Sunday evening, our brother John Babuka encouraged us to be filled up with the Bible with 5 categories for how we can engage well with Scripture. Here’s a reminder of those categories with some additional resources included.

1. Read

Read daily and consistently. Don’t just flip through the word and pick a verse you like. Consider reading through a whole book at a time. Whether you break it into sections or chapters. Have a plan for reading the Bible daily and consistently. Click here some great reading plan ideas.

Don’t only read by yourself though. Reading the Bible in community is a great encouragement. Read with your family. Consider reading with a fellow church member. David Helm’s One to One Bible Reading is a great resource to help you do it!

2. Study

Seek to go deeper than merely reading. Try to understand what you’re reading and apply it to your life. Have a pen and a journal to record your thoughts and insights. Have a quality study Bible handy for consultation. These are ways to have God’s Word take deeper root in your mind and heart.

3. Meditate

Think about what you are reading throughout the day. To help you do that, get a 3×5 note card and write down a verse each day from your reading and meditate on it throughout the day. Mull over it. Chew on it. Thinking about what it reveals about God, about you, about the church, and about the world. What are its implications for your life?

4. Pray

Pray the Word! Not only can we pray many prayers found in the New Testament, but God even gave His people a prayer book in the Book of Psalms. God has given us language for how we can express every emotion we feel. When we are speechless, He gives us His words. Check out Don Whitney’s Praying the Bible. Seize your commute by listening to David Platt’s great podcast called “Pray the Word with David Platt.” There you can hear great examples of how to pray Scripture, and form prayers inspired by the words of Scripture.

5. Memorize

The best way to be ready in trials and persecutions is to have the Word memorized. In the desert, the devil took Scripture and twisted it, but Jesus quoted it to him in the true meaning, defending against evil. The Word is a sword against all evil, but only if it is ready to be used. Memorizing Scripture is the way we treasure God’s Word in our hearts so that we won’t sin against Him (Psalm 119:11).