Thirty years ago this month I led my very first weekly Bible Study. I’d never been so scared in my life! Lying in bed the night before, I silently told God all the reasons why I was the absolute worst candidate in the world to lead a Bible Study. It was a fairly substantial list J. My loudest objections included:
· I had absolutely zero theological background – I didn’t even know what that meant!
· I’d only learned to study my own Bible the year before.
· I was so uncomfortable speaking in front of groups that with many tears I’d begged my 7th grade Speech teacher to let me drop her class.
· I had a gigantic inferiority complex.
Need I say more? Surely God could have found a better candidate, right? But, what He did find in me was a girl who had absolutely positively fallen in love with Him and His Word. After years of trying to read and understand the Bible on my own, someone finally taught me how to do so. This so radically changed my life that all the rational reasons in the world couldn’t keep me from helping others learn how to feed themselves from Scripture!
Do you have trouble applying God’s Word to your life? If so, here’s a simple acrostic I’ve created that’s helped me. These are 5 Questions you can ask yourself anytime you come into contact with God’s Word and are wondering how He would have you A.P.P.L.Y. it your life:
A – ADMISSION to make
Is there something within this passage that I need to admit? (an attitude, etc)
P – PROMISE to claim
Is there a promise that I can personally claim for my life?
P – PRAISE to pray
Is there something I need to praise/thank God for? (characteristic of His, etc)
L – LESSON to learn
Is there a lesson here that I need to learn?
Y – YIELDING to do
Is there something I just need to stop and yield to?
Not every question will be pertinent for every Scripture, but your intentional focus will allow God and His Word to become far more personal to you. Find a passage and A.P.P.L.Y. it to your own life. I’m confident you’ll find yourself falling deeper in love with God and His Love Letter to you.
Really Relating
What’s your favorite Bible Study tip?
What helps you to apply God’s Word to your everyday life?
Posts
I really love this, thanks for posting this Vickey
ReplyDeleteLove this! I will apply it in my own life..though have to print out to remember acronym. My brain such the sieve at moment. Keep posting...jamie
ReplyDeleteHey Jamie -
ReplyDeleteHave you been trying the A.P.P.L.Y. principle, or did it sift through the sieve :o) I can totally relate to your comments! I like to say that my brain is just too full to hold many new thoughts - I'm like a computer whose memory chip has maxed out! Anyway, I'm praying that God's Word is coming alive to you in fresh new ways. Print out the acrostic and slip it in your Bible. Or, do what I do and put it on a post-it and stick that on the inside cover of your Bible. (Never ever met a post-it note that I didn't like!) If you journal during your devotional times with God, another idea would be write the A.P.P.L.Y. acrostic at the top of your journal entry. Hopefully, just seeing it there will encourage you to have a more personal conversation with God about how to relate His Word to your life.
Anyway, blessings on your time with Him.
Because of Him,
vb