How To Use Bible Study for Personal Transformation

Hey Bestie! In today’s post we are talking about Bible Study and why it is important to know the word of GOD especially if you want to see personal trasformation.

Recap – How to Be Disciplined Through Prayer And Fasting

In our last post, we discussed prayer and fasting, an essential foundation for this challenge. If you are serious about transformation, discipline is a must. And one of the best ways to train yourself to deny the flesh is through fasting.

We emphasized the importance of creating space for the things of God so that we can hear Him clearly and align our goals with His.

Bestie, fasting without prayer is just dieting, so it’s crucial to pray fervently. To help you stay on track, we provided a prayer guide in the last post, ensuring you are set up for success as we transition into the second part of our challenge: Bible Study.

For this challenge, we are committing to:

The Second Part: Bible Study

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Phew! In our overview post, I stressed how important it is to know the voice of God. Jesus said:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” — John 10:27

This verse is both exciting and sobering because it confirms that God speaks—but it also suggests that many other voices are competing for our attention. That means we must examine ourselves and ask:

Do I truly know the voice of God?
Am I hearing Him—or someone else?

I remember watching an interview on Hailey Beiber’s channel where a guest shared that she had a conversation with God and audibly heard Him say, “Cussing sometimes isn’t bad, and doing sex scenes isn’t really wrong because this is the job God gave me.”

You cringed, I know. I could barely sit still listening to that. But then I realized—many people claim to hear God, yet they speak things that are just… not Godly.

How Bible Study Helps You Know GODs Voice

Simple: It teaches you His Word. If what you think you heard does not align with the bible it is not GOD speaking.

And just like that, we arrive at the second part of our challenge: Bible Study. This will happen alongside our prayer and fasting journey.

Bible Study Challenge

Plan: YouVersion 365-Day Chronological Bible Study Plan
Duration: 365 days
Resources: Bible, Journal, Devotional

How to Do a Bible Study

Here’s some sobering wisdom: When reading the Bible, don’t approach it looking for yourself or trying to make it relatable to your life. Instead, seek a revelation of God and what He is truly saying.

The Bible is not a self-help book, bestie.

Too often, we make the mistake of reading scripture just to find answers to our own problems. We cherry-pick feel-good verses that cater to our desires. But the Word of God is His message to us. If we read it with a self-centered mindset, we might miss the most important things about Him.

So, when you read, do so with:

A sober mindAn open heart
A willingness to receive what God is revealing about Himself

Why Seek God in Scripture?

Because if you know Him, He will help you discover who you are.

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” — Genesis 1:27

We are made in His image, which means that finding our identity starts with knowing Him first.

Steps for Effective Bible Study

1️⃣ Pray Before You Begin
Ask God to open your heart to receive His word and for the Holy Spirit to give you understanding.

2️⃣ Follow the Bible Study Plan
Stay on track with the YouVersion 365 Chronological Bible Study Plan.

3️⃣ Highlight What Stands Out
If you come across something you don’t understand, pause and wait for the Holy Spirit to reveal it to you.

4️⃣ Journal What You Learn
Write down key takeaways—whether it’s something as small as the name of the oldest man in the Bible (Methuselah, by the way!) or as profound as the fact that we are made in God’s image.

Both are significant—so note everything that stands out. This will help you remember scripture and be able to quote it confidently.

5️⃣ End with Prayer
Thank God for His word and ask Him to help you apply it to your life.

Join a Bible Study Group

If you don’t have one already, please join a Bible study group. Studying the Word with others is crucial because:

📖 We all read the same Word, but God may reveal different things to different people.

📖 What God shows you might bless someone else, and what He reveals to someone else might bless you.

Devotional Recommendation For Bible Study

I don’t usually read devotionals, but for this challenge, I think “Upon Waking” by Jackie Hill Perry will be incredibly beneficial.

A lot of devotionals tend to be self-centered instead of God-centered, making them more motivational than spiritual. And personally, I’m not a fan of motivation—but that’s a conversation for another day.

“Upon Waking” is different because it helps you discover yourself in light of God. It sets the tone for your day, grounding you in truth.

Recommended Bible Translations

📖 CSB (Christian Standard Bible): Optimal blend of accuracy and readability. Faithful to original manuscripts.
📖 ESV (English Standard Version): Offers a modern equivalent of words and idioms found in the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts.

How To Use Bible Study for Personal Transformation – Bible Study Guide