I don’t know how many times I’ve heard friends say that they don’t know how to read and study the Bible, but they really want to learn. Yes, it can be overwhelming. Let me help make it less so right here because more than anything else, I want you to read and study the Bible. There is no other book that you should open as often as possible, even if it’s only to read one verse, because it is the Word of God which gives life. (But if you are here reading this, you already know that, and that, my friend, is the Holy Spirit nudging you.)
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Why Reading the Bible Feels So Hard
It’s really long.
There are actually 66 books in the Bible, so reading the entire thing can seem to be a daunting task. The average person reads about 12 books a year, so if you read nothing else, then it would possibly take three years to read the entire Bible.
The language is hard.
If you grew up with the King James Version, then you are right. That’s not how we talk today. The KJV was published in 1611 and so it’s filled with archaic early modern English like thee and thou and lots of verses that are quite confusing. “They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them” (Galatians 4:17 KJV). What does that even mean? I do have to say that the prettiest Psalm 23 translation is in the KJV. “My cup runneth over.” Beautiful.
We don’t read anymore.
We aren’t in the habit of reading anything, ever, at all. It’s so much easier to stream something on your screen or scroll on your phone.
The content is hard.
It’s filled with unfamiliar people and cultures and concepts. In short, it’s too much like being in school again.
We get distracted.
When we try, we’re easily distracted and quit. (This goes along with all of the above.)
Why It’s Still Worth Showing Up
- This is a life-giving book that’s really a love story and a rescue story. Your rescue from sin and death in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
- Reading the Bible helps us to see that we are not the center of this world. It helps us to see the big picture of our place in creation and God’s story.
- This will take you to places – and passages – that you don’t understand. And that’s a good thing.
- Starting a Bible-reading habit – even just a small one – will ignite a fire that makes you long to read the Bible even more. Pray more. Love more. Serve more. It’s beautiful.
A Simple Starting Point (Before You Read a Word)
Get Your Bible
Maybe you have a box filled with old Bibles from your parents or even from your younger years. Pull it out and find one to use.
If you are in the market for a new Bible, then you may be overwhelmed by all the choices. And you may wonder which one is the “right” one? There are so many choices out there for translations and book styles from traditional bound books to spiral bound or digital.
Dear friends, this is complicated but please don’t let that stop you. You can (and should) talk to your pastor for guidance on choosing the best translation for your reading. But if that feels like a big hurdle, then I would suggest the one I use, which is the English Standard Version. It’s not the prettiest language, but I understand that it’s one of the most accurate translations. You can also check out this article about All Those Translations. But the bottom line? Get a Bible and open it up.
Start with Prayer
Always start with prayer. It doesn’t have to be fancy and lots of words. Simply ask God to guide you as you choose how to read, when to read, what to read, and how to understand it all. Something like, “Lord, I really want to read the Bible, and I don’t know where to begin. Guide me. Show me the way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
And each day before you open your Bible, talk to God. “Help me, Lord, to see what You want me to see.” Use your own words, dear friends. I’m offering some just-starting ideas if you have no clue how to begin. If you don’t pray, no worries. You are in the presence of the Lord Almighty whenever you open your Bible, and He will do His work in you even if you don’t know it or ask for it because He loves you with an everlasting love.
Put Your Bible Where You Can See It
I always know where my phone is. It’s usually on the desk or the counter or the table where I’m hanging out. Or it’s in my purse or pocket. What would happen if we put this kind of intention into our physical Bible – always knowing right where it is? Placing it where we see it often? Whenever we have a few minutes, we could open up to a psalm or a passage in the Gospels and be filled with hope instead of scrolling our phones and be filled with envy or anger or worry. If you have little ones nearby, the impact of you and your relationship with God’s Word is powerful. They see you on your phone all the time! How often do they see you reading the Bible?
Reading vs. Studying the Bible (What’s the Difference?)
I’m not a theology expert, but I still know that these are two different approaches. Reading the Bible means you read or listen and absorb the story. It is a book, after all. And reading it is a beautiful thing.
Studying implies more depth, additional resources, pens and markers, sticky notes, and notebooks and figuring out what’s going on and how this might apply to your life.
Both approaches are good especially when they are grounded in Christ. Check out this article about how to read the Bible with a Christ lens.
Daily Bible Reading: Simple Ways to Read the Bible Regularly
So no matter what you’re going to do – reading and/or studying – you could just go at this without any plan. But when we don’t have something, then what often happens is nothing.
