Jesus said: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ (Matthew 4:4)​​

 

1. Begin with prayer.

Before opening your Bible, pray to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand God's Word. Pray, "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law." (Psalm 119:18)

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2. Read the passage carefully.

Open your Bible and read a section slowly. "My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart." (Proverbs 4:20–21)

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3. Consider what the passage says.

Look for the plain, clear meaning of the words. Ask simple questions while you read: Who is speaking? What is happening? "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law." (Deuteronomy 29:29)

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4. Clarify terms.

When you come across a word you don’t know well, this you get to learn it. Look up that word in a dictionary, like Noah Webster‘s of 1828. "Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:14-15)

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5. Build your understanding on more clear truths first.

Sometimes you will run into a verse that is hard to understand. Don't worry! Ponder first and most: What does this passage reveal about God? Then, what does it reveal about man and our need for Christ? God promises we will eventually be able to sing: "The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." (Psalm 119:130) The Bible is clear about God, His law, our sin, our need for Jesus Christ to be our Redeemer, and how we are to live in grateful obedience to God in Christ.​

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6. Compare this passage to other parts of the Bible that shed light on it.

To help understand trickier verses correctly, look up other more clear verses and consider these together in light of what the whole Bible clearly teaches. You can do this using a study Bible that has other scripture references to the side of the verse you are reading that relate to it or by using a Bible app in which you can do a digital search for the word you want to understand better by reading other Bible verses about it. "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4)

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7. Interpret the Bible with the church.

To interpret is to translate or unfold the correct meaning of words. We also need help from our local church. And we get to stand together “on the shoulders of giants” from past centuries. The same Holy Spirit who breathed out and preserved His word is the same God who has helped Christians in His true church in every generation to interpret it correctly together. To check your interpretation and read a concise, systematic theology, you can next find the doctrine (teaching) in the Second London Confession of Faith. "So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading." (Nehemiah 8:8)

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8. Read this passage in light of the whole Bible.

The entire Bible is one big story about God saving His people through Jesus Christ. "And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, [The resurrected Jesus Christ] expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." (Luke 24:27) If you are reading the Old Testament, ask: How does this show why we need Jesus, or how does this promise Jesus coming? If you are reading the New Testament, ask: What does this teach me about Jesus, His cross, or His kingdom?

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9. Trust and obey what you learned:

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16–17) Is there a sin to confess, a command to follow, or a promise from God to trust today?

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10. Thank God in prayer for what He showed you in His Word.

"My lips shall utter praise, for You teach me Your statutes. My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness." (Psalm 119:171–172)