Imagine Bible Study Devotional

I get it.

Sometimes, reading the Bible feels dry and lifeless, like you’re reading a boring history book about ancient cultures that are soooooooo hard to relate to.

Sometimes, you just don’t get how that story about ancient kings fighting each other has anything to do with your relationship with God today.

Sometimes, you wonder why certain stories are even included in the Bible–like the group of boys who were teasing a prophet and then got mauled by a bear. What are you supposed to do with that?

But when you stop and remember that these are REAL people who were following God during times of trial and heartache and everyday life… and you try to imagine what life was really like for them… well, that can change everything.

Instead of checking off your Bible reading for the day and feeling:

• bored by an ancient story…
• confused by a culture you don’t understand…
• frustrated that you don’t seem to engage with God as you read the Bible…

…what if you could:

• curiously watch the story unfold right before your eyes?
• honestly relate to a person in the story–their circumstances, their motivations, their fears?
• definitively hear God speak to you through the details you experience?

The truth is, you can.

You can do more than just read a Bible story; you can actually enter into the story itself and experience God.

And you don’t have to be a Bible scholar to do it.

Meeting God Through the Story of Scripture

Picture this: as you read a Bible story, you use all of your senses and imagination to enter into the story itself. What sounds do you hear? What does it smell like? Who is around you?

And then God uses these details and stories to speak to you right where you are.

The Imagine Bible Study Devotional is written in a way to help you experience what this can look like. Most chapters are written in a story format, similar to historical fiction. And they consider questions like:

• What was it like to be Bartimaeus begging on the side of the road?
• What made Rahab decide to hide the Israelite spies?
• What was it like to be the king of Israel when an enemy army was about to attack your people?
• How did Barabbas feel when the crowd was shouting his name?

It might feel a little strange at first. We’ve been taught to use our reasoning and knowledge when we read the Bible, not our imaginations.

But, you see, God has given us a mind to both reason and imagine, and when we use that reasoning and imagination with God’s guidance in a prayerful posture, He will empower us to engage more deeply with His Word… and ultimately, engage more meaningfully with Him.

 

I know. I’ve experienced it for myself.

As I read through the stories of Scripture, I can’t help but ask questions about the characters and actions.

If the Bible says that a city was held under siege for three years, I start asking questions like,

• What did that look like, exactly?
• How did the mamas feel, particularly regarding the safety of their kiddos?
• How did they feed their families?
• How much did they have to ration?
• What did they do for work?
• Could they hear the enemy army outside of their city’s walls?
• What was it like for the children?

Do you see how questions like that, even without the answers, can make the stories of Scripture richer and more real?

God tells us that Scripture is powerful, alive, and active. So invite Him to speak to you as you pray through the stories in His Word.

This devotional combines creative storytelling with loving insight and reflective prompts. It provides a different perspective which allows us to enter in and experience Bible stories in a more personal way. I highly recommend it!! Instead of five stars, I give it five hearts!!

A.J. Murray, customer

Bible Study Details

Imagine is a beautifully-designed PDF that you can read on your iPad, tablet, or computer. You’ll also get a printer-friendly copy in case you want to print it out and journal your thoughts and reflections by hand.

For 15 days (approximately 3 weeks, if you take the weekends off), you’ll dive into a different story in the Bible and get a taste of what their life might have looked like as they encountered God through their specific circumstances.

Each day’s reading includes:

• a key quote from the study
• a related Bible verse and Scripture reading
• three journal questions to consider

Plus, the last chapter helps you learn how to do this on your own.

You don’t have to be confused and bored when you read the Bible. You can encounter God Himself as you enter into our stories of faith. 

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