With most of our country following social distancing rules as well as stay at home orders from our states, many of us have found that we have extra time at home with our families. This should also give us the extra time we need to refresh our hearts and minds spiritually in God's Word and to form the daily habits of spending with God that we have always wanted to have, but have put off. Remember all the excuses that we have given in the past that we simply do not have enough time to really spend with God. I am certainly glad for the times that God brings the intense pace of life to a screeching halt and removes the distractions out of the way so we can focus on Him. Here are some practical helps to effectively study Scripture.

• Read quickly through the Bible in large sections from Genesis through Revelation in order to maintain a complete overview of Scripture
• Read a section of the Bible in the Old Testament and then a section in the New Testament. It does not necessarily have to be in order. You will be amazed how the passages relate to each other.
  
• Choose a book of the Bible and slowly read through it verse by verse and passage by passage making notes as you study and meditate on what God is saying
• Study what the entire Scripture teaches on one subject area by looking at passages that deal with that subject - There are 10 major subject areas: God the Father, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, Sin, Mankind, Salvation, Angels, the Church, the Scriptures, and the End Times.
• Use a devotional guide to focus on a thought from Scripture and to give you something to meditate on throughout the day

I would recommend that you use variety of these methods in your time of Bible Study and to change up the way you study from time to time. The most important key to studying the Bible is best summed up by a quote from a Giant of the Faith who knew what it meant to spend time with God.

“The first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day is to have my soul happy in the Lord.”
― George Mueller