Improving Our Skills in the Ministry—Training Bible Students to Develop Good Study Habits

Why Important: In order to progress to spiritual maturity, Bible students must nourish their minds and hearts with more than the basic teachings of God’s Word. (Heb. 5:12–6:1) Study requires effort. It includes relating new information to what we already know and discerning its practical value. (Prov. 2:1-6) Learning to do personal research will enable students to answer Bible questions using our Christian publications. The earnest effort that they put forth to apply what they learn will equip them to withstand trials they will face as Christians.—Luke 6:47, 48.

How to Do It:

Emphasize the importance of seeking Jehovah’s help in prayer prior to each study session.—John 14:26; 1 Cor. 2:10.
From the outset, encourage your student to prepare in advance for his Bible study. Show him your study copy, and teach him how to underline or highlight only key words or phrases.
Have your student answer the questions in his own words. Avoid turning the study into a dry question-and-answer session in which the student simply reads answers directly from the book.
Encourage your student to read a portion of God’s Word daily. Show him the Bible reading schedule on jw.org, which outlines a practical way he can do this. Developing the habit of reading the Bible daily will require determination, but the effort will be worthwhile.—Ps. 1:2, 3.
Show your student how he can find answers to Bible questions using Watchtower Library or Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY. Help him identify the mnemonic symbols for publications commonly used at congregation meetings.

Try This During the Month:

At the end of a subheading or a chapter, ask your Bible student to summarize in a few sentences what he has just learned. If you do not have a student, practice summarizing a passage from the Bible or a paragraph from The Watchtower in a few sentences to improve your own reading comprehension.