
more drawn to the Lord, whether he is disobedient or not.
#1 Verse 3 ~ Whose adorning let it not be that outward
adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of
apparel;
#2 We must not think
that our outward appearance is what attracts our husbands to Christ.
#3 Pray that you will
focus much more on your inward beauty than your outward beauty and not waste so
much of your time, energy, and money adorning yourselves with stuff of this
world.
#1 Verse 4 ~ But let
it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great
price
#2 We must keep our
focus on adorning our heart by becoming meek and quiet since THIS is what God
values! Listen to your husband, be quiet, and trust the Lord. {You don't always have to give your opinions to him, especially if they are always contrary to his.}
#3 Pray that you may
become meek and quiet.
#1 Verse 5 ~ For after this manner in the old time the
holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection
unto their own husbands:
#2 The women in
biblical times actually adorned themselves by being submissive to their
husbands!
#3 Pray that you will
adorn yourself with submission to your husband and become beautiful to him.
#1 Verse 6 ~ Even as
Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do
well, and are not afraid with any amazement
#2 Sara obeyed her
husband and we need to obey our husbands without any fear for God commands this
from us. God is our ultimate protector.
#3 Pray that you
would begin obeying your husband in everything and not being afraid. Trust God
and that He knows what is best for you!
This is how I study
and meditate upon the Word of God. Yes, it takes a while but it gets into your
heart from your mind when you do this and pray it to the Lord. I encourage all of you
to become women of the Word. It will NEVER be a waste of your time.
