Let us suggest a way to use a Life-study Message to study the Bible.
First, pray to open to the Lord. This is crucial because you need to use your spirit to study the Bible. You do not need to pray for a long time.
Second, read the title and the subtitles of the message to get an overview of the content.
Third, read and pray-read the verses, being careful to manage your time wisely. If there are too many verses to cover in the allotted time, just pray-read the key portions of the key verses.
Fourth, try to identify the main point covered in each verse as outlined in the title and subtitles. The title and the subtitles are there to guide you in studying the verses; therefore, you must know how they relate.
Fifth, read the text of the message section by section and underline the crucial points related to the title or corresponding subtitle.
Sixth, pray with the crucial points as you are reading. Go to the Lord with these points in confession and in fellowship that He may fill you with His Spirit to renew your mind.
Seventh, write one or two sentences to summarize each section. This will keep your mind focused on your reading.
Eighth, at the end of the message, write a conclusion summarizing what it has revealed to you in the verses.
Ninth, pray with the content of the message. This will help you assimilate the main points.
Tenth, speak to others about what you have seen. You may use your conclusion as a prophecy in the Lord’s Day meeting.
You can modify this example to best suit your needs. Whichever method you use, you need to exercise your whole being to study the Word of God.
It may be more enjoyable to study with several companions. Pray with your companions and encourage one another to pursue the truth (2 Tim. 2:22). Your companions will help you persevere.
It is necessary to be definite. Everything in your human life is definite. The sun rises and sets at definite times. School starts and ends at definite times on definite days. Airline departures and arrivals adhere to clearly defined schedules. Therefore, you need to be definite in studying the Bible (Eph. 5:16). Set up a definite time and day for studying the truth. Determine what materials you will use and your rate of progress. It is not only prudent to have study companions, but it is also good to tell your elders and serving ones of your plan of study, so that they may guide you. If you receive any enlightenment, be sure to share it with them. If you have any questions or difficulties while studying, be sure to fellowship with the elders and serving ones. This will help keep you on course.
If you are definite in your pursuit of the truth, you will be constituted with the truth gradually.
It is very beneficial to memorize some of the key verses in the Bible. There are approximately 1,200 chapters in the Bible. If you can memorize one key verse from every chapter, you will have a rich reserve to draw upon when you speak (1 Tim. 6:20). Your mind will be constituted and saturated with His word (Deut. 11:18; Rom. 12:2; Col. 3:16). A psalmist prayed in Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.”