For scholars, studying the Bible can be very extensive, complicated and hard to understand. But not all people are Bible scholars. We need a simple step by step guide on how to study the Bible so that we  can use it in our daily lives.  We have to remember that God wants the people to know Him and so making the Scriptures plain and simple.
This method can be summarized as “P.R.O.W.”. Prow is the pointed front part of a ship, and for the purpose of our lesson, it is the front part of studying the Bible. Using this simple formula, we will then have a better and clearer grasp of the message of the Bible than simply reading it.

Pray – This is the very first thing that we need to do before we read the Bible. We need to ask God to help us understand the passage. Always remember, without the Holy Spirit, it will be impossible for us to grasp the fullness of the message of the passage that we are reading.

Try to confess also your sins so that there will be nothing in the world that will hinder you in understanding the message that God is impressing on you. Just remember, don’t start without praying, else your Bible study will be insignificant.

Read – After praying, you will now have to read the passage.  There will be times that the passage is hard to understand. Therefore it is highly recommended that you read the passage 5 times. This will at least give you a more solid understanding of what the passage is all about.

You can also try reading it out loud. Some people can better understand it that way because they are more of an audio learner. If that helps, feel free to do it as long as you understand what you are reading.

Observe – Then you will have to observe several things on the passage which can use in your study. First, try to find the main keyword of the passage. You can do this by seeking the repetitive keywords, the heading of the enumerated things of the author, and sometimes by simply understanding the whole idea which can be summarized into one central keyword.

Make notes of the conjunctions that helps you understand the results of some actions and activities that has been done in the past. Some of these words are: but, therefore, in addition, as a result of, and since.

Take note of the questions being asked by th author and the character of the story that you read . Jesus and  Apostle Paul are prime examples who uses questions to give emphasis on their arguments. And most of the time, they are the main idea of the passage that you are studying.

You can also make note of the sudden change of the subject matter of the passage in relation to what is being discussed.  Don’t forget to jot down things that talks about or have a relationship with salvation.

Write – Start writing all those things that you observed. These will be the basis of your study summary and the basic outline that you will be making to better understand it.  Writing will help you remember well what you have studied. When you write it, what you learned is not just easily remembered but will stay longer and can be your future study references.

I hope this simple way of studying your Bible will help you better understand it and grasp the fullness of the message every time you read it.