Here’s why you need this Bible study method

You can’t tell me you haven’t been there

I’ll never forget the moment I realized I was reading my Bible wrong.

Picture this: I’m sitting in my normal pew at church. Unsuspecting of what revelation I was about to have. Pastor is preaching in Hebrews and I’m sitting there— lost. And I mean completely lost. What is he saying? What does it all mean? Is it just me? or is everyone else this lost?

I realized that I fundamentally did not understand the Bible. I never even realized that it was a possibility, if I’m honest. As a newer Christian, I thought you would just “get it” as you read. The Bible was just reading the history, right?

I’m here to tell you that I was completely and utterly wrong about studying the Bible and how it all works. What we fail to realize about Bible study is that it isn’t just something you do because you’re told to. Bible study has greater effect on our lives than we admit. By reading and understanding the inspired word of God, you are fostering an open channel of communication with God. Reading your Bible is literally a way to grow your relationship with God directly.

You’ve probably found yourself in this same situation. You’re reading, sure, but did you understand?

Why Bible study?

Feeling so afraid and confused is so often why you find yourself drifting from your Bible. You become one of the many Christians who only open their Bible on Sunday. So many people read the passage their pastor preaches on and never open their Bible otherwise. It’s easy to fall into– And I can’t say that I haven’t been in exactly the same spot. It’s so easy to make excuses. That feeling of guilt as you avoid looking at your Bible leads you to think, “Tomorrow. For sure I will open it tomorrow.”

It’s tomorrow, isn’t it?

Reading the Bible is one of the most important things that we do daily as Christians. We have a never ending dialog with God in our hands. And God chose to set us free with His word and allows us to see the truth that non-believers are missing.

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32

The truth that Jesus, son of God, died on a cross so that we may be forgiven of our sins. Reading your Bible allows you to strengthen your relationship with God and allows you to act in a Godly manner everyday. God has blessed us with His word so that we can continue to grow closer to Him and further His word around the world.

So do not let yourself be afraid. Have faith that God has your back. Daily practice allows for confidence and understanding. After today you will not find yourself in a pew, dazed and confused. By applying a method called POIMA to your Bible reading habit, you will never again feel the guilt of turning away from reading simply because you don’t understand.

Here’s my secret weaponto Bible study

POIMA

POIMA is a method used by many Biblical scholars and seminary student to study verses, passages, or book of the Bible. It is simple, fool-proof, and extremely beneficial. Let’s break it down so you can start using it today and leveling up your Bible study.

The first letter is the most important. We read to deepen our relationship with God through His living word. We need to distance ourselves from our own understanding and lean purely on God. Pray to God for His understanding, that he allows you to peel away the layers of the world on your mind and allow the Spirit to show you what you need to be shown. This is a great opportunity to grow closer to God.

This is where you gain more understanding into the context of what you’re reading. Say you’re reading from John. You should ask: Who was John? When did he write John? Why was John written? Who was John writing for?

This is when you can consult trusted sources when needed. I encourage you to dig into extra refernces in a study Bible, a Bible dictionary, or a Bible commentary. Use these for questions from your observations, confusing sections, or to help answer more questions that come up as you read.

Meditation gets a bad rep in some Christian circles, but I’m talking about what meditation should be: sitting with the word of God. This can happen a number of ways, but mainly it’s about ruminating on the word and allowing a conversation with God about what you read. Connect pieces together, read further, or pray more for understanding. The main idea is that you don’t just read and forget what you read, but allow the Spirit to take hold and work.

Apply what you’ve learned. Maybe your reading allows you insight into a habit you need to change. Maybe it inspires a journal page about God and what your reading made you feel? Don’t just read the word and leave it, allow it to take hold in your life and change you for the better.

** I want to note that a more well known method is SOAP. SOAP has all the same elements of POIMA. When it comes down to it, I truly believe that POIMA is worth your time to learn and use over SOAP. So often I believe prayer is down played or rarely talked about. God has really put prayer on my heart and improving my prayer life has made me feel closer to God than ever before. SOAP does have prayer, but I believe it is better to pray before so that you open yourself up and allow God to lead you rather than your own headspace going in. Regardless, using a method is better than using no method at all, so whatever helps you dig into the word in a Godly manner is good!

Main Takeaway+ Printable

You need to level up your Bible study. Today.

Use POIMA (Prayer, Observation, Interpretation, Meditation, and Application) to get to know God and the answer to all of your questions. The Bible has your answers to historical events, to prophecies, and how to live your life.

To make it even more simple, I’ve made a printable for you to use! If you like it let me know! Or leave me some suggestions below of anything I missed.