Daniel 1
Day 1
1. Pray - Begin each session by praying and asking God to quiet your mind and still your heart, so that you can hear Him. Ask Him to illuminate His truths as you read and study His word.
2. Preview (read) the entire book of Daniel (if time permits). If you don't have time, scan the book to determine a few things:
- Who is the author?
- Who is the audience?
- What format is the text (i.e. letter, law, narrative, prophecy)?
- What is the author's purpose for writing the book?
- What is the main theme of the book?
- What are your first impressions? Wonderings? Questions?
3. Apply what you've read. The whole point of reading God's Word is to put His truth into practice in our lives. After reading/previewing Daniel, what about the words struck you? Do you feel encouraged, convicted, challenged?
Day 2
1. Pray - Invite God into your Bible Study time. Ask Him to reveal His truths.
2. Read - Quickly read all of Daniel 1. Don't be fooled into thinking that you've learned all there is to learn simply because you've already read the book. We're just getting started.
3. Reread Daniel 1:1-5. Slowly read each word of this section, and try to understand each phrase before you move onto the next one.
4. Apply - As you read through these 5 verses, what did you notice? How did you see God working? I noticed that verse 2 attributes the Lord with King Nebuchadnezzar's victory over King Jehoiakim. Does this surprise you? Has God surprised you with any victories in your own life? Is God calling you to claim His victory?
Day 3
1. Pray - Ask God to hover over your time with Him.
2. Read Daniel 1. Choose a different translation than you read yesterday. http://www.biblegateway.org/ is a great resource for a variety of versions. It's always good to cross-reference one translation with another, in order to gain as much knowledge as possible.
3. Reread Daniel 1:6-10. These are your verses for reflection today. Camp out here. Read slowly and seek full understanding as you read.
4. Apply - Have you ever been in a situation like Daniel's, in which God's commands were in direct oppostion to those of the world? How did you handle it? How do you think you would've reacted in Daniel's situation?
Day 4
1. Pray - "God, thank you for your living, active Word. Thank you for allowing me to study it freely. Show me what you want me to know. Clear my mind to focus on you."
2. Read Daniel 1. Are you getting comfortable with this chapter now? By the end of the week, it will feel like an old friend to you.
3. Reread Daniel 1:11-21. As you read, make connections to what you read on previous days. Did you learn anything new about this story, God, or the Bible?
4. Apply - Think carefully about the results of the diet experiment. Do they surprise you, at all? What can you tell about God, by reading these verses? Is God calling you to trust Him in a particular area? How will you put this new understanding in your life?
Day 5
1. Pray - Praise God for making His Word relevant in your life. Ask Him to bring all of your new understanding together, according to His purposes.
2. Read Daniel 1. You've conquered it! You should feel a sense of accomplishment as you realize the fact that you know this passage frontwards and backwards, and you are now ready to put it into practice.
3. Action Plan - There is no point in spending time in Bible Study if we're going to forget what we've read as soon as we close our Bibles. To make it meaningful we must apply it by putting it into action!
What action can you take to put these words into practice? How can your incorporate them into your daily, walking around life? Write it down. This is the MOST important part of this week!
What action can you take to put these words into practice? How can your incorporate them into your daily, walking around life? Write it down. This is the MOST important part of this week!
