Tuesday: Deep Bible Study
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 28th of April 2026
Even if you don’t have to be a scholar to study the Bible, how can you study the Bible deeply?
Pray: It’s impossible to overstate the importance of prayer as bookends to (and bookmarks throughout) your Bible study time. Ellen G. White tells us that when we come to read the Bible, we are not alone. By inviting the Holy Spirit to be our guide, we reject all other distractions, and the enemy flees. “The Bible should never be studied without prayer. The Holy Spirit alone can cause us to feel the importance of those things easy to be understood, or prevent us from wrestling truths difficult of comprehension.”—The Great Controversy, Pages 599, 600.
Image © Lars Justinen at Goodsalt.com
Read and Write: It could be said that a main difference between merely reading the Bible and studying it comes down to one key act: writing. Writing helps us slow down our thoughts, reflect on God’s Word, and work through it at a pace where observation, interpretation, application, and commitment can occur. It also helps our initial scattered ideas to work themselves out—from our head, to our pen, and then into our hearts for the day. We are also more likely to remember something that we’ve written down (Psalms 119:15-16). If you’re unable to write your thoughts down, try reading the Bible aloud (or listening to it), followed by your thoughts as a prayer to God.
Share: Tell someone what you’ve learned. This will solidify it in your mind and encourage someone else.
Select a short book of the Bible to begin with (such as Jonah, Mark, Philippians, or 1 John), and slowly work your way through it. Here is a simple approach you can apply to one verse (the verse-by-verse method), a passage, or an entire chapter:
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Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide your mind and soften your heart as you read.
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Choose a Bible verse or passage.
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Write the passage in a journal or portions of the passage that stand out as you read.
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Prayerfully read the passage again and underline the key ideas.
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Write down what the underlined ideas tell you.
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Pray over these ideas and how they impact your relationship with God.
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Consider whom you might share this with today.
“Whenever the people of God are growing in grace, they will be constantly obtaining a clearer understanding of His word. They will discern new light and beauty in its sacred truths. This has been true in the history of the church in all ages, and thus it will continue to the end.”—Ellen G. White, Counsels to Writers and Editors, Pages 38, 39.
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In what ways have you found the message in the quote above to be true for you? See also Psalms 119:105. |
When I was teaching, we used to have what were called open-book examinations. Some students thought this was a great idea. They could open the textbook and find the answer to an examination question by copying it to the examination answer paper! Big Mistake! Those of us who had been through the examination mill many times, knew the answers were not there to be copied. For a start, you need to know the textbook pretty well in order to find what you wanted. Secondly. Textbooks were useful for providing formulas and facts but they do not solve problems for you. And you can bet we teachers made sure the problems in the exam were not identical to the ones in the textbook.
An important part of learning is understanding. Anyone can learn a sequence of words or numbers off and recite them but that does not mean you understand them I once knew a person who learned the value of Pi to 1000 decimal places. He used to show off but most of us lost interest when he got to 20 deicmal places. And it didn’t make him any better at solving maths problems that used Pi.
What I am trying to get to is that Bible study is not about quantity but understanding and application. In the context of today’s lesson topic, “deep” does not mean hard to understand or something mystical that only the initiated can learn. “Deep” means relationship building.
The scribes and Pharisees thought they had it made. They knew their scripture better than anyone else. The had PhDs to prove it. Yet Jesus said to them:
Is it possible for us to think we are pretty good at Bible Study? Do we kid ourselves that we know a lot about the facts and interpretation of the Bible, but at the same time know little about the relationship with Jesus?
As Christians, we must not study the Bible simply to accumulate information. While Scripture is written for us, it was not originally written to us for Books there in were addressed to people who lived nearly over 2,000 years ago and understood them within their own cultural and historical context. This reminds us that Bible study requires humility and intentionality. Its purpose is not just intellectual growth, but transformation that helps us know God more deeply and prepare us to take part in His work in this broken world. As Peter reminds us, we should always be ready to give a reason for the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15), a readiness that comes from a life grounded in Scripture.
At the same time, true understanding goes beyond intellectual appreciation. While history, language, and context are helpful, real discernment comes from the Holy Spirit. Paul the teaches, that Scripture equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17), yet it must be received spiritually (1 Corinthians 2:14). This is why prayer is essential in Bible study, it opens our hearts to God’s will and aligns us with His purposes. Bible study should bridge the gap between the ancient text and our present lives, leading us not only to understand God’s Word, but to live it and share its message with others.
What is meant by deep Bible study, and how deep should it be?
A deep Bible study is likely to mean engaging with the Bible in a sincere, committed and purposeful manner. It is an intentional act of engaging with Scripture beyond reading to understand its historical, cultural or literal context. It is to allow the Scripture to speak to your heart, soul and spirit. It is a deep reflection and meditation that goes far beyond information. It is a time to allow the power of God in written form to bring transformation in the life of the believer. This is not an academic endeavour but a spiritual adventure. This is the moment to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the hidden mysteries in the Word of God. It is the time to seek the truth as concealed in the sacred pages. It is time to humble ourselves before God to understand His character and to be transformed by His Word.
The very purpose of a deep Bible study is not to gain more information about spiritual things, but to seek the face of God for our salvation. This is a human endeavour in partnership with the Holy Spirit to know the will of God in our lives. Once God has revealed His will to us, it should be our single most important desire to align our lives accordingly. Deep Bible study without a genuine desire to be changed is indeed a form of great self-deception. Understanding is not an end in itself. Understanding must lead to repentance. Repentance must lead to obedience. Obedience leads us to our Father.
Knowing/understanding who God is through Bible study is eternal life. “Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3). When we genuinely search God in Scriptures, He will give us a heart to know Him.
“I will give them hearts that recognize me as the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly.” (Jeremiah 24:7, NLT).
The study of the Bible needs to be broadened to include other flexible methods so at anytime there is a way to be in contact with the Word of God. For example,when supper busy just open the Bible and randomly read three verses from the chapter that opens.This will always keep us connected to the Word God until we have the time for in-depth study.
Studying the lesson has been my goal every day for years now. It is a commitment, an addiction, a blessing, and a grace. God uses His servants to write beautiful, deep thoughts about the truth, and it is amazing how this works to sustain faith. I’m so thankful for this systematic study of God’s Word, which gives me peace!