The HEAR Method

Let’s assume that you begin your quiet time in the Book of 2 Timothy, and today’s reading is the first chapter of the book. Before reading the text, pause to sincerely ask God to speak to you. It may seem trite, but it is absolutely imperative that we seek God’s guidance in order to understand His Word (1 Cor 2:12-14). Every time we open our Bibles, we should pray this prayer of David: “Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law” (Ps 119:18).

After praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, open your journal, and at the top left-hand corner, write the letter “H” or the word "Highlight". This exercise will remind you to read with a purpose. In the course of your reading, one or two verses will usually stand out to you. After reading the Scripture passage, highlight each verse that speaks to you and write:

• The name of the book
• The passage of Scripture
• The chapter and verse numbers that especially speak to you
• A title to describe the passage

After you have highlighted the passage, write the letter “E” or the word "Explain" under the previous entry. At this stage you will explain what the text means. By asking some simple questions, with the help of God’s Spirit, you can understand the meaning of a passage or verse. Here are a few questions to get you started:

• Why was this written?
• To whom was it originally written?
• How does it fit with the verses before and after it?
• Why did the Holy Spirit include this passage in the book?
• What is He intending to communicate through this text?

At this point, you are beginning to discover the specific and personal word God has for you from His Word. What is important is that you are engaging the text and wrestling with its meaning.

Next, write the letter “A” or the word "Apply". This application is the heart of the process. Everything you have done so far culminates under this heading. As you have done before, answer a series of questions to uncover the significance of these verses to you personally, like:

• How can this help me?
• What does this mean today?
• What would the application of this verse look like in my life?
• What does this mean to me?
• What is God saying to me?

These questions bridge the gap between the ancient world and yours. They provide a way for God to speak to you from the passage. Challenge yourself to write between two and five sentences about how the text applies to your life.

Finally, below the first three entries, write the letter “R” or the word "Respond". Your response to the passage may take on many forms. You may write a call to action. You may describe how you will be different because of what God has said to you through His Word. You may indicate what you are going to do because of what you have learned. You may respond by writing out a prayer to God. For example, you may ask God to help you to be more loving, or to give you a desire to be more generous in your giving. Keep in mind that this is your response to what you have just read.

Notice that all of the words in the H.E.A.R. formula are action words: Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond. God does not want us to sit back and wait for Him to drop some truth into our laps. Instead of waiting passively, God desires that we actively pursue Him. Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

Think of the miracle of the Bible. Over centuries of time, God supernaturally moved upon a number of men in an unusual way that resulted in them writing the exact words of God. God led His people to recognize these divine writings and to distinguish them from everything else that has ever been written. Then God’s people brought these sixty-six books together. The preservation and survival of the Bible is as miraculous as its writing. Then God gave men, beginning with Gutenberg’s printing press, technological knowledge to copy and transmit the Bible so that all people could have it. All because God has something to say to you.