page_title: Bible study (Christianity)
section_title: Personal Bible study
hierarchical_section_title: Bible study (Christianity) / Personal Bible study
caption_attribution_description: English: Banner, 12 July Orange Parades, crossing Donegall Square South, Belfast, Northern Ireland, July 2011 (Rev Wm Maguire Memorial Total Abstinence Loyal Orange Lodge 717)
context_page_description: In Christian communities, Bible study is the study of the Bible by ordinary people as a personal religious or spiritual practice. Some denominations may call this devotion or devotional acts; however in other denominations devotion has other meanings. Bible study in this sense is distinct from biblical studies, which is a formal academic discipline.
context_section_description: In Evangelical Protestantism, the time set aside to engage in personal Bible study and prayer is sometimes informally called a Quiet Time. In other traditions personal Bible study is referred to as "devotions". Catholic devotions and Anglican devotions both employ the Lectio Divina method of Bible reading.
  Christians of all denominations may use study Bibles and Bible reading notes to assist them in their personal Bible studies. However, the use of such aids is discouraged in many churches, which advocate the simple reading of Bible passages. In some cases, the practice of reading through the entire Bible in a year is followed, this usually requires readings each day from both the Old and New Testament. This practice, however, has been widely criticized on the basis that the understanding gained of each specific passage is too vague.
  The association of Bible study and prayer is an important one. Christians do not merely study the Bible as an academic discipline, but with the desire to know God better. Therefore, they frequently pray that God will give them understanding of the passage being studied. They also consider it necessary to consider what they read with an attitude of respect, rather than the critical attitude which is frequently followed in formal study. To them, the Bible is not just a sacred book, but is the very Word of God, that is, a message from God which has direct relevance to their daily lives.
caption: Martin Luther studying the Bible on the banner of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland.
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