Does anyone remember the old time flannel boards from Sunday school of yore? (I’ve always wanted to use that word—yore—and I finally did! #smallgoals haha!)
So low tech but, man, they were so cool. Almost all my early memories of time spent in church involve carefully arranging pieces of stories like Joseph and his colored robe or Jesus feeding the 5000 onto big boards, green flannel on bottom, blue on top. I didn’t know it at the time but those stories were being etched into my heart and mind as I touched the flannel and looked at the completed image.
My teachers were showing me how to interact with Scripture, to connect with God’s Word as more than words on a page.
FIVE WAYS TO INTERACT WITH SCRIPTURE
As I got older, my Sunday school and Vacation Bible School teachers found other ways to bring biblical truths to life. Songs, drama, and drawing were some of the tools used to help me embed Scripture in my heart and mind.
Somewhere along the way, the creative techniques diminished. But what if they shouldn’t? So many of the most popular techniques of Bible study and meditation today reflect a growing desire among many believers to interact with Scripture beyond reading the words.
Today, I want to share with you five meaningful ways to interact with Scripture.
Read Scripture aloud.
When I teach and write Bible studies, a key part of what I encourage others to do is read passages of Scripture out loud. It may feel uncomfortable or awkward the first few times, but the act of speaking the words aloud is a great way to interact more deeply with the Word of God. When we read Scripture aloud it helps us process the words in a different way than simply reading to ourselves. {Side note: You can also listen to the Bible on various apps. I like to do this when I’m first studying a new passage. Hearing someone else read the words often helps me hear the nuances I might otherwise miss.}
Write out Scripture.
For as long as I can remember I’ve been writing out verses of Scripture. All my journals and prayer notebooks contain verses that have stood out to me as I’ve studied or been particularly significant in guiding my prayers. I also write out verses I’m memorizing to help me remember them. I’ve heard that the more senses we can engage when we are learning something, the more likely we are to grasp the concept more fully. Writing Scripture has become such a popular process it is a key part of many Bible studies. I love that my friend Denise has made that a HUGE part of her #WordWriters series. If you’ve never done one of the Word Writers studies, I highly recommend them.
Pray through Scripture.
It’s no secret around here how important I believe praying Scripture is in the life of a believer. Using the Bible to guide and influence our prayers is one of the most important spiritual practices we can incorporate into our lives.
Describe the scene in Scripture.
I love to use this technique to help me get a feel for the surroundings, emotions, and sights in what I’m reading. For example, last week our Sunday school lesson was about Nehemiah approaching the king concerning the need to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem. As I read the first two chapters, I thought about the brokenness of Nehemiah, how deep his grief was and the way his sorrow broke him. Visualizing and even writing out a description of the scene can help us grasp the details we may otherwise miss and it also gives us the ability to see ourselves in Scripture and to consider how we can and should respond in similar situations in our own lives.
Create with Scripture.
I dearly love my journaling Bibles. I’m not an artist by any means. I rarely create beautiful images on the pages of my Bible but I do love to write verses using creative techniques. I do not think this practice can supplant the actual study of Scripture, I do this, for those who are more creatively-inclined, a journaling Bible or other means of creating is a valuable means of interacting with Scripture and inscribing it into our hearts. {If you aren’t sure how or where to start with Bible journaling, I recommend the Illustrated Faith products from Dayspring.}
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There you go! Five ways to interact with Scripture. Have you ever tried any of these? Which one most appeals to you?
xoxo,
Teri Lynne
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Cherie says
I love these reminders Teri Lynne. I have recently started just writing out entire books of the bible. It really helps me slow down and concentrate on what I am reading, and allows me to make notations along the way. I’d like to get better at reading scripture aloud. I think this practice gives more power to the word when we speak and hear it.
Teri Lynne Underwood says
Hey friend!!! So fun to see your face here. And yes, writing it out the books of the Bible is such a powerful thing, isn’t it??