A regular habit of Bible reading can be tough, but it makes a big difference. These 5 tips will help you get started.
How is your daily Bible habit?
It’s a cliche in Christian circles… “I should read the Bible more.” Or maybe, “I wish I read the Bible more.” Sometimes we beat ourselves up about it: “Gosh, why can’t I seem to regularly read my Bible?!”
It’s a thing many of us wish to be more consistent with. So why aren’t we? Does it really matter anyway? How could we get things moving in a direction we’re happy with?
Today, those are exactly the questions we’re covering.
Let’s get practical, friend, and boost our Bible reading habits!
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How to problem-solve and boost your Bible reading habits
Good habits can be hard to start… but it is possible! Especially when something is important to you.
Reading the Bible is a key part of every Christian’s spiritual growth. This means it’s one of the best habits we can work on.
But if this is something you’ve thought about before, there is a reason why it’s been a struggle. So to build a better habit, we need to solve those problems!
RELATED: 4 Good Daily Habits To Strengthen A Biblical Mindset
#1. You think you don't have enough time.
Let’s be honest. This is one of the most common – and it is definitely not true.
I’m not saying that you aren’t busy. Of course you are! We live in a very busy world, and moms especially are always busy. There’s a million things to do every day.
But the reality is that with only 12 minutes a day, you can read the entire Bible in one year. If you think you don’t have 12 minutes… or even 6 minutes… check the stats on your phone screen time and re-think.
THINGS TO TRY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM:
- Put “read the Bible” into your real-life daily schedule.
- Use the reminders in your phone to “ding” and remind you during the day to pause and read the Bible.
- Use an audio Bible app to listen to Scripture while you’re doing chores.
- Join a Bible study group so that you’re motivated and have some accountability.
#2: You don't feel very connected to God right now, so less interested in reading the Bible.
Our feelings definitely matter – but they should not determine our spiritual habits. Reading the Bible will help you grow spiritually – and help you reconnect with God in the way you long for.
Every relationship has its ups and downs. Do you stop spending time with someone just because you aren’t feeling super connected and intimate right then?
In reality, spending time together is probably what will re-kindle that emotional connection anyway! Grab my devotional workbook Finding Your Identity in Christ to reconnect with God quickly.
THINGS TO TRY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM:
- Treat your Bible time like a date night, and schedule it into your day and week.
- Pray and ask God to give you a deeper desire to spend time with Him and read his Word.
- Have a Bible reading plan to follow, so you aren’t relying on your emotions to prompt you to start.
- Link your Bible reading time with something you love, like a favorite coffee drink or going out with girlfriends to read, discuss, and pray together.
#3: You think the Bible is confusing and complicated.
Let’s be real: the Bible definitely has parts that are confusing and complicated! It is a book written thousands of years ago, describing people from a very different culture than ours today. It can be a lot.
But this is a problem that can be solved. You can read the Bible without reading every single chapter of it right away. And there are so many high-quality devotionals, commentaries, and theology podcasts out there to help. (Of course, you want to be careful about who you trust with your biblical information!)
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by what’s in the Bible, the best thing to do is just start, pray over those questions, and seek more information when you need it.
THINGS TO TRY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM:
- Get a commentary or devotional you like and that makes sense to you. Try my devotional workbook Finding Your Identity In Christ as a starting point.
- Start your reading habit with some sections of the Bible that are easier to understand. I recommend starting with Genesis or with the Gospel of Matthew.
- When you find a section of Scripture that’s tough to understand, skip that chapter and jump ahead to the next. (Not forever. Just for now. Build the habit)
- Schedule a meeting with your pastor to discuss your questions and struggles.
- Start reading a psalm a day or a chapter of Proverbs each day, to build a habit. Find out more about my habit of reading Proverbs daily.
#4: You question if reading the Bible has a big impact on your daily life.
Let’s answer this question: Yes, the Bible definitely impacts your daily life! Think about this truth from the Bible, which is such an encouraging Scripture:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to teach, rebuke, correct, and train you. And it has a specific purpose: to “throughly equip” you for every good work.
Do you want to be a great mom? A great wife? To care for your family, teach your children, help people, do important things in the world? These “good works” will happen as you are shaped by Scripture!
THINGS TO TRY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM:
- Write down a Scripture that you read, and post it around your home. Notice it and reflect on it. You’ll think about it more while you pour your coffee, brush your teeth, wash the dishes.
- Pray and ask God to use Scripture in your life.
- Find Scriptures that related to your current life season. Read them, memorize them, pray over them. Here are 5 great Scriptures to pray over your family.
- When you read Scripture, notice the “action steps” that God wants you to focus on. That might be confession of sin, praising God, or working to do something different in your daily life.
#5: You feel like reading the Bible is boring.
Well, of course you don’t have a great Bible habit if it feels really boring! That would be a hard habit to build up.
The reality, of course, is that every book of the Bible won’t be your favorite. Some are more exciting than others. Some feel more connected to our everyday life than others.
But “all Scripture is God-breathed and useful,” as we just saw in 2 Timothy 3! ALL Scripture. Even the parts that feel boring.
If it feels boring, you aren’t reading it often enough or with the right attitude. God’s story is incredible. It’s full of miracles. Visions of heaven. Destruction and death. Sacrifice. Trials. Shipwrecks. People coming back from the dead.
THINGS TO TRY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM:
- Read a different part of the Bible. Don’t start in the prophets, who can be confusing (and therefore boring) or in the detailed sections of the Old Testament Law. Start in the gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. Read about Jesus first.
- Listen to the Bible like an audiobook. Let the story wash over you.
- Read the Bible trying to discover parts of God’s character and then praise him for it. He is amazing, and worship can shape your heart.
- Pray and ask the Spirit to give you a deeper love of Scripture.
- Meditate on Scripture and not your own negative thinking, social media memes, or stressful to-do list.
- Make your Bible reading time a space/time in your day that you love… sit in your comfiest chair, get a mug of coffee, turn on some nice music or candles – enjoy the TIME and you’ll enjoy the reading more.
Listen to Episode #228
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