When we think of ways to grow in our love for God and our neighbours, we often think of public or visible acts of service in which we give our time and resources: volunteering in church, donating money and clothes, babysitting for a tired mom, cooking a meal for a mourning family, and the like. But have we ever considered that loving God and loving our neighbours well means that we must know God’s Word well?

How do we study the Bible as sleep-deprived, weary moms? Mothers at any stage can easily fall into the lie that says we must study the Bible a certain way, everyday. Though Bible study is essential to the Christian life, we must guard against Bible study legalism.

Rather than continuing to stumble my way through the same prayer each morning, I found a journal and started writing my prayers. Writing our prayers can diversifying our requests and praise, focus our minds, and preach the truths to our hearts.

I avoided the Old Testament because I couldn’t make sense of it, and I really didn’t like how angry God seemed. There were times when the New Testament left me baffled and with more questions than answers (for example, the entire book of Hebrews). This disconnect begins when we forget the narrative arch of Scripture: the gospel.

God commands us to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger—we are to study God’s Word with eagerness, patience, and diligence before teaching it to others, and accept what it teaches us rather than rebel in anger. Unsure how to do that? Here are a few steps you can take each time you prepare to teach on a passage of Scripture.

My dear sister who loves theology, I must ask: Has this knowledge and theology changed you yet? Has your abounding comprehensionfound its way to your heart so as to shape your life? Do the words you speak, the thoughts you think, the actions you commit represent the information in your mind?

The why and how of memorizing Scripture—even though you can Google any verse you like.

What does it meant to be filled with the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit not only gives us the ability to understand Scripture, but He is also the One who enables us to obey it.

When we study the Bible, we may be tempted to take pride in our knowledge, practice, or ability. But if we only had our own talent to get us through Scripture, it would not be enough. The Holy Spirit not only helps us understand the Bible, but also convicts our hearts of sin and directly applies the Word to our hearts.

Before we begin learning how to study the Bible, we need to set our foundations. It is critical that we understand the purpose and characteristics of the Bible if we want to study it well. If we are to rightly delight in the Word of God, we must begin with a knowledge of it.