Reading Skills Guide Spiritual Skills
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11)
While the Bible is sacred, blessed by God, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, it is still a book. A book that requires reading with intention. Therefore, remembering what we read remains vital for our spiritual development. Darshak Rana shares memories of what he learned in high school from one of his favorite teachers. In “How to Remember Everything You Read,” Rana guides our reading process, so we can retain and internalize more of what we read.
Rana describes what it means to “Filter Your Reading.” We are to look for “Key words, Important events, Main ideas, Important passages, Relevant parts, and Your prior knowledge to focus on important concepts.” First, think of vital Biblical words like Covenant, redemption, or salvation.” Next, consider important events like creation, Passover, or baptism.” Each filter helps prioritize the terms and concepts, bringing more profound meaning to what we read.
Next, Rana calls the reader to follow his “Modified Version of the Feynman Technique.” Rana/Feynman’s process has four steps: Learn, Teach, Fill in the gaps, and Simplify. The Christian faith is more than a series of feelings; it requires learning. Retaining our learning is best recalled when we teach. Then, when we try teaching, what we don’t know becomes even more apparent. The questions we cannot answer are just opportunities to return to learning. Finally, simplifying is vital to proper knowledge. If we cannot understand a complex Biblical subject, we have not understood it well enough. This process will guide us in finding greater depth in our understanding and faith.
Finally, Rana challenges us to blend our reading with our own thoughts. For example, can we put ourselves in Saul's and David’s shoes when we read of King Saul's jealousy of David? Rana believes “Self-referencing is a memory technique connecting the material you are trying to remember and yourself.” The more we can put ourselves into Biblical stories, the better we can remember, learn, and grow. Today, practice these techniques to learn better study skills and engage more deeply under the Holy Spirit’s guidance.