LaToya, Author at Women Finding God

4 Simple Ways To Get More Out Of Your Bible Study

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Learn how to get more out of your quiet time with God with these Bible study tips. Perfect for beginners and understanding how to apply the scriptures to your everyday life.

It seems like I never have time for the important stuff:

Exercise
Fun with my boys
Time to study my Bible

I mean, I’ve gotten pretty good at reading it most days. At the very least I open my Bible app on my phone and read a few verses. But digging deep … I don’t always have the time for that.

If you can relate to not having enough time to study your Bible keep reading. I have 4 easy Bible study tips that I want to share with you.

Bible Study Tip #1: Use an Acronym

Have you seen those cute SOAP printable sheets for Bible study? A few years ago they were super popular and for good reason — it’s easy to use! All you need to know is what each of the letters stands for and in a few minutes, you can go really deep into a passage of scripture.

I used the SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) for a long time. And it served me well. But I put that to the side for another method that has really blessed me: The APPLE method.

The APPLE Bible study method:

Attributes of God
Promises of God
Principles for life
Lessons learned (or sin to avoid)
Example to follow

The APPLE method is a little more involved than the SOAP method and it takes me about 15-20 minutes to work through a passage. But I love it! All you need is your Bible and some paper or your favorite journal.

I found out a few years ago the benefits of studying the promises of God. And I truly believe that getting to know how God is and what He wants for your life is the best way to make it through any hard season. And the APPLE method helps me focus on those things.

Bible Study Tips #2 & #3: Verse Mapping and Word Study

One thing that can really be a struggle when it comes to Bible study is trying to understand exactly what the scriptures are saying. This was something that I battled with when I was trying to read from the King James Version.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with good old King James but for me by the time I figured out how to say the words in the scripture I had no energy (or desire) left to figure out what it meant.

If you have this same struggle it doesn’t have to keep you stuck from growing.

There’s an easy solution that works no matter what version of the Bible you read or how long you’ve been a Christian: Word study and Verse Mapping!

These two methods of studying the Bible have really helped me study and understand the precious words of scripture. And they are pretty easy to do. All you need is access to a dictionary and a concordance.

The basics of a word study involved looking up the original word that was used (in either Hebrew or Greek) and then seeing what it meant when it was used. A Bible dictionary is great for this!
With verse mapping, you want to look up definitions of keywords in the scripture to help you understand what it means. You can use a regular dictionary for this which is great because you can plug in the meanings of each word and suddenly have a whole new grasp of a verse or passage.

The best thing is that each of these methods can be done in as little as 10 minutes.

Bible Study Tip #4: Topical Bible Study

Once I had a handle on those quick and easy methods of studying my Bible I wanted more. I wanted to go deeper and I wanted to be able to take the things that I was learning and actually walk it out in real life.

That’s when I tried a topical study of the Bible.

This has become my favorite way to study my Word by far! It combines the things that I love about the APPLE method, word study and verse mapping in a way that helps me to have a complete understanding of how to be a doer of the Word.

Have you ever tried a topical study?

The basic idea is that you want to spend time reading every single verse the Bible has on a specific subject or topic. Doing this really gives you a clear picture of not only what the topic means but how to take that meaning and apply it to your life.

If you struggle with shame, a topical study can help you understand the truth about shame, what God wants you to know about shame and how to get to free from that bondage once and for all.
Fear, anger, and worry are also great topics to study this way. It helps you to understand what it looks like when you are afraid, what God has to offer as the solution to that emotion and why you don’t ever have to worry about it again.
Struggling with finances? A topical study on money will help you to find and understand the biblical principles surrounding money so you can become a better steward of what God has given you. Or it will help you to see God as the provider that He promises to be.

The thing that I love about a topical study is that I can find connections and truths that I never thought of before. I’ve been doing a topical study on Trust for the past few months as I work on a new book. And I have been blown away by all that God is revealing to me about this topic. The truth really does set you free!

Do you know how many words there are for trust in the entire Bible?

I do, I learned about each one during my topical study.

I know that studying every single verse on a topic can seem like an impossible task. I assure you it isn’t. And it doesn’t take a long time. I’ve been working on my current study for a few months but it still only takes me 10-15 minutes a day.

I learned each of these tips in the course Bible Study Methods: 7 Ways in 7 Days! Arabah Joy helped me see how easy and fun it is to dig into God’s word. She showed me 7 simple ways to study that don’t take up a lot of time!

Your Turn: What is your favorite Bible study tip?

3 Quick And Easy Ways To Stay Focused During Quiet Time

By LaToya 3 Comments

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Inside: These 3 tips will help you stay focused during quiet time with God. No more falling asleep or being distracted during prayer or Bible study!

It was as if all the stars aligned that morning.

I actually woke up on time … relatively
My boys were happily entertaining themselves in their room
I even got out of the bed instead of hiding under the covers

I grabbed my Bible, journal and headed to the living room for some much needed time with God. I couldn’t wait to just sit down and enjoy some time in His presence.

There was just one problem …

I couldn’t focus. My mind was all over the place. I stared at the pile of laundry that still needed to be folded. I thought about all the errands that needed to be run that day. And for some reason, I suddenly couldn’t remember if it was time to get the oil changed in my car.

Distractions often derail the best-laid plans when it comes to time spent growing our faith and deepening our relationship with God. And they aren’t always things related to housework or the kids.

