The Absolute BEST Way to Read the Bible (And Most Don't Do It)

I wanna give you some advice on how to approach the Word of God while inviting the influence of the Holy Spirit. Before you read your Bible, pray these things to the Holy Spirit. Number 1, thank you, Holy Spirit. It's important that we're grateful for the Word of God. You see, when you read the Word, you're not just opening a book, you're hearing from God himself. It is a privilege. It is a joy to be able to approach the scriptures and receive spiritual truths. Enthusiasm is good. It's good to be enthusiastic about the word of God, but sometimes emotion fades. That's where often discipline will kick in, and discipline is better. So enthusiasm is good. Discipline is better. But obsession, obsession is best. And obsession comes from the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can give you an obsession for the Word of God. I'm gonna read something to you found in Psalm 119, beginning at verse number 47. I will delight in your commands, which I love. I will honor and love your commands and meditate on your decrees. Remember your promise to me. It is my only hope. Your promise revives me. It comforts me in all my troubles. The proud hold me in utter contempt, but I do not turn away from your instructions. I meditate on your age-old regulations, O Lord. They comfort me. May the Holy Spirit give to you a love for the scriptures. So when you go to open your Bible, just say, thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you that you speak to me through the word. Thank you that you're giving me instructions for my life. Thank you for the great advantage that is revelation of the word. Think about the advantage you have, the privilege you have, that when you go to the word, you're getting God's instructions to you for everyday living. That of course causes you to live a life in the favor of God. Now I wanna show a clip to you. This is a clip of Chinese Christians receiving their first Bibles, and I want you to look at how they respond to receiving the word.

哎，感谢主了，感谢主。 改 变 什么？ 改 变 什么？ 改 变 什么？ 就是 改 变 我们 该 需要 的。 当 我 看到 这 本 书， 或者 看到 了 那 些 帮 助 我们 的 弟 兄 姊 妹， 他们 的 血 和 泪 放 出来 的， 这是 我们 教 会 这个 时候 最 需要 的。 也 真 是 我们 最 需要 的时候。 May we never forget the privilege that we have in reading the Word of God.

