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Stories & Blog
Study, Meditate, Repeat
SENEGAL — Plump the cushions. Make the tea. Plate the snacks. Crossworld worker Cindy (pictured above with church women) eagerly waited for her friend Odette to arrive. Today they were meeting to study the Bible together for the first time.
But when Odette arrived, she had only finished one chapter and she had nothing to share about what she read. Cindy’s excitement quickly sank.
She seemed so enthusiastic about studying together! Cindy thought. I thought she wanted to grow in her faith. What happened?
Cindy continued to ask Odette about the verses she had read until Odette finally spoke up.
“Other than read it, how does one meditate on Scripture?” Odette asked. “What do I do with it? How do I study it? How do I apply it to my life?”
Ah, now we’re getting somewhere.
“No matter how many times I’ve read a book of the Bible, the Holy Spirit always speaks to me through His Word,” Cindy said.
She shared a few simple steps she uses when studying God’s Word. Then, together, they practiced going through the chapter to ask questions, make observations, recognize principles of God’s truth, and respond to what the Holy Spirit taught.
“Let’s meet again next week?” Cindy asked, and Odette agreed.
The following week, Odette was ready. She had read 13 chapters and written pages of notes in her journal.
Cindy and Odette continued to meet week after week to study together and share how the Holy Spirit was changing them through His Word.
Soon, Odette turned her attention to other women in the church, including one new believer who had just started attending.
“Would you like to meet to study God’s Word together? Maybe twice a month?” Odette asked.
“Why not every week?” the woman replied.
“Every week it is!”
Since then, Odette has been studying the Bible with this new believer, as well as with two other women from nearby villages. Cindy wouldn’t have been able to disciple all of these women, but she made one disciple-maker … and the impact continues.
But when Odette arrived, she had only finished one chapter and she had nothing to share about what she read. Cindy’s excitement quickly sank.
She seemed so enthusiastic about studying together! Cindy thought. I thought she wanted to grow in her faith. What happened?
Cindy continued to ask Odette about the verses she had read until Odette finally spoke up.
“Other than read it, how does one meditate on Scripture?” Odette asked. “What do I do with it? How do I study it? How do I apply it to my life?”
Ah, now we’re getting somewhere.
“No matter how many times I’ve read a book of the Bible, the Holy Spirit always speaks to me through His Word,” Cindy said.
She shared a few simple steps she uses when studying God’s Word. Then, together, they practiced going through the chapter to ask questions, make observations, recognize principles of God’s truth, and respond to what the Holy Spirit taught.
“Let’s meet again next week?” Cindy asked, and Odette agreed.
The following week, Odette was ready. She had read 13 chapters and written pages of notes in her journal.
Cindy and Odette continued to meet week after week to study together and share how the Holy Spirit was changing them through His Word.
Soon, Odette turned her attention to other women in the church, including one new believer who had just started attending.
“Would you like to meet to study God’s Word together? Maybe twice a month?” Odette asked.
“Why not every week?” the woman replied.
“Every week it is!”
Since then, Odette has been studying the Bible with this new believer, as well as with two other women from nearby villages. Cindy wouldn’t have been able to disciple all of these women, but she made one disciple-maker … and the impact continues.
Your part in this story...
Crossworld worker Cindy asks you to pray for these requests.
- Pray for the women in the church here — that we will all grow in the Word and in our relationship with God.
- The women Odette is discipling have received pushback from their families, and one is no longer interested in studying. Pray that God will stir up renewed enthusiasm to meet with Odette.
- Pray for Odette to understand her role isn’t to correct what these women believe or convert them, but to help them get into the Word in order to know God and to meet His Son, Jesus.
- Making disciples is a long process — it usually starts long before reading God’s Word together. Please pray for me as I teach English to 21 young women. Ask God to develop my relationship with them and lead me to those who might be seeking.
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