How to Study the Bible as a Couple
If there’s one spiritual vitamin that every Christian marriage needs, it’s studying the word of God. Yes, studying the word on your own is a necessity; however, studying the bible as a couple can (and will) give your marriage the fuel it needs to thrive. Don’t worry about all the negative things that would attempt to keep you from this special act – lack of time, distractions, busyness, or thinking it’s not relevant. Instead, read (and implement) the following 7 practical tips to help you joyfully start studying the bible as a couple.
How to Study the Bible as a Couple
Why Study the Bible as a Couple
Studying with your spouse goes far beyond creating in-depth intimacy on multiple levels. The word of God is truthful and authoritative, making it life-changing for your marriage. In Psalm 119, we can find many reasons to study God’s word:
- Serves as a guide for Christian living.
- Provides strength for the weary.
- Gives instruction for every area of life.
- Offers understanding.
- Brings renewal to life.
- Leads to joy and delight.
This list alone sheds a mighty light on how a marriage can be impacted by simply saying “yes” to studying the word – both alone and with your spouse.
Start Praying
Even before you start attempting to study the bible together, pray. Pray for the time you’ll need, what to study and what to use to help aid in your studies. Also, keep your marriage in prayer as you begin to open a new door of revelation and communication.
Communicate
Communication is always an important key in marriage, especially with decision-making. As you decide to study together, make sure you are both on the same page. There’s nothing more hindering in a marriage than assuming your spouse wants to do something and/or do it a certain way. Freely communicate your expectations, questions, doubts, etc. Then use them in the next tip.
Set Goals
Once you’ve openly communicated your expectations, questions, doubts, and the like, it’s time to set some goals. These goals should be smart: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Yes, this may sound like something you’d hear in business, but the same can be applied to the bible study time with your spouse.
To give you an example, a SMART bible study goal would look like this – As a couple, we will:
- Study the book of Proverbs.
- By studying Proverbs we hope to better understand godly wisdom.
- We will use our Bibles and a commentary to study.
- Learning about wisdom is relevant to our personal lives, marriage, and parenting.
- We will study Proverbs over the course of a month.
To help you keep track of your goals as a couple, consider a goal-setting planner.
Invest in Good Study Materials
Having good study materials such as a study bible can help when it comes to understanding context, biblical timelines, and the relevance of God’s word in your life today. There are also a number of companion books from commentaries to bible study guides.
Once you have decided to study, what to study, and set goals, now it’s time to invest in the materials you need to make it happen.
Start Small
Studying the Bible should never be about how much you’re doing more than what you do with what you’re learning. To keep from getting overwhelmed, start small. You could start with a few verses and slowly work your way up to reading entire chapters, then books – eventually leading to having read the entire bible multiple times.
Guard Your Time
Studying the Bible requires the choice to take your time with Jesus (and your spouse) seriously. Think about the story of Martha and Mary. Martha was told to basically put her busyness of housework to the side and to get like Mary, who was more concerned about sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Trust me when I say that it’s easy to get bogged down in the mind when thinking about all that needs to be done. However, when it’s time to study the bible with your spouse, try to forget about all else for the time being and embrace the time of spiritual growth.
Study with Other Couples
Sometimes it can be easier to begin studying the bible as a couple when you do it with a group. Having this small community is beneficial for having discussions that enhance understanding and knowledge about particular topics. It can also be comforting to share this personal journey with other believers.
In the end, studying the bible with your spouse should be simple and joyful. Keep these 7 practical tips in mind as you use your study time to discover more about God, His Word, and your spouse.
More to Consider
