Have you ever heard of verse mapping? I didn’t until a few years ago. It’s a neat way to study your favorite Bible verse or passage of scripture. It lets you dig in. So, go get your shovel. I’m about to teach you how to do it.
First, let’s answer the obvious question. What exactly is verse mapping? Verse Mapping is doing an in-depth study of a verse or passage of scripture. You will be dissecting verses (not frogs or pigs).
Things you will need:
- A Bible. If you have more than one version, get that one too. You could also use a Bible app. My favorite is the You Version and it is completely free.
- Paper, notebook, or journal. No need for anything fancy unless you want it to be.
- Colored pencils, pens, and/or highlighters. An ordinary pen or pencil will work too.
- A computer or device.
- A dictionary or thesaurus.
- Pray for God to reveal to you what He wants you to learn and to guide you to the verse need to grow in your faith. Choose a verse. For your first time doing this activity, as a practice, maybe you can choose your favorite verse. You could choose a topic that you are interested in learning more about (hope, love, joy, peace, prayer, fasting, etc. ). Maybe it’s a verse that you stumbled upon while doing a bible study that you want to know more about. It might be a verse that confuses you.
- In your notebook, journal, or paper, write the verse you choose. You can write it at the top of the page for easy reference or you could write it in the middle of the page. It really doesn’t matter. Once it’s written, read it to yourself emphasizing different words. Insert your name into the verse to make it more personal. If you like to doodle, you can draw a border around the verse. You don’t have to. This is for you.
- Now that your verse is written, highlight or circle any word(s) in the verse that you want to learn more about or a word that jumps out to you. Get out your dictionary or go to Dictionary.com and look up the words you highlighted/circled. Write down the definition anywhere on the page. Then get a thesaurus or go to Thesaurus.com and find synonyms (similar) and antonyms (opposite) for each word. Write those on your paper. The verse may come alive to you at this point.
- Look at the verses in the context. Read and write the verses before it and after it anywhere on your page. Those verses may reveal new insights and greater understanding.
- Use a concordance for cross referencing.
- Read the verse in another version. In a different version you will read different words or phrases that will help you understand God’s Word better. Notice the differences and the similarities. Write down anything you may have discovered.
- Personalize the verse. How can I apply it to your life. Did you see the scripture with fresh eyes and in ways you never have before? Ask yourself what God is trying to teach you. How can you apply it to your life? Are there any promises to cling to? Are there any warnings or commands? Is there any sin that I need to confess and turn from> Is there anything I can praise God for? Does this scripture reveal anything about the attributes or the character of God?
Below is a picture of my verse mapping. I chose Philippians 2:12-13. It’s two verses and fairly long so I did not include the verse before and the verse afterward. I did give scripture for cross-referencing. There’s no right way or wrong way to do it. Just do it and see what you learn. I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what verse you decided to do!
