Every session has a point—what each participant should walk away from the discussion knowing, feeling, and doing.

• Main Idea: When we meditate on the Word of God, we discover more of his truth and how he desires for us to live it out.
• Head Change: To know that meditating on and memorizing God’s Word will help us better exalt him in our lives.
• Heart Change: To feel empowered to read and apply the Bible.
• Life Change: To use the MAPS strategy as we study God’s Word, meditating on and applying it, then praying for his wisdom and sharing what we’ve learned.

What is your favorite way to learn something new?

Do you prefer to read a manual or book, or is a video your best method for learning? Maybe you need to hear a process spoken aloud, or see an example demonstrated. Whichever learning method helps you most, understanding takes time and concentration. Learning about God requires a similar approach. We can’t know God intimately through weekly or monthly sermons. As David Platt will show in this session, knowing God means spending time in God’s Word and meditating on it so that its message becomes integral to our lives.

Watch Session 8: Walking with God (10 minutes).

David continued his list from the previous session of three primary ways we can walk with God in an intimate relationship. In the last session, we learned that prayer and fasting help us communicate with God. This session was about the third method: letting God speak to us as we meditate on his Word. How would you typically describe your experience with the Bible?

The practice of meditating on Scripture is found in Scripture itself. In Psalm 1:1–2, we see what a blessed person is and is not: blessing comes not from inhabiting the world of wicked, scoffing, and sinful people but from delighting in God’s Word and meditating on it continually. There’s a direct connection between thriving (blessing) and the time and effort we spend with God in his Word. To what extent have you experienced blessing because you prioritized God’s Word? How have you seen the truth of this psalm play out in your life?

David described how he became somewhat obsessed with the letters his girlfriend would send him before they eventually married. He reread them, poring over every word to analyze their significance and discern exactly what she was saying. That’s the kind of focus we should direct toward God’s Word. What is your approach to reading and studying Scripture? How would you describe your level of curiosity and diligence with the Bible? 

With the acrostic MAPS, David laid out a process by which we can gain the most from our time in the Scriptures. M means meditate and memorize. David described meditation as “soaking in” the words of the Bible. Meditating requires consistent exposure to the Word through daily reading, investigating, and interpreting what it means. He recommended using a reading plan and choosing a specific time of day to assist us in our exploration of the text. What experience have you had following a reading plan? In what ways could using a plan influence the overall amount of time you spend in the Word? How could it impact the quality of your meditation on the Word?

What challenges have you experienced in establishing a regular, perhaps daily, time to read and study the Bible?

In addition to meditating, M stands for memorize. As Psalm 119:11 says, “I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.” When we memorize Scripture, we are fortifying our future selves with God’s wisdom so that when challenging circumstances arrive, we are equipped to think and act righteously. To what extent have you memorized Scripture? What can prevent you from attempting memorization? What motivates you to do so, and what practices have you found helpful?

A stands for apply. After we meditate and interpret, it’s time to understand how the passage should impact our lives. We consider how the passage changes our understanding, informs our actions, and speaks to our motivations. We should determine in what ways the message of the text compels us to behave. What truths from your time in the Word have prompted a new behavior or direction for you?

The Bible gives us a wealth of information to research and analyze. But what we read is meant to provoke us to action and change. How tempted are you to let the biblical passage remain an intellectual concept rather than allow it to influence your life? What’s the danger of only reading the Bible for knowledge?

After coming to an interpretation that fits the passage and its context, we apply what we’ve learned. But knowing what to do with scriptural truth is not always clear. What do you do when you aren’t sure how to apply what you’ve learned?

Next is P, praying the Word. David suggested we ask ourselves how the passage leads us to praise God, repent of sin, ask for help, and yield to God (the PRAY acrostic from last session). It’s never wrong to seek God’s insight into what his Word is saying and what we think he’s leading us to do. Does praying during your Bible reading come naturally to you or is David’s suggestion helpful? What circumstances might cause you to skip this step? In what ways is prayer vital to our meditation of Scripture?

The final step is S, share your takeaways. We should look for ways to encourage others with what we learn from our time in the Word. As God continually shapes us through our time with him, we in turn can encourage others with what we are learning. Often our greatest growth comes from simple conversations where we hear what God has been teaching others. What’s one way you’ve received truth, encouragement, or warning from a friend who shared what God was teaching them?

Just like we learn with different methods, so also we can use variety in the way we share what we learned from our study. What method is your favorite way to share what you are learning in Scripture?

God’s Word is full of truth, wisdom, and the story of his love for us. The more we spend time meditating on what he has to tell us, the better we will know him and the more effective we will be in helping others know him. What’s one step in the MAPS process you feel most convicted to act on? How could you put that letter into practice this week?