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How to Read the Bible Every Day
By Julie | October 28, 2008
For a lot of my life, I told myself I didn’t have time to read the Bible. I occasionally cracked it open. But then a week, or month would go by until I touched it again. I did pray, though not as much as now. My prayers were shallow. I didn’t understand Who I was praying to, or how God worked. Then I committed to reading everyday. My spiritual life started to mature rapidly. These are some tips I’ve learned to keep me reading.
- Set a time and stick to it. (For some people a specific place to read helps.) When I decided to read every day I tried to fit it in when I had time. The problem: reading was too easy to bump if I didn’t have a set time. As a mother of two boys 5 and under, my obligations revolve around them. Kids aren’t always willing to wait, or be silent for Mommy to read. I’d like to read before they get up, but usually they hear my alarm and get up with me. Then we’re all grumpy and I don’t have Bible time anyway. Though it’s not ideal, I’ve committed to reading during breakfast or lunch, unless I had time before to read. It’s not the schedule I’d like, but it’s still a commitment, and my kids are relatively quiet because they are eating. Sometimes I’ll have time to read later. If that happens I consider it bonus reading. If not, I know I’ve at least read that day. When I get frustrated and wish I had more convenient Bible time, I try to remind myself that God gave me these kids and I’m doing his work as a mother, God knows I’m trying, and it’s good for a child to see Mommy read the Bible. Sometimes I even read to them, so that’s a bonus too. And, when my kids get older I’ll have a better schedule.
- When your schedule is broken, get back to your schedule ASAP. This summer when I was in my first trimester, I let my Bible time slide. When I started feeling well I wanted to catch up on what I was behind in. My Bible time was pushed aside; I thought I had too many others things to do. Being sick made it hard to focus on important things. With a broken spiritual foundation, I struggled with a little depression (nothing compared to what many people face every day.) Then, I started reading the Bible again, putting my focus where it was needed, and my depression went away. (That doesn’t work for everyone, and I don’t want to imply otherwise.) But, if I had gone back to my schedule right away, it wouldn’t have taken me as long to get back to reading.
- Keep at it, even if you’re bored. When I became dedicated to reading the Bible I made myself read through the sections I previously found boring or hard to understand. (i.e.: Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Old Testament prophets, like Amos and Obadiah.). Some days I had to force myself to get through it. There are still times I’m not sure what I’m reading and my mind wanders. But I still read, and God opens up something to me I never saw before. It’s a wonderful feeling! God really honors our attempts. Now, I find many of these sections interesting.
- Be unconventional. In 2008 the Bible is available in so many different formats, translations, and languages. We don’t have excuses to not read anymore. With the Internet we don’t even need to have our Bible to read it. Many places online have it available to read. My favorite resource is biblegateway.com. There you can read the whole Bible in various translations, browse topics, or look up specific verses. Marc sometimes listens to an online audio Bible at work, found at: http://www.ibs.org/niv/audio.php. I personally have never tried it. You can also have a Bible reading emailed to you daily. This link will set you up to receive these emails, guaranteed to have you read the Bible in a year. These are just three references; a Google search will give you thousands more.
- When I’m done reading, I take a moment to pray. This really opens the scriptures to me. If the kids are fighting or demanding my attention, I literally only have a minute. Other times I’ll take 5 or 10 minutes to pray over what I’ve just read. And pray that God will work it into my mind, and apply to the obstacles I’m facing. I admit, I have times I tell myself I’m too busy, and don’t pray. On those days, my reading doesn’t stay with me as long. I wish I were always better at it.
The rewards:
When I started reading the Bible every day, there were times I had to force myself to get it done, and on busy days, I still have to. In time, I started to change. The more I read, God gave me a craving to learn more. I was laying a biblical foundation in my own life. Now, when I face trial, sometimes a verse, or a story will come to mind. It’s like God is using his living Word inside me, and making it come alive when I need it most. Even knowing that, I still have days something will come up and “I’m too busy to read” again. I wish it didn’t happen. But I try to get back to my schedule as soon as I can.
What are some ways that have helped you to consistently read the Bible?
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Testimonies on SermonAudio.com
God Did It Because He Loves Us!
Top Ten List for Handling Distractions
Growth is continuous if you allow it
Topics: Faith, Life and Living, Miscellaneous | 4 Comments »
October 31st, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Superior post.Sustain the smashing work,You should definitely have to keep updating your site
November 2nd, 2008 at 11:00 am
Thanks for much for the encouragement!
December 16th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Thank you for your humility and honesty. I am struggling to read my Bible every day, and some practical advice always helps me develop plans to get out of my struggles.
December 17th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Hi, Jacob, thanks for your comments. December is always a busy month at our house, and my reading has been more rushed lately. I wish you luck in making good plans that will work for your life!