Think of that. They were enthusiastic, almost desperate-like reaching for their copy of the Bible. And in many parts of the world, our brothers and sisters are being persecuted They're giving up their lives just for believing in Jesus. They're being martyred for their faith. And if they were caught with even a portion of what we have in the scripture, they would forfeit their lives. Yet, we trade this word for social media scrolling, entertainment, a little bit of extra rest, maybe. Distractions of this life. Honor the Word. Be grateful for the Word. Number 2, teach me, Holy Spirit. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, we read, all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. All scripture is inspired by God, or God-breathed, or of his Spirit. The Holy Spirit inspired every word in scripture. The Holy Spirit wrote through human vessels, communicating to us divine revelation. So the Holy Spirit inspired every word. The Holy Spirit authored this book. And so no one understands a book better than the author. And you have the author of the Scripture there with you as you read. You know, I often hear Christians remark things like, well, I wish Jesus were here, or I wish I could have Jesus come over to my house, or I wish I could just share a meal with Jesus. But do you realize That Jesus is with you by the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead dwells in you. That you have fellowship with the Holy Spirit, conversation with the Holy Spirit, friendship with the Holy Spirit, connection with the Holy Spirit, union with the Holy Spirit even now. So that when you go to read the Word of God, you're not doing it alone. You have the author sitting right beside you. The Spirit of Jesus, that's what the book of Acts calls him, the Spirit of Jesus. Sits next to you. He fellowships with you so that when you read the word, you're able to say, teach me, Holy Spirit. Give me divine revelation. Show me what it is that you want me to learn. Show me what it is that I need to see. Open my spiritual eyes, open my spiritual ears, cause me to receive that which is heavenly in my life. So that as you read the Word, you have the author sitting beside you and you can say, teach me, Holy Spirit, guide me through this revelation. And that is another privilege that we have. So pray those things. Pray, thank you, Holy Spirit. This is to acknowledge that you're grateful for the Word. Say, teach me, Holy Spirit. This is to acknowledge that you need his help. We don't have everything all figured out. Yes, I know some believers are scholarly, they're intelligent, They understand the historical context and the cultural context and so forth. That's wonderful. And it's good to know the Word of God like that, but you still need the Holy Spirit. You still need His help. You can't do it on your own. Number 3, transform me, Holy Spirit. Now watch this in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. There's a lot here, I want you to see this. And the Lord who is the Spirit makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. Now, in the book of James, we're told that the word of God is like a mirror. And many believers look at their reflection in the mirror, leave and forget what they look like and never make any changes based on what they saw. That's how some believers treat the word. They come, they read, and then that's it. They forget about what they read. They move on with distractions of this world, and they never really see any traction in their spiritual life. And maybe that's you. Maybe you're frustrated with a certain area in your life where you feel like you're just not getting a lot of movement, or you feel stuck in a certain thought pattern or stuck in a certain sinful habit, or stuck in a certain place with your ministry or spiritual gift, and you're reading the Word trying to find that traction, that transformation, that movement forward, and maybe you're getting frustrated. You need the help of the Holy Spirit because watch this now. For the Lord is Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So the presence of the Holy Spirit brings liberty. Now watch, this is describing you. So all of us who have had that veil removed, Well, if you're a believer, you've had the veil from your spiritual eyes removed, and now you can see. Now watch, we've had that veil removed and we can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And one of the ways that the Holy Spirit reveals the glory of the Lord is through the Scripture. So that when you're reading the Word, please hear this. When you're reading the Word, you're not just processing information. You're looking at Jesus. You're catching a glimpse of his face. When you open those pages, when you open even that Bible app, you're looking at the face of Jesus. You're catching a glimpse of who he is. And the Holy Spirit now takes that. So all of us had that veil removed and can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord, who is the Spirit, makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image. You become like what you behold. You're transformed into what you obsess over. And so as you pore over the Scriptures, as you obsess over the Scriptures, you're thankful for them. You're asking the Holy Spirit to teach you the Scriptures. Now you're reading them and you're saying, transform me. Why? Because you're catching a glimpse of the glory of God. You're catching a glimpse of the face of Jesus. through the Word of God. And as you're receiving that revelation, you're looking at that image of Jesus and you become a reflection. You become like that which you worship. You become like that which you behold. You become like that which has your attention. So that intensity of attention, that focus, that giving Him your mind, that surrender of the mind, that is the point at which there is transformation. So then you're reading the word and you're saying, transform me. The Holy Spirit begins to convict you. I'm sure that's happened to you. Tell me in the comment section if you've ever been reading a portion of the scripture and you've been convicted. And if so, tell me what God used to convict you. But you've been there. You're reading the scripture. And as you're reading the scripture, you'll come across a certain, and you're convicted in your heart. And you realize that the way you're living doesn't match what you're seeing in the Bible, or the way you're thinking is being contradicted by a truth from the word. And so it's at that point that you then can say, thank you, Holy Spirit, for the conviction. Now transform me. I wanna yield in this area. You have to yield. And many of us, as we read the word, we see things that contradict our lives, the way we think, our attitudes. And instead of yielding to the word, we harden our hearts. We dismiss it. We kind of just put it off to the side, out of our minds, just where it's conveniently placed out of the focal point of our attention. And we try to forget about what God is speaking to us, but the word of God doesn't change. The truth is the truth, whether you acknowledge it or not. The truth is the truth, whether you try to forget it or not. The truth is the truth, whether you yield to it or not. And so the Holy Spirit shows you something, he's convicting you. He's showing you your reflection in the Word. It's at that point that you need to say, transform me, Holy Spirit. Yield to what the Word of God says. Don't hold on in stubbornness to the things that you wanna keep in your heart or in your mind or in your lifestyle. Instead, let those things go. And say, okay, hold on. And here's the thing, your flesh will fight you hard. Your flesh will wanna hold on to what it craves. And you'll let yourself off the hook. You'll be dismissive toward it. You'll try to downplay the area in your life that contradicts the Word. But this is why we need to approach prayerfully, humbly saying, transform me, Holy Spirit. Listen, if this message is blessing you, and you want other believers to receive this same truth, then make sure that you leave a like on this video right now. Just by leaving a like, you're helping to spread the content to even more Christians around the world. And also, if you wanna continue to receive my teachings on the Holy Spirit, prayer, and spiritual warfare, make sure you're subscribed to my channel right now. Did you know that I think it's like 60% of the people who watch this channel regularly aren't subscribed? If you're one of those, subscribe right now and make sure to click that notification bell when you do subscribe. Number 4, remind me, Holy Spirit. Now in John 14:26, Jesus says, but when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative, that is the Holy Spirit, he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. So one of the, primary roles of the Holy Spirit as it pertains to the teachings of Jesus is to remind you of them. But how is the Holy Spirit supposed to remind you of a teaching that you've not received? How is He supposed to bring to your remembrance a truth that you've not come to know? So ask the Holy Spirit to remind you, yes, but make sure you're also intaking the Word. Make sure you're also reading it, listening to it, receiving it through sermons like this, teachings like this, And as you do, say, remind me, Holy Spirit. I'm constantly asking him for this. Like, for example, I was reading about the fruit of the Spirit the other day, Galatians 5:22-23. And as I'm reading over the fruit of the Spirit, I'm highlighting in my mind certain fruits that aren't as ripe as the others in my life. I think you know what I mean? I need a little more work in some areas than others. We all have areas where we're weak. And I constantly pray, precious Holy Spirit, just remind me to be patient. Remind me to slow down. Remind me to come off kind, because I'm aware that sometimes with my type of personality, I can say things and sometimes people take it the wrong way. And I have to be— it's my responsibility to be kind. And so I say, Holy Spirit, just remind me to be kind. Remind me to be patient. And I'm always asking for his help. In fact, people, when they ask me for prayer, I'll say, Holy Spirit, remind me of that. Remind me to pray for them, because I don't wanna just say, oh, I'll pray for you, and then forget about it. I say, Holy Spirit, please remind me of that. And especially as I read the word, if there's a truth or a revelation that I've received, I say, Holy Spirit, Remind me of that truth as I live my life. Don't let it be something that falls far away from my mind. Don't just walk away and put it out of your mind. Don't just receive the word and then go on with daily living where you're distracted. Yes, you have to live this life, but hold on to the word. Make sure that the word is planted in your heart. Make sure that you are not just letting go of the treasure that you've received. And so ask the Holy Spirit, remind me of these truths as I live. Psalm 119:11 says, I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. I love the way that's phrased. That's the bearing of that treasure. That's the receiving of that truth. That's the holding onto of that revelation, keeping it close, ever on the mind, constantly on your thoughts, meditating on it. Holy Spirit, remind me. of these truths. Remind me of what you taught me in your word. Psalm 119:93 declares, I will never forget your commandments, for by them you give me life. That spiritual strength, that spiritual vitality, life and life more abundantly found in the word. And so you say, Holy Spirit, Remind me as I live my everyday life, remind me of those truths. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your truth. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for the word that you've inspired. Teach me, Holy Spirit, that I might understand those truths. Open my spiritual eyes and ears. And as I read it, transform me, Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Help me to yield in all those ways that you need me to be compliant. Mold me, shape me. You're the potter, I'm the clay. And as I live my everyday life, remind me, Holy Spirit, of those truths that I've received from you, that I would hide them in my heart and that they wouldn't go far from my mind, that I might have life and life more abundantly. So precious Holy Spirit, we invite you. Invite him now. Pray it now. We invite you to teach us, to transform us, to remind us. Help us to remember to acknowledge you as we approach the scriptures. Even now, let us sense the beauty of your presence. And I, I sense a strong leading to pray this right now. And Lord, I pray in the name of Jesus that your healing power would begin to flow and touch your people. There's healing virtue flowing right now. I rebuke sickness and disease in the mighty name of Jesus. Every pain, every ailment, I rebuke it now. Lord, bring healing to eyes and to ears, to joints and to bones and to muscles and to nerves. That every cell in their body conform to the will of the Father. In the name of Jesus, be made whole. And Lord, deliver your people. Break every bondage in the name of Jesus. Let that addiction be broken. We break that alcohol addiction in the In the name of Jesus. We break that drug addiction in the name of Jesus. We break that pornography addiction in the name of Jesus. Every demonic assault, we rebuke it now. Cancel every plan that the enemy has made over them and establish your plans, precious Holy Spirit. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. And I want you to type it really big in the comment section if you agree.