You could say, I’ll just pick up my Bible and let the Holy Spirit guide me. Amen to that. Yet in my experience, when I’ve tried going without any plan or intention, truly, I get distracted and then give up.
So you have choices. Lots of them.
A Daily Devotion
A devotion is a wonderful way to start. You can find physical books which I love because then I can write in them! Or you can use online or digital resources. The options are endless.
These usually have one short passage and then a short reading that accompanies it which you can do daily. Your church denomination often has its own daily devotional subscription. I have used Portals of Prayer and The Lutheran Hour Ministries over the years, and I know many who use Our Daily Bread.
You can also pick up books like Timothy Keller’s The Songs of Jesus or the classic My Utmost for His Highestby Oswald Chambers published in 1935. Another favorite of mine is Immeasurably More: 100 Devotions on God’s Extravagant Grace by Deb Burma. This year I am reading Chad Bird’s Untamed Prayers each morning. The nice thing about these devotions is that they are usually very short – maybe 10 minutes. You can do this while your coffee brews!
Bible Reading Plan
Again, there are dozens of ways to do this, and you just need to find what will fit your season of life and your reading style. You can use a physical Bible or you can go digital. You can start anywhere, but many suggest starting with the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament, especially if you are new to the beautiful story of redemption. There you will get the life of Jesus Christ in full! The YouVersion Bible App has dozens of free reading plans available. You can also find plans on the Bible Gateway and the Dwell Bible app.
- Bible in one year where you read some of the Old Testament and some of the New Testament each day. Here is one monthly schedule which may guide you (dated for 2023 but you can adapt). The average time reading is about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Chronological reading through the Bible. Here’s a sample plan from the Blue Letter Bible.
- Bible reading in 90 days which is super challenging but depending on your season of life, may be doable. This requires about one hour each day. But when you think of this, don’t you spend an hour each day watching movies or shows?
How to Study the Bible More Deeply
Deep-Dive Bible Study
If you want to study more deeply, there are so many ways to do this. First on my list is to check with your church and your pastor. Most churches offer Bible classes on one book in the Bible or a thematic study. Gathering with others to study is a wonderful way to learn and grow in your faith.
Individual study is also an excellent way to lean into God’s Word. You can do this with one of hundreds of good quality study books and/or using a solid study Bible. You can try verse mapping or digging deep into one book, like the Psalms (here are 20+ resources to help you study the Psalms). There are countless resources available, many of them digital and free. Many seasoned Bible students suggest the SOAP method or some form of it.
- Scripture. Write out/scribe the passage you are studying. You can use another notebook or a journaling Bible for this.
- Observations. Take notice of what you see or hear in the passage. What jumps out to you? What questions do you have? Are there any words you don’t understand? What would you like to learn more about?
- Apply the reading to your life. Right now. What is God revealing to me that I should hear? How can I respond? What are my “marching orders,” as we often say in the Visual Faith® practice known as Around the Word. (This is a wonderful way to deep-dive with others in God’s Word once a month.)
- Prayer. Close your time with prayer. You can thank God for the time together or ask Him to guide your next steps.
Bible Journaling
As a Visual Faith® coach, I encourage others to engage with God’s Word in a variety of kinesthetic and visual ways. Bible journaling is just one of many practices.
When you hear “Bible journaling,” it’s usually a creative and artistic practice. It’s coloring or crafting in the pages of your Bible with stencils, sketches, colored pencils (my favorite here), paints, stickers, washi tape, and so much more. You do not need to be an artist to do any of this. Grab your colored pencils and a free downloadable Bible margin. The Visual Faith® Ministry offers hundreds of free resources to help you with this practice.
Another way to journal in your Bible is to actually journal – to write your reflections in the margins of your Bible. You could use the S.O.A.P. method mentioned above. You could simply write whatever comes to your mind after you read a chapter or several passages. If this interests you, please check out the video where writer/teacher Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth shares her experience in The Joy of Journaling in God’s Word. I’m intrigued by how she engaged with God’s Word.
Bible journaling can be done in any Bible, but there are so many options for those with wide margins which is exactly what you need.
The Enduring Word Bible is one of my favorites (English Standard Version) with 350 pre-printed coloring margins as well as blank 2-inch wide margins for your own notes and/or journaling.
Here is one of a larger set of spiral-bound Bibles which makes it easy to journal at home.
Just You and Your Bible
Let me close with a simple reminder. You don’t need anything extra to read God’s Word and grow. It doesn’t have to be complicated, and in fact, it’s best to start simple. God promises us that when we read His Word, He will bless us.
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:10-11
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