How To Read And Understand The Bible

Have you ever found yourself struggling to know what the Bible says? If you have and maybe still have this problem, then you are not alone. The same thing has happened to me many times. However, now I know how to gain the necessary understanding from the verses I am reading. Since giving my life to Christ, all I want is more of Him in my daily life. So I end up seeking His hand and have found many great ways to know what God is saying in His Word. And today I want to share with you all the things I have discovered that have changed my life. I am now a new person and am able to read the Bible, with the Spirit of God present. So please read over the list of things below. Each thing I mention and explain is not in a specific order, but each item is important nonetheless. So think over the different things I mention and start understanding the Bible like never before. If your heart is for God, then you will want to do many of the things I mentioned. Even the Holy Spirit will give you this desire as you pray.

The verse of the day is:
¹“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

The following twenty one suggestions will help you better understand the Bible:

Repent of all your sins. When you confess your sins to God, this helps Him know that your intentions are real. So if you are living in sin now, repent, that you may be cleansed. Doing this will allow God to work in your life and open your mind to understanding.
Make sure there are no distractions. Find a quiet place to read and study the Bible. If this is not possible, then put on some headphones and listen to some classical, harp, or piano music, in order to drown out any sound around you while you read.
Start with a prayer. Ask God to give you understanding, through the Holy Spirit, and to speak to your soul while you read. This is showing your faith in God, that you really want to get something out of it and not just read because you have to.
Listen to the chapter via audiobook. It really helps when we can hear the Word of God from someone else. Think of this like church. What we hear will open up our minds, and if we have a hard time reading will help us hear it how it was meant to be read.
Read the chapter and pay close attention. This means looking in detail when it comes to each verse and words in the verse. Don’t read to fast, but read to understand as if God was there and he handed you the Bible to read.
Write down your thoughts. This can happen while you read or afterwards. Do this on paper, a journal, or via your phone, tablet, or computer. There are some great note-taking apps like OneNote, where you can record your thoughts.
Memorize different verses. There are many great verses in the Bible that God wants us to use with our family, friends, and others we meet. So listen to the Holy Spirit, that He may help you know what and how to memorize different passages of scripture!
Pray often. When we do this God knows that our hearts and minds are attentive to Him, while being ready to learn. God will then give a person that does this understanding. Even while you read and ponder on what you have read, the words will come to life.
Read the Bible daily. Either follow what your pastor is teaching in your own study or start with a specific book and read through each chapter. This will help you understand the context of what is being taught in scripture and better understand what the Bible says.
Read daily devotionals. On this site, you can use the advanced search to search by Bible book or keyword to find a specific devotional/s. Each message covers a different chapter of the bible and will give you a new understanding of what the Bible says.
Ask questions. In your church or friends in the faith, there must be some strong Christians you can ask your questions to. Use them to question anything you’ve read that you don’t understand. This can happen in person, a phone call or chat. But find ways to make this happen.
Search online for answers. This site and others have a lot of great content when it comes to the Bible. Speaking of this site, you can search the Bible by keyword and get those verses. You can also read the Bible and find the messages for each chapter.
Live out what the Bible teaches. Read often that the words will be in your heart at all times. This will help you remember the teachings and even give you the desire to live out what God has said. Strive to remember what the Bible says and ask God to help you obey.
Be a witness on the streets. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to share the gospel message with those that are lost. This forces your mind to think on Christ and even brings up verses, in these very moments we are with people, that you’ve recently learned.
Go on mission trips. This will really help give you strength and courage to speak the truth of the Bible with people you meet. If you want to understand the Bible better, then what is better than being God’s servant in His harvest for a few days or weeks.
Attend Bible studies. This will help you understand the chapters even more in-depth than ever before. You may not know how to explain certain verses, but someone next to you will. This will you gain understanding, while fellowshipping with other Christians.
Listen to Sermons. You can find many great pastors on the radio to listen to. These pastors and other great teachers also have a web presence with even more sermons to listen to on their website. This will open your mind to what the Bible says.
Watch Christian Ministries. This site offers an amazing listing of ministries to watch and listen to. This list is growing each month and while watching these pastors, evangelists, and teachers, you will gain a greater understanding of the bible.
Go to church. Your pastor or other teachers in your church will help you gain an even deeper knowledge of what the Bible is saying. This will help you learn the context of the chapters and how to apply the teachings in your every day life.
Volunteer to teach in church. This can be in different classes, small groups, or speaker in church when called. This may seem intimidating at first, but will really help you know how to teach what you have now learned in the Bible with those that may not.
Volunteer to teach outside of church. I am speaking of Nursing Homes, Bible Studies, Prisons, Christian Concerts, or other events. Teaching by the Word of God to those people in need is following Jesus and doing as He says.

Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that people will desire to do what they can in order to better understand the Bible. Nowadays we have many resources at our fingertips that will greatly help us learn and understand what You have taught us in scripture. Therefore, there is no excuse for not reading the Bible, and when we are, to not understand it. So give me and other people in the faith a greater desire to make time for You, while reading the Bible daily. And enlighten our minds as we read. Teach us things that will help us in our daily life. Convict us of any faults that are in our lives now. It is amazing the things I learn, while reading the Bible, that truly change my thoughts on different things. Where I once loved the things of the flesh and being gratified through what the world could offer me. Now, I’ve learned to despise anything that is fleshly in nature, since it doesn’t come from above. I don’t wish to have more guilt or shame built up in my life, because of the lusts within me, but be carried away in the Holy Spirit. So fill me up this day and forever with the Holy Spirit. I wish to be guided in Your light, and not only gain understanding but also have the strength to live out what I have been taught. To know You is one thing, but to honor You in my actions is another thing. I love You, Lord. To do Your will brings me the greatest joy of all. I love Your teachings in scripture. Each day I want to be filled up and be led by Your hand. Thank You, Jesus. I praise the King of glory. Amen.

Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.

Romans 10

¹Romans 10 (KJV)
1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.