The spiritual side of studying the word of God includes:
1. Prayer- Psalms 119:18 open thy eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Illumination is the ministry of the Holy Spirit which comes from prayer and intimacy with God. While illumination take place it causes the Christians to understand the truth’s concerning God that he reveals throughout the scriptures.
2. Cleansing- 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
In order to get forgiveness one must be willing not to deny our sins or deny that we have sins but rather confess them to God. With our confession it allows us to receive salvation(Rom 10:10). With our confession it open the door for God’s forgiving and cleansing power to change our hearts.
3. Illumination of the Holy Spirit:
1 Corinthians 2;12-16 says:
12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
(freely given to us means that we did not have to pay the price for the spirit of God, (God himself paid the price on calvery.)
13.which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14.But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritual discerned.
15.but he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16.for who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.
Christians are to possess God’s own understanding, his thoughts, opinions, judgements, and plans. The only way we will be able to do all these things is to study, to look closely, investigate the word of God. 1 Cor 2:13 states to get knowledge and understanding of God’s word we are commanded to compare spiritual things with spiritual. We are to compare by combining spiritual things with the spiritual word of GOD.
1 Cor 2:14 says that if your natural and or carnal minded you can’t understand the spirit of God, nor understand his word,ways, thoughts, and ideas. The natural man does not possess the ability to sift (sort out, separate, examine critically) the facts of or in the spiritual realm concerning the word of God. The only way to understand is by spiritually discerning, which means we have to examine and scrutinize the word of God, this is the exact definition of study. Spiritual discernment is only done by the Holy Spirit and it is far beyond the innate powers of the natural man, he is unreceptive to the things of God unless he is purified and regenerated by the Holy Spirit which will cause illumination of the Spirit of God. Allow God and his Holy Spirit illuminate your mind, thoughts, and ideas when it concerns studying the word of God. Once we truly study we will began to increase in knowledge and understanding in all areas of Life.