Apply

Published June 25, 2025
Apply

Our Bible study is not over until we apply what we have learned to our everyday lives. And lest we underestimate the value of this last step, remember that in God’s eyes it is the person who does not just know His Word, but also obeys His Word, that truly loves Him (see John 14:21). So, how do we apply a passage to our lives? The application involves the following two tasks:

3 Steps to Application

    • REFLECT | Begin in prayer, asking God’s Spirit to reveal what He is saying to you. Answer the reflection questions to demonstrate how each passage relates to our lives. 
    • LIST PRINCIPLES | Next, step back and look at the passage as a whole and begin to list things God has shown you, including ideas, images, biblical truths, and principles. A principle is a fact or command stated or implied in a particular passage relevant to our lives. A principle is not specific to a particular person or time. 
    • RESPOND | Finally, prayerfully decide on specific action steps that you will begin to take immediately to live out biblical truth in your daily life. 

Application Tasks

List potential principles from your passage. A “principle” is simply a fact or command stated or implied in a particular passage that is practically relevant to our lives. Legitimate principles are not specific to a particular person (e.g., 1 Timothy 5:23 is just for Timothy) nor a particular time (e.g., “do not leave Jerusalem” in Acts 1:4). It is often helpful when listing principles to consider the following questions: 

    • Is there something to worship or thank God for? 
    • Is there a promise for me to claim or a truth for me to believe? 
    • Is there something I must change or begin doing that I am convicted about? 
    • Is there something or someone I need to pray for specifically this week? 
    • Is there any relationship I need to work on?

Choose one principle, and create a plan to apply it to your life this week. Once you complete your principle list, prayerfully choose the one principle you most need to work on (Do not just choose the easiest to apply!). If you felt deeply convicted about one in particular, that is probably the principle God is leading you to apply. Once you have chosen a specific principle, answer these two questions:  

  1. What will you do differently this week to apply this principle to your life? Be specific. 
  2. Who else, besides the Lord, will you ask to help you follow through with this application?
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