Personalizing Scripture
When studying the Bible one of the techniques is to personalize the Scripture. By personalize I mean take the Scripture and turn it into a prayer, a conversation between you and God. Personalizing moves the words from your head to your heart, it transforms words to an experience, and helps you know God at a intimate level.
As an example, let’s look at Proverb 2 verses 1-11.
My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;
for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you
These 11 verses represent the exchange of an older, wiser man with a younger and likely less mature man or boy. It’s simply a summary of the cause and effect of seeking God…If you do X, God will do Y and you will receive Z.
Verses 1-4: Actions the subject (the boy) should do..If you
Verse 5: What to expect to receive as a result of doing those things…Then
Verses 6-8: Tells why God will be able to provide those things
Verses 9-11: The personal transformation and ultimate desire of your heart
To personalize the verses you would simply convert the incoming instructions into a promise you are making to God. Changing the suggested actions into a promise or desire to follow them.
Personalizing is just that, personal. But to help get you started, following is how I personalized verses 1-11 into an emotional prayer of my requests, promises, and my desired outcome from those actions.
Lord, teach me your words and commands,
so that I can store them up within me.
Help me to hear and understand your wisdom,
so that I can apply it to my heart.
Lord, give me a hunger and thirst for insight and understanding that is greater than my desire for silver and gold,
so that I will understand what it means to be in awe of you and to increase my knowledge of you.
For I know that if I do this,
I will walk upright and be blameless, just and faithful because,
You will give me wisdom and understanding and knowledge;
You will shield me, guard me, protect me, and give me victory.
Through these things
I will understand what is right and just and fair. Wisdom will enter my heart; knowledge will be pleasant to my soul, discretion will protect me; and understanding will guard me.
Praises to you, my Lord and my God, Amen
I trust this example will help you personalize the Scripture when you study them and in doing so, strengthen your love for and devotion to Christ. May the Living Word (as the Bible is often referred as) be alive in you.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12
