Developing a Passion For Studying the Bible
Today I was asked an interesting question by a frequent visitor to The Hem.
She asked me, “Ameerah, how do I develop a passion for studying the Bible?”
This question really caught my attention because I too have struggled with this issue. In fact, I think all Christians who are willing to be honest with themselves will admit that they too have wrestled with it.
We want to want to study God’s Word, but, for some reason, the passion and zeal for studying the Bible just isn’t there. Then, we feel guilty for not studying as much as we know we should.
So, how Do you develop a passion for reading the Bible?
You read it when you have NO passion to do it what so ever!
One of the key things that we as Christians must remember is that we are 3 part beings:
- We are a spirit
- We have a soul (mind, will and emotions)
- And we live in a body (our fleshly nature).
Sometimes we forget that we still have a fleshly nature. That flesh does not like anything that has anything to do with God. In fact, there have been times when I would try to praise God or read the Word, and my flesh would revolt so badly that I literally felt physical pain!
But, the only way to crucify the flesh and deprive it of its power is to starve it and feed your spirit. That means doing the things that will build up your spirit man – Especially when you don’t feel like doing them!
Why?
Because if we don’t do them before we feel like it, then we will NEVER feel like it – Period.
So, whether you feel like you need more passion for praise and worship or for studying the Bible, there is only one solution:
Do It While You Have Not Passion…And the Passion Will Come!
God Bless!
Ameerah
2 comments
I read this post & it was definately for me
I want to read, study, meditate, & learn the Word but the passion doesn’t seem to be there. I have enrolled in your Christian Courses/Bible Studies (online) & when they’re sent to me I save them cause I plan on going back to them & read & study & answer any questions but I never seem to do this. I love God & My Savior Jesus Christ & I want to apply His rich & encouraging Word but I can’t seem to do what I am suppose to do & that’s to be an obedient child of God. What’s wrong? Why am I allowing the enemy to rob me of what God has for me or set out for me to read/do? Amerah please help me. I like your website & oh! How I want to be apart of your studies & apart of My Father’s Word & I want to be about His business of reading, preaching 
, enjoying, lovingn & strengthening from His Word. Tonight I’m going to begin & take the 1st step & please pray for me. In Jesus Name I Pray Amen 
)
I will definitely stand with you in prayer. Why it so hard? I believe whole heartedly that, once we come to saving faith, the enemy’s new goal is to stop us from truly seeking God. He’s already lost the battle of us coming to God, but Satan knows the Word better than most Christians. He knows that God promises that if you seek Him early and diligently, you will find Him. Ut, the flip side of that is that if you don’t seek Him, you won’t find Him. You will continue to feel as if you are walking through life’s battle all alone. The enemy wants to make sure You will continue to walk without power to overcome any of his attacks, and the only way to keep a Believer away from that power is to keep them from seeking.
I say all of that to say, look at it for what it is – An attack and a BATTLE! We each have to choose whether we are going to fight for the life and the relationship with God that Jesus died to give us, or if we are going to be passive and just accept the life we feel we’ve been “dealt”. I too know how hard it is to make that decision to fight. In fact I think every Believer who will be honest with you will tell you how hard it is. Sometimes it is almost as if it physically hurts to seek God through prayer, or to really dig into His Word. But, it’s like breaking through a wall that looks brick from a distance, but once you start really punching, you realize…it’s just paper!
So, my over simplified advice…just force yourself to do it! In the psychological self-help field, they call it “acting your way into right feeling.” Most of us wait to feel like doing something before we do it. But, that’s actually backwards because our feeling should not dictate our actions, God’s Word should. Instead, we should be acting based on what we know is right, regardless of how we feel. I’ve found that, when I do that, the fuzzy feelings about God follow. I usually don’t feel like praying until I’ve already been praying for a few minutes. Honestly, if I let myself get out of the habit, I have no desire to study until I pray and just dive in, then I feel myself getting excited about God’s Word.
God Bless!
Ameerah