This article aims to present seven practical tips that can help us get the most out of the Bible for our lives:

1. Read regularly and in order

If we want to start reading the Bible effectively, then we mustn’t do it three times a year. One of the basic and first rules is the regularity of our reading. We can read and meditate on it every Sunday, for example, but it would certainly be better every day. If the interval of our reading is too long, it will bring only small results for our life.

This rule of regularity also includes systematic reading, i.e., reading in order. We should avoid opening the Scriptures at random, not because God can’t speak to us anyway, but because we will understand the biblical texts much better if we read them in context.

For example, we can choose one chapter for one meditation, or one paragraph marked with a subtitle. But to begin with, it is better to take one chapter so that we can read the entire Holy Scripture as soon as possible. Only then will even the less well-known and more difficult texts become clearer to us. It does not necessarily mean that we have to start reading the Bible from the beginning, that is, from the Book of Genesis. We can easily start with the Gospels, which are more familiar and understandable to us at the beginning, continue with the New Testament to the end, and then return to the Old. The important thing is to read the Bible all the way through… and then continue over and over again. Since it is the Word of God, we cannot simply “know” it all or exhaust its treasures.

2. Prayer to the Holy Spirit

The first rule talked about our reading in general, and how to set up our mode of biblical contemplation (it is clear to us that reading alone would not solve anything special, it would only give us a general biblical overview, but it would not satisfy our soul). Now let’s look at how such reading and meditation of biblical texts should take place.

We know that the biblical texts are ALL inspired by the Holy Spirit, so if we want to understand them correctly, we have to ask the original author what he meant. And that is the Holy Spirit. The texts were created under his guidance, and we must read them under his guidance. We can do so with a short prayer at the beginning, such as: “Holy Spirit, enlighten my mind so that I can correctly understand this word of God, so that I can find out what you want to tell me through it and so that I can put it into practice.” Without such a prayer we should not start reading the Bible at all, because it is not some history textbook or a historical novel, but the word of the living God speaking to man.

3. Read without prejudice, carefully, and with faith

This rule may be a little laughable, but no less important. Many times we approach the biblical text with big prejudices, for example: “I would read the Bible, but it’s so difficult to write!” or: “I read the Gospels sometimes, but the Old Testament, it’s just battles and wars.” We must give up such and similar prejudices because they prevent us from penetrating the deeper essence and message of the biblical text. Of course, this is ancient literature, so let’s not expect politically, democratically, and sociologically correct texts according to the understanding of a person living in the 21st century, but their message and God’s truths are timeless and still just as relevant. The Book of Wisdom or the First Book of Maccabees is just as much God’s word speaking to modern man as the Gospel according to Matthew.

4. Don’t be afraid of working with text

We have already said that this is ancient literature, through which scribes guided by the Holy Spirit capture the history of salvation and the experience of God’s people with God’s saving actions. It is therefore completely natural that we cannot understand all the metaphors and similes that people of that time used to express themselves. Even in 1000 years, people may not understand what it means to be “in” or “out” or to “hate” something. That’s why they are biblical scholars, and thus experts specializing in God’s word. They research his texts, history and work it into footnotes under the text. Although it is written in small print and sometimes quite technical, it is worth looking at and reading things that often completely explain our questions about the text we are currently contemplating. In the Jerusalem Bible, we also find the so-called marginalia where there are references to other texts within the Holy Scriptures talking about the same or a similar subject as the given verse.

5. What does this text say to me personally?

In the vast majority of cases, we do not meditate in order to preach it in religion, in church, or to explain it to someone else. We meditate because we need to be fed with God’s word. This means that our first question should not be: “What does this text want to say in general?” but “What is God saying to me through this text?” to take one idea from him and stay with it until we are satisfied with it. Only then should we continue.

6. To capture what appealed to me

Since we are forgetful people and even with our best intentions we always miss something, it is highly recommended to have a diary or other notebook in which we write down what appealed to us during biblical meditation. There is also no need to be afraid of highlighting and writing in the Bible itself. Many people have a problem with this because it seems undignified, but the truth is that it is not the pages of the Bible that are sacred, but what is written on them. This means that it is always more commendable to have a Bible scribbled and be able to navigate in it, than to have it placed on a shelf in the living room in a place of honor and to wipe the dust from it once a week. But the rule remains that everyone does what is most convenient and natural for them.

7. Prayer based on the meditative text

Again, our contemplation should end with prayer. This is a kind of summary of what appealed to us. For example, if the sentence speaks to me: “And behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world” (Mt 28:20), then I can pray: “Thank you, God, for never leaving me.” Thank you for choosing to accompany us until the end of the world. Forgive me for forgetting this matter so often…” And so on. Prayer based on a meditative text helps us better assimilate and accept the text through which God spoke to us.

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