Pastor Dele Olawanle has encouraged Christians to take Bible study seriously, sharing how consistently reading Scripture in his twenties shaped his mindset and life.
“In my twenties, I was eating the Bible,” Olawanle said. “I would finish one Bible, get another new Bible and read it from Genesis to Revelation.”
Referencing Joshua 1:8, he emphasized the instruction to meditate on Scripture “day and night,” arguing that believers should give the Word of God the same seriousness they give professional development and current affairs.
Olawanle recalled encountering Job 42:2 during one of his study sessions and interpreting the passage personally as an encouragement that God’s purpose for his life could not be hindered.
“That scripture changed my life forever,” he said. “So I started taking risks.”
He said the conviction eventually influenced him to make what he described as “smart moves, giant moves and audacious moves,” including writing his book Discover Your Purpose in 2006.
“The Bible is like your father or your mother leaving a will for you and you did not read it,” he said.
Olawanle concluded by challenging Christians who readily invest time in courses, training and qualifications but rarely study Scripture, saying: “Everything you need to succeed is in the Bible.”