If we care about what God wants, we will grasp the importance of lesson preparation. He tells us, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15)
Effective preparation will surely require a process that keeps us accountable and trusting in God. We can’t haphazardly throw a lesson together and be reasonably assured we’re in sync with God’s intent. So, what steps should guide Bible lesson preparation?
An Acrostic with Steps to Guide Bible Lesson Preparation
Using an acrostic can help us work through steps needed in preparing a Bible lesson. It can be used as an easy-to-use checklist each time we prepare. Though this could be a suggested order for preparation, there may be some overlap of the steps as well as a possible need to retrace steps.
P – Pray
Seek God’s help from the start and throughout the preparation process.
R – Read
Grasp the big picture of the Scripture being used in the lesson.
E – Exposit
Break down what Scripture says, perhaps in the form of an outline. Ask pertinent questions about what you’re reading.
P – Pause
Meditate and reflect on it what you’ve studied.
A – Assess
Determine the aim that fits Scripture and your students and what content to include.
R – Re-read
Read Scripture again and make sure your assessment is headed in the right direction.
A – Arrange
Pull it all together with activities (methods) to present Bible content and an appropriate application and introduction.
T – Test
Go through the lesson to make sure it flows and that activities will work in your setting.
I – Include
Determine materials needed for visuals and methods and gather materials.
O – Outline
Make an outline of the flow and content of the lesson. Use it as notes when presenting the lesson rather than read verbatim from a lesson book. Preparing this outline also serves as a review.
N – Nurture
Prepare yourself for teaching the lesson through prayer, review, and personal application. Also ask God to nurture the hearts of your students in preparation for the lesson.
Other Tools to Help with Preparing a Bible Lesson:
Please note that the following resources do not include the above acrostic.
- A Lesson Worth Teaching Workbook
- Line Up Your Bible Lesson Preparation with the Word of God Worksheet