Type amen.

Galatians 6:6, those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. Romans 15:27, they were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the good news from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do And what they do in return is to help them financially. A biblical principle that the church needs to recapture in this generation, especially, and generations onward. We need to recapture this reverence for the Word, where we honor the receiving of the Word through the giving of finances. That is 100% biblical. And I believe there's a blessing in participating in this way. Whenever I receive the Word, I sow. Whenever I sit in a church service and receive a message from God's Word, I sow. In fact, when I'm on the phone with mentors and people who pour into my life, I sow. I'll send them something through Zelle or through Apple Cash, you name it. I make sure to sow where I've received from. You give where you grow. You sow where you've received.

Why?

So that the kingdom of God can continue to advance, so that God can bless you, so that you can be a blessing and continue to be a blessing to others. It's a, it's a spiritual ecosystem, if you will. It's a cycle. God will bless you to bless others and bless you to bless others. And that flow of giving is produced in our lives when we step out in faith. And sow generously into the ministries where we've received. And so I'm gonna challenge you now, ask the Holy Spirit, how much should I sow into this ministry where I've received the Word of God from? And as you sow, do so cheerfully, whatever God puts on your heart, sow with a good attitude. There are some believers who get upset whenever a preacher talks about money. out of fear or greed, they withhold and they set up spiritual-sounding excuses that actually contradict the scripture. Don't be like those. Follow the teachings of scripture. It is biblical to sow where you grow. So do that today, right now, by going to davidhernandezministries.com/partner. And as you partner with our ministry, you're helping us to reach more people around the world. And Ultimately, that is what it's about. So become a monthly supporter. That helps us out tremendously. Those single gifts are very helpful, but those monthly gifts, those help us plan for the future because we have committed monthly givers. That brings stability, and we're able to look and see what's gonna come in every month, no matter what. So consider that today. Sign up for an automatic monthly gift by going to davidhernandezministries.com/give. Thank you. Consider a gift of 25 a month, 10 a month, 30 a month, whatever God puts on your heart. You can also give a single gift by going to davidhernandezministries.com/donate, and that single gift will also help us in our efforts to spread the kingdom around the world. Now, whether you do single or monthly, do it today and do it with a cheerful heart. If you enjoyed this message, you will love You'll Never Read the Bible. Bible the same way after this. Make sure to check out that teaching now.