Do you have to force yourself to study the Bible? Does your mind wander because the material is no longer as new and exciting to you as it was when God first opened your mind to understand? Have you set and failed to keep rigid schedules to make yourself get in your Bible study? How can you renew that "first love" for God's Word and work (Revelation 2:4)?

You can make your Bible study an interesting and exciting part of your day, but it takes effort and planning. Seven basic steps are outlined here to help you make your study of the Bible a scintillating and profitable adventure. Try applying these principles in your quest for knowledge and understanding of God's Word.

Think in Spiritual Terms

A first step is to ask yourself: "What is my life all about? Where am I going?" Recognize the fleeting vanity and futility of this life's pursuits. The book of Ecclesiastes has much to say along these lines.

Perhaps you are becoming entangled again in worldly desires, which our adversary the devil uses to ensnare and take us captive (2 Timothy 2:4, 26; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 John 2:15-16). Satan seeks to get you in his clutches. We should not be ignorant of his devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). His greatest weapons are the lusts of the flesh, the pride of life and the vanity of the mind (Proverbs 16:18; James 1:14-16; 4:1-10). Satan uses these tactics to deceive the whole world because mankind is caught up in the quest for selfish, materialistic goals, grasping at the elusive momentary pleasures of this life (Revelation 12:9).

Instead of following after worldly pursuits, follow the admonition of Jesus Christ. He said, "Therefore take no [anxious] thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?... But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:31-33, King James Version).

"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Therefore we need the Holy Spirit to understand God's Word and His purpose and plan for us (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). Do as Paul admonished Timothy, "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands" (2 Timothy 1:6). Think spiritually in word, deed and in studying the Bible (Proverbs 23:7; 1 Corinthians 10:12; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Philippians 4:8).

Ask God for Help

A second step to profitable Bible study is to ask God daily for help (Hebrews 4:16) before every study period—to give you more of His Spirit, which He gives to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32), to enable you to believe and increase your understanding of His Word. When you pray, asking God for answers and understanding, have your Bible (His Word, which is our daily bread—Matthew 4:4; 6:11) handy and He will guide you to His answers and give you understanding (see Job 32:8; Psalm 119:97-105, 130; Proverbs 1:1-7; 2:1-11; 3:1, 5-7, 19-21).

Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also... And whatever you ask in My name [by His authority to do His will], that I will do, that [for this purpose] the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it" (John 14:12-14).

God's Spirit enables us to understand and keep His Word. Jesus said, "When... the Spirit of truth, has come [it] will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13).

The apostle Paul explained, "No one knows [understands] the things of God [without] the Spirit of God... But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:11, 14). "Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit" (Romans 8:5). Ask God to renew a right Spirit in you as David did (Psalm 51:10-11).

Set Definite Goals

The first law of success is to set right goals. Solomon wrote, "Where there is no vision [dream, vision, revelation], the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18, KJV). It's hard to get excited about taking a trip if you have no destination in mind. Bible study is no different. You need definite purposes, objectives and direction to stir up your interest if you expect to get anywhere.

Goals such as the common, "I've got to get in 30 minutes of Bible study every day, come what may," or, "I'm going to read the Bible through once every year," can be helpful and may produce a measure of self-discipline, but may do little for some to motivate or spark real interest and desire.

Goals need to be challenging and satisfying, and they should stimulate personal growth. They should be practical—seeking answers to basic questions and problems of everyday life, and seeking vision into the higher goals and purposes God has for us and for mankind. Why have you been called now? How can you honor God in your family life and on the job? How is God dealing with you to perfect His character in you? How can you help others?

As Paul wrote to Timothy, "Study to [show yourself] approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness" (2 Timothy 2:15-16, KJV).

And avoid vain, philosophical questions that do not profit (Colossians 2:8). For, "The secret things belong to the L ord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29).

Write your Bible study goals down in a notebook so you won't forget them, and add new ones as needed. Your Bible study will accomplish much if you have clear, definite objectives when you begin.

Plan Your Bible Studies

Organize your goals and objectives into related subjects and set up priorities, with the most important subjects first. Avoid the mistake of the scribes and Pharisees, who put the little things first (Matthew 23:23).

Organize your time. Set aside a specific period every day to allow yourself the opportunity to accomplish the goals you have established. Be flexible, of course, when you're pinched for time, and adjust your schedule or adapt your study to fit the time—but don't just skip it. Bible studies can vary from regular personal studies to occasional family or group studies, depending on the subjects and need.

Take notes. What you learn from a particular study may be quickly forgotten if you don't write it down. You can review written notes occasionally and add to them in future studies. Your organized notes will also be helpful in teaching your children and others and in writing articles. You may also want to cross-reference your Bible.

God's Word was inspired and written according to a definite overall plan, but the knowledge of any particular subject is usually scattered throughout its contents. So search all the Scriptures for a complete understanding of a subject and for the proper biblical context and meaning.

Use Reference Materials

Various Bible translations, dictionaries, word studies, concordances, commentaries, as well as books on history, science and other fields, can give helpful background information to facilitate better biblical insight, if properly used. Remember that you should use them only to supplement and magnify the Bible's meaning. They should never replace the Bible, which alone is the foundation of all truth and understanding (John 17:17).

Don't give up if understanding the Bible is still difficult. We learn little by little if we don't give up and quit. Keep your inspiration up by discussing your Bible studies with others of like mind. God will add to your understanding and joy if you are in the proper attitude and are truly seeking to know and obey God and understand how He would have you serve Him.

Some have allowed themselves to lose interest after years of reading and studying the Bible, the Bible Study Course and a continuous stream of booklets and articles in The Good News magazine and other publications. Don't let familiarity turn you off.

When you review familiar subjects, seek to make them more relevant or rewrite them in your own words. Try to gain a deeper understanding of God's Word as it applies to you, and learn how current events tie in with Bible prophecies and the plan of God. You never know when God may want to use you to give an answer to others, so "always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15).

With a little effort and a constant awareness of world conditions, you can motivate yourself and have the drive to succeed. As you realize how badly you and this world need God's help and understanding, let this stir up the Spirit that is in you (2 Timothy 2:6-7). Remember Satan is out to discourage you by every means possible (James 4:7-10; 1 Peter 5:8-9).

Meditate on What You Study

Meditation, an important but often overlooked tool, is one of the most helpful ways to add new life and meaning to your Bible study. If you can't sleep, meditate on God's Word and He will give you sleep (Psalm 127:2), and "your sleep will be sweet" (Proverbs 3:24).

The Psalms contain these inspiring words: "Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts" (Psalm 119:97-100).

Meditation—concentrated reflective thought and mental dissection of a topic—can increase your grasp and memory of the Bible and how to apply it in your daily life. Therefore, "meditate on these things" (Philippians 4:8).

Put the Bible Into Practice

When you have applied the above principles and developed real interest and zeal in Bible study, don't forget to act on what you learn!

We are to prove what is acceptable to God and then hold fast to it (Ephesians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). God gives a good understanding to all those who keep His commandments (Psalm 111:10). Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).

Bible study will take on a whole new meaning as you "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18) and begin to reap the fruits of righteousness. You will be a living example of what the Bible teaches.

And as Peter wrote, "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord... by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust... Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble" (2 Peter 1:2, 4, 10). UN