Getting Connected - Creating Your Own Cross-Reference Versions of Scripture

Last week I posted on creating your own "Personal Paraphrase Version" (PPV) of a scripture passage for the purpose of making it go deeper, making it stick in these busy, crowded minds of ours.
Today I'd like to go a step further and share with you how to create a “Cross-Reference Version” (CRV) of the same passage.  By this you reword selected verses in the language of other Scriptures (verbatim or nearly so) - you rewrite the Word with the Word. You  interpret specific Bible verses by way of other verses. When rewording a given verse with other Bible verses, you may use as many cross references as you wish; however, I suggest you aim for no more than one cross reference per phrase.

Psalm 130:1-8 (NKJV), “Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD; Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than those who watch for the morning— Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities.”

Here is my example of a possible CRV based off of Psalm 130. For each verse or phrase I have inserted a cross-reference verse in its place:

1 Deep calls out to deep at the roar of Your waterfalls (Ps. 42:7). 2 Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint (Ps. 61:1-2). 3 We all like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way (Is. 53:6), so who may stand in Your holy place (Ps. 24:3)? 4 Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity? You don't retain Your anger forever, because You delight in steadfast love. You will have compassion on us; You will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:18-19), therefore I will come in fear to You, Lord (Hosea 3:5). 5 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word (Ps. 119:114). 6 Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and at my post I am stationed who nights (Is. 21:8). 7 O my soul, trust in the Lord! My God, you are my help and shield (Ps. 115:9); 8 You are the One who gave Yourself for me to redeem me from all lawlessness and to purify for Yourself a people for Your own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:14).

Connecting scripture together like this makes you realize that the Lord speaks many of the same themes in scripture over and over and over again - kind of like He is trying to get our attention! :) I so enjoy studying the Bible this way as it increases the language that I have when reading scripture, which is incredibly helpful for me as one who sings Scripture at the International House of Prayer in a prayer meeting that we call "Worship with the Word", which is a corporate, live, spontaneous Bible study!

Here is an amazing visual perspective of how interconnected Bible verses are to one another (you might have to scroll down a bit to see the visual aid). Happy cross-referencing!

Scripture - Making It Stick

I highly value scripture, and I desire to grow more in both my understanding as well as my remembrance of these precious words. It has been said that you don't really know something unless you can put it in your own words, and since the most effective prayer is speaking back to God what He has already spoken to me (ie the Bible), then I am taking this to heart. In so doing, I like to create what is called a Personal Paraphrase Version (PPV) of Bible passages. Doing this little exercise really helps me not just gloss over the words but take them a step further to where my heart and mind really connect with and remember the words.
Hopefully I will soon post on another helpful tool called the Cross-Reference Version (CRV). It takes a little more explanation, and so since it is late, I'll just start off tonight with my PPV for Psalm 130. I love it! This is fool-proof, easy, and enjoyable prayer to me!

1 From the deepest places, I call out to You. I call Your attention to the depths of me that no one else sees - none other knows. Hear me. Help me in my weakness.


3 O my God, if you remembered all sin and held it against every person, who could ever dream of standing before You in Your holiness? Thank You, my God, for Your gracious and merciful forgiveness, for because of it I can live, move, and have my being in You - for You - never forgetting what You have done for me - therefore living in awe and fear of You.


5 The only expectation I have for my soul's longings and desires to be fulfilled is You. Your Word, Your covenants, Your promises are true. I hope in You. When I feel nothing, I still wait another day - with hope and not despair - for fulfillment. With eager and earnest expectation I wait on You even more than I expect to see the sun rise tomorrow morning without fail. Surely You will answer.


7 O my soul, have this kind of eager expectation of the Lord - because His love does not fail and He redeems to the uttermost, completely! He Himself will deliver you from the smallest of sins - everything that hinders love. Surely He will do this. So wait, I say, wait on the Lord.