Introducing The 5 P's - A Bible Study Tool That Has Changed My Life

A couple of weekends ago (has it been that long already?!) my sweet mother-in-law gave me a gift that cost her $10 + some gas money. Considering the lasting impact that gift has made on my life she got a deal because the true worth simply cannot be measured. I will forever be grateful that she followed God's prompting(s) to invite me to a Priscilla Shirer simulcast as well as to let me spend the night at her house the night before knowing how much I struggle with early mornings. Had that not been part of the package the trip probably would have been a no-go. Fortunately, God, in His infinite wisdom, made the stars align and we made it to the church on time that morning to enjoy what would be a life changing experience.  

I am not going to go into detail here about everything that God revealed to me that weekend because we would both be here a while. What I am going to share with you is a tool for studying the Bible that Priscilla shared with us. This tool has changed the way I read and study my Bible. It has freed me from being completely dependent on a written Bible study and has enabled me to read through God's Word for myself so that the Holy Spirit can speak to me where I am at in my own journey. I am not saying that Beth Moore Bible studies will become obsolete if you choose to use this method of study, however, they will become mere compliments to God's word instead of substitutes for it.

Instead of doing double work and paraphrasing what Priscilla has already written, I am going to simply insert an excerpt of her explaining it to you herself. This is from the leaders guide in her "Can We Talk?" study:

"AS YOU BEGIN YOUR TIME WITH THE LORD EACH DAY" 

1. Position yourself to hear from God. 
Encourage your group members to find a place where hearing God can be made more simple each day. Engaging in the spiritual disciplines of silence and solitude always assists in hearing God through the Scriptures. 

"AS YOU LOOK INTO THE PASSAGE YOU ARE STUDYING" 

2. Pore over the passage and Paraphrase the major points. 
Take time to fully engage in each verse you read. Don’t just skim over it; meditate on it. Then paraphrase what you’ve read from each verse either in your workbook or a separate journal. 

3. Pull out the spiritual principles. 
Close your Bible and look at the paraphrases you’ve written down. For each one, record the spiritual principle that it is designed to convey. Is there a command to follow? Is there a promise to heed? Is there an attribute of God revealed? 

4. Pose the question. 
For each of the spiritual principles you’ve pulled out, form a personally directed question. In your daily living, are you following the command, heeding the promise, depending on that attribute of God? As you ask yourself questions from the text, you will find a divine dialogue begin to develop as the Holy Spirit brings answers, conviction, and challenge. 

5. Plan obedience and Pin down a date. 
Consider what God would have you do as a result of the conversation you’ve had with Him and then plan to obey Him. If possible, pin down a date so that you can remain accountable.


I hope that you find this tool as helpful as I have in my own study. It has given me direction and structure as I read through full books of the Bible and begin pulling out meaning that I never saw through a simple reading of the passage. I am currently reading through the book of Haggai and hope to post what I've learned through this method when I complete the book. I would love to see what you guys are learning as well. Use the comments section and let me know how your Bible study has been changed using the 5 P's!