Sometimes there’s just so much going on that it’s hard to reign in our thoughts and emotions.
Our children are going through a tough situation and we are overwhelmed by the desire to help
We feel burden by the weight of all the evil going on in the world
There’s so much pain in our personal life that it’s hard to take a breath and look up for help

3 Quick And Easy Ways To Stay Focused During Quiet Time

Whatever the reason or the cause we can’t allow distractions to keep us from the one thing that will help us find hope, peace and maybe even finally put that laundry away.

What are we to do when distractions come? Here are 3 things that have really helped me in the past.

1. Have a Plan

One the best ways to avoid being distracted is to have a plan. Knowing where you are going to have your quiet time, what you are going to study or pray about and having all your supplies in one place is a great way to get started.

Having a plan also helps to take the guesswork out of your time with God. No more decision fatigue. No more minutes wasted trying to figure out what to read when you open your Bible.

2. Reading and Praying Aloud

Confession: I have a bad habit of falling asleep while I pray. And sometimes I fall asleep face down in my Bible instead of reading it.

I have found that reading and pray aloud helps me to stay awake during my quiet time, especially if it’s evening after the boys have gone to bed.

One reason this is so helpful is that it helps with retention. As you are reading your Bible and saying the verse aloud it begins to take root in your heart. After an entire week of reading the same verses over and over again, you’ll definitely have it hidden in your heart.

3. Dealing with Distractions as they come

Sometimes God will bring a person or situation to mind while you are studying and praying. This is not meant to be a distraction. Instead, it’s usually the Holy Spirit’s way of prompting you to pray for them.

Sometimes no matter what you do distractions will come. But all hope is not lost. Here are a few things you can do:

Pray and ask God help you stay focused
Take some time to do a brain dump before you get started. This will clear space in your mind and heart so that you can hear from God more clearly
When something interrupts your thoughts during your quiet time keep a scrap piece of paper nearby to jot those thoughts down. This way you quickly refocus but still have a list of things that need to be looked at later

The next time all the stars line up for your quiet time with God you’ll have a few tips to help you deal with any distractions.

Your turn: How do you handle distractions during your time with God?

7 Encouraging Bible Verses About God’s Love

By LaToya 1 Comment

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Inside: Do you have a longing in your heart to be loved and cherished? Here are some bible verses about God’s love to encourage you when you feel lonely or brokenhearted.

A few weeks ago we said goodbye to my mother-in-law after a long battle with cancer. It’s never easy saying goodbye to someone we love. I remember how hard it was when I lost my father to cancer 7 years ago. Truthfully, it’s still hard.

There is one moment that will stick with me forever from her funeral service. And I’ll get to that in just a moment. One thing that really resonated with me during that entire service was love.

Love for a wonderful woman brought so many people of different backgrounds and from all over the country together. As people shared some of their favorite memories of my mother-in-law there was a common theme: love.

They told of her love for others. Whether she was serving in her church, caring for her patients in ICU or just loving her family.

I saw our love for her. Hearts broken at the thought of not seeing her smiling face here on earth. Tears of pain and ache. But I also saw tears of joy. Joy that she was now healed, whole and living with the Father.

And then came the moment that overwhelmed an entire church with love. My father-in-law sang a tribute to his bride. Something that took him almost a year to put together. Something he wasn’t sure he would have done in time. But it blessed every single person that was privileged to hear him play and sing that day.

I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for him to watch the woman he shared so much life with slowly fade away. Or how much of a labor of love it was to put together a tribute to her. To know that she wouldn’t be with him much longer but to want to do something to honor their life together.

It was beautiful. And there was no doubt about the love that was shared between them. It still brings tears to my eyes to think of that sweet moment.

And even in that painful and beautiful moment, I got to witness another act of love. When my son, wanting to be there for his grandpa stood beside him and simply placed his hand on his shoulder. A small gesture. But something that meant the world. His grandpa told him later that having him right there was what got him through the song.

When things began to calm down a little and I had a moment to reflect I began to wonder if anyone would ever love me that much. With two failed marriages to my name and having suffered the pain of domestic violence, I don’t know that I ever want to open myself up in that way again.

But that song made me pause and wonder if there would ever be anyone that felt that way about me.

Can you relate to that longing? That desire to be so important and cherished by someone else?

I have some good news for you (and for me) …

There is someone that loves and cherishes you just that much and more! He adores you and calls you beloved. And yes, he even sings beautiful words over you to tell you just how much he cares.

Who is this person? It’s God.

7 Encouraging Bible Verses About God’s Love for You

The Bible is full of scripture after scripture telling about God’s love for his children. There’s a reason some call the Bible God’s love letter to us. From Genesis to Revelation God demonstrates His love for each of us. Here are a few verses to get you started (if you’d like more here’s a month-long reading plan and prayer calendar all about love):

John 3:16 – “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Psalm 5:11-12 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy. For you bless the godly, O LORD; you surround them with your shield of love.

Romans 5:7-8 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Romans 8:38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

Psalm 69:35-36 For God will save Jerusalem and rebuild the towns of Judah. His people will live there and settle in their own land. The descendants of those who obey him will inherit the land, and those who love him will live there in safety.

1 Corinthians 13:13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Isaiah 54:10 For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the LORD, who has mercy on you.

Get your free prayer calendar and reading plan for more encouraging Bible verses about God’s love