The following interview is part of the Dwelling Richly series.
Find all the interviews here.
I’m delighted to share this interview with Betsy Howard with you today! I implemented something I learned from her interview just this week and it has been a help during my devotional time.
Betsy is an editor for The Gospel Coalition and the author of Seasons of Waiting: Walking by Faith When Dreams Are Delayed (Crossway, 2016). She and her husband, Bernard, live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan where they recently planted Good Shepherd Anglican Church.
What is your regular routine for Bible study?
I do my Bible study first thing every morning before I turn my phone on. I find it’s nearly impossible to get the concentration and stillness I need if I do it later in the day. I start with a time of prayer and intercession, then move on to Bible study.
What has been your driest time spiritually and how did you overcome that period?
My driest times are seasons when I don’t feel a great need for God because life is clicking along just as I’d like it to be. Conversely, my most fruitful times in the Word have been when I’ve been depressed and therefore feeling desperate for God. I make it through the dry times by disciplining myself to read the Bible and pray during times when I don’t feel close to God.
Someone (I don’t remember who) compared times of spiritual dryness to a dried-up river bed. We may not know when the water is going to return, but we should do whatever we can to get into the center of that river bed so that we will be there when the water comes in.
Are there any non-essentials you love to have during your study time?
I always have coffee during my study time. It wakes me up, and it also helps me slow down and treat my time with the Lord as relational time rather than work to be completed.
I’ve used the same leather prayer notebook for years. It has pockets for my index cards where I keep lists of people I want to pray for. It also has a notepad in it. I like to write out prayers, and then tear a sheet off and throw it away.
Is there a favorite Bible study method you use?
I enjoy reading a Bible commentary along with whatever book of the Bible I’m studying. It helps me slow down and consider how best to interpret a passage. There are some great commentaries out there that are as readable as devotional books. I particularly like the commentaries of Old Testament scholar Dale Ralph Davis.
Any recommendations for Scripture memory?
I love to memorize Scripture set to music. I take tunes I’ve heard somewhere—from Hamilton to Adele to TV theme songs—and match them up with a Bible passage I want to memorize. This is especially good for when I get a song stuck in my head that I don’t particularly like. If I’ve memorized Scripture to it, God’s word will be running through my mind.
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