How I Use the Life-study of the Bible to Get More from God’s Word

Using the Life-study of the Bible has been a great help to me in getting into God’s word.

If you are one who is seeking a deeper knowledge of the truth in the Bible this post could be life-changing! It has for me and I hope it will do the same for you also.

First, I would like to introduce you to the Life-study of the Bible and then share my experience in using it as an opener ushering me into the deep mine of God’s living word.

What is the Life-study of the Bible

The Life-study of the Bible is a comprehensive study of every book of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation from the perspective of the believers’ experience of the divine life in Christ. It reveals the mystery of God’s economy. This divine economy is like “the picture on the box of the Bible.” Seeing this economy helps you understand how all the pieces fit together.

The four-fold purpose of the Life-study of the Bible is first to open up the divine truths, to bring the reader into the divine truth. Second, it is to provide spiritual nourishment.  Third, it is to solve the common and hard problems. Finally, it is to open up every book by giving a thorough interpretation of it.

But to really appreciate this tremendous resource for your Bible study, I would encourage you to check out life-study.com

Here’s how I would use the Life-study for a richer Bible Study

Pray first.

Since the Lord Jesus is God’s living Word (John 1:1; 1 John 1:1), we need to contact Him as the wonderful Person hidden behind the sacred pages of Scripture. Jesus told the Jewish religionists of His day,

You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that testify concerning Me. Yet you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. (John 5:39-40).

We should not waste our time by making the same mistake they made. They searched the Scriptures, but they were not willing to come to the Lord Jesus that they might receive eternal life.

To get life from the Scriptures, you first need to use your spirit to come to the Lord in prayer (Eph. 6:18). Turn your heart to Him and pray,

“Lord Jesus, as I come to the Bible, I come to You that I may have divine life. Lord, I love You and I turn my heart to You. I open to receive You in my Bible study.”

Mingle reading the Bible with prayer for nourishment.

Remember that your first order of business is not to get more Bible knowledge. Come to the Bible to contact the Lord Jesus, to feed on Him as the bread of life (John 6:35).  Receive Him through God’s word as the nourishment to feed your inner man. Even the Lord Jesus standing as a man told the devil,

It is written, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4)

If the Lord Jesus lived on every word out of God’s own mouth, how much more should we.

Simply receive the Word by means of prayer, praying the Word with your spirit. In Ephesians 6:17-18, the Apostle Paul said,

And receive the…sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God, by means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit.

This life-giving practice is what we call “pray-reading the Word.” Here is a post on how to pray-read the God’s word to receive spiritual nourishment. I hope you will give it a try.

Study the word with a proper opener. Life-study of the Bible is my favorite.

The Life-study of the Bible has been the greatest help to my understanding the Scriptures.

Don’t presume that if you read the Bible enough times that you will see the mystery contained in it. We need to stand upon the shoulders of  God’s loving seekers who have gone before us. Otherwise, we ‘ll waste time and miss a lot.

When Philip, the evangelist  was led by the Spirit to preach Christ to the Ethiopian official in his chariot, he saw him reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading.

In Act 8:31 the Ethiopian replied, “How could I unless someone guides me? And he entreated Philip to come up and sit with him. He needed someone to explain the Scripture, to help him understand what Isaiah 53 was talking about.

We should not be proud but use the best openers to guide us into the proper understanding of God’s word. This is why I highly promote the Life-study of the Bible. But how can you know what is proper interpretation.

Check with the Ethiopian’s experience. Philip’s interpreting the Scripture issued in his believing the gospel (v. 38), being baptized and going on his way rejoicing (v. 39). The proper opening of the Scriptures leads you to Christ, fills you with faith and love for the Lord Jesus so you go on your way rejoicing!

Read the life-study message title and subtitles.

This kind of pre-reading will give you an overview of the important points in the passage of Scripture you are studying. It will help you to ask questions and be more engaged in your reading of the Bible with message as an opener.