177: How to Keep Your Focus When Studying the Bible
Hey, friend! When you sit down to read or study the Bible, do you find yourself distracted? It’s hard to stay focused when studying the Bible because there are distractions all around us, especially if you have kids at home or have to study in a place that may not be quiet or conducive to focusing.
As I’ve talked with women about making time for Bible study, I’ve thought about how I’ve learned to keep my focus. I’ve created a five-step process for getting into the study mindset so that you can stay focused.
There are several Bible study methods that can help you get into God’s Word. They can all be effective if you actually use them. When choosing a method, it usually depends on your personal preference or learning style. I always say the most effective Bible study method is the one you will use consistently.
In this episode, I will share what I call the FOCUS Bible study method. I’ll walk you through the five steps and give you my best tips for maximizing each step. So grab your favorite beverage and settle in so we can get started.
A couple of weeks ago, I did an episode about how to study the Bible in a deeper way. In that episode, I shared three ways to go deeper in Bible study. I’ve found, though, that some women are struggling with just getting started learning how to study the Bible. And they become distracted easily because they have not learned a good method they can turn to again and again to be able to study and understand what they are learning.
So, I’ve created a simple five-step method to get you in the right frame of mind for studying. Once you get comfortable using this method and making it a part of your Bible study routine, you can expand on it as you develop the skills to go deeper into Bible study.
As I’ve mentioned already, I named it the FOCUS Bible study method. Each letter of the word FOCUS stands for one of the steps in the process. Let me explain each one.
FOCUS Bible Study
F stands for “fix your eyes on Jesus.” Before reading or studying the Bible, we should start with prayer. When we fix our thoughts and mind on the Lord, we get ourselves into the right frame of mind to study and learn something from what we study. When you pray, ask Him to open your mind and heart to hear what He has for you to learn.
O stands for “open your Bible.” Ok, maybe this is obvious, but we have to open our Bible if we are going to study it. I encourage you to find a Bible in which you don’t mind marking, writing, or coloring. This could be a physical Bible, or you could print off the passage you are studying from websites like blueletterbible.org or biblegateway.com. I find that recording what I’m learning in my physical Bible helps me when I go back to those passages because I can see what the Lord has already taught me.
C stands for “color the word.” I’ve talked about color-coding your Bible here on the podcast before. I’ll link the episode in the show notes. I also shared my color-coding guide along with that episode. You’ll be able to grab a copy of the guide in the notes of that episode. I won’t go into great detail here about my thoughts on color coding except to say that it is one of the best ways to examine and take in what you are reading and learning.
U stands for “understand what you are reading.” The Bible can be confusing sometimes. And we often read it as written in our English language when there is so much more meaning in the original languages it was written in. When you encounter confusing passages, access online commentaries, use a study Bible, or other resources to help you understand what you are reading. I talked more about this in the podcast I mentioned earlier on going deeper into your Bible study.
S stands for “savor what you have learned.” Praise God for revealing his truths to you. This is the step where you will apply what you’ve learned. Ask God to show you how He wants you to live in light of what you have learned.
Let’s recap the five steps:
Fix your eyes on Jesus.
Open your Bible.
Color the Word.
Understand what you are reading.
Savor what you have learned.
I’ve created a free printable to help you remember these steps. Grab it from the link below.
