What to prepare before reading the Bible?
When we heard about the word "Bible", there's one thing that always pops-up on our mind and that is "All About Jesus".
Bible is a book that consist of a lot of books also. The whole book of the Bible was divided into 2 parts. The first one was called "The Old Testament", and later or last part part was called "The New Testament". There are 39 books in The Old Testament (First part of the Bible) with different authors, while on the other hand, there are 27 books in The New Testament (Later part of the Bible) with different authors also.
If you were not familiar with the book of Bible, maybe you are now in the state of shock and confussion. Let me simplify it for you. The book of the Bible was a compilation of 39+27 books (from the Old and New Testament). A total of 66 books with different authors in every era. In short, Bible is a book of books about everything in our life and in this world.
Take note of this, when I say EVERYTHING, it's "JESUS". Jesus is everything, and Everything is all about Jesus. The 66 books in the bible was written in different times, places, situations, and formats, and maybe we can consider the different languages and dialects they used in early years. It was only converted and translated in most used language in every country nowadays.
Some of those books was written in some place of Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Etc.
Different times like before Christ was born and After Christ Era.
Different situations encountered by different people like the authors and apostles.
Different formats like Psalms, Proverbs, Stories, Well-Known Quotations, Poems, Promises and a lot more.
Different languages such as Hebrew and Greek.
All in all it was an amazing book.
(That was just my introduction though HAHA)
Let's go back to the main topic, What we are going to prepare before reading the Bible? In my article, I will tell you 8 things to prepare and be ready before reading the bible. Here we go!
1. Peaceful Place - you can find for a peaceful place inside or outside your house where in there are no things that might distract you from focusing in what you are reading. This maybe your living room, personal bedroom, mini-garden, terrace, or a mini-library. The place was all depend in your choice. Choose a place where you feel like home or comfortable. I may suggest that these place of your choice are away from noise, from your children, or even your sisters or parents. It's like you are having a personal and one-on-one talk with God. You should look after the lights also coz as we all know, we are going to read. It's good if you're place had a perfect lightning that suites for your eyes.
2. Alloted time - If you will have a special talk with someone, of course you will set a time to have a talk with that person. The time is in your choice. I suggest that you will set time reminder in your phone or alarm clock so that it will remind you everyday that you have to read your bible, and have a talk with God. This can be at night where everyone is on their sleep or maybe early in the morning before the sun rises. You will not be needing a lot of time for reading the bible, it can be done for 15-30 minutes or 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Physical Bible or the Book itself - It is really important that you will have a physical book where you were relying your devotion. It's good that you will have a bible in your computer or mobile phones, but I won't suggest that you will use it during your personal devotions. Because there are times that you will recieve a notifications from social media, text messages, calls, games or what so ever that may distract from reading the bible. Always remember that we should set aside everything for awhile and just focus on God's word and instructions for your devotional alloted time.
4. Highlighter - You will be needing a highlighter to highlight the verses that has impact in you. When you think that God is talking to you through that verse, then highlight it, so that everytime you will open your bible and you saw a highlighted verse your day will be automatically lighten up. I suggest that you will use a neon color of highlighter. I promise you, it would help
5. Notebook and Ballpen - Don't you ever forget this two everytime you read your bible, or even if you're having a devotion. Have a ballpen and personalized notebook that you will only use when you read the bible. It maybe a journal type or a diary type. You can personalize it by naming it "My Daily Devotion", "New Wisdon", "Heart of God", "All about Jesus", or "My Journal Notebook", it all depends on your choice. Just think and be creative.
Maybe you were asking, "What am I going to write in the notebook?", "What's the use of it?".
Let me give you a certain situation. For example, you are planning to read 1 chapter everyday. Today you will read the Chapter 1, after that you are going to take down notes what you have learn, important verses, reflection, what you are going to change, or even promising verses that you will claim and you will hold on to. On the next day, you will read the Chapter 2, same rotation, you will also take down notes. Until it became your hobby, and sooner or later, reading the bible will be included in your daily routine.
6. Mind - As we read the bible, let us open our minds and let us be humble to accept new learnings from the word of God. Remove the thinking like a fool such as "I already know that" because we didn't know everything yet, and we cannot surpass and achieve even a little what our God is thinking and planning. Let us be open minded to accept new learning, new knowledge and new wisdom because through that we can have the victory over everything in this world. Remember that "God knows that you don't know".
7. Heart - Let us prepare our hearts before reading, on reading, and after reading the bible. Let us open our hearts to accept Jesus as a center of everything in our life. Let us entrust our hearts to Him that He will break the rock hearts into pieces, let Him take care of it and bring back all the pieces together to build a new clear heart again.
8. Spirit - At last, but not the least, prepare your spirit. Let us prepare our spirit because through spirit we were able to talk to God. We were able to feel His presence. Through spirit we can feel His love, His hugs and His Hands reaching for us. Lastly through spirit we were able to worship Him. Remember the verse on the bible about worshiping, "Let's must worship Him in spirit and in truth".
Before I end up this article, I just wanna share some encouraging talks about the Bible. Did you know that Bible is the "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth"? It means that, as long as we are living in this world, let us take and follow the basic instructions everyday. It's not yet late, we may start it now and today. It's like now or never!
Thank your for reading, Jesus loves you!