Four Things I Do To Read The Bible More Consistently
It’s a goal of mine to read the Bible every day. Most of the time, I do, but that only came after I created a reading habit and understood why I was reading it. Today, I want to share Four Things I Did To Read the Bible More Consistently.
Four Things I Do To Read The Bible More Consistently
Understand Why I Read The Bible
For a long time, I read the Bible because I felt that, as a Christian, I was supposed to. This belief made reading the Bible feel like a chore. I still benefited from reading the Bible this way, but I wanted to understand it and why I read it.
One day, I decided I wouldn’t read the Bible because I was supposed to; instead, I would read it because I wanted to learn more about the person I follow as a Christian, Jesus.
I started with Matthew; the more I read the New Testament books, the more I wanted to learn about Jesus and how to follow him better. Deciding and understanding why I read the Bible was the first step in reading it more consistently.
Slow Down and Meditate On What I Read
There have been times when I was overly ambitious and planned to read the Bible in 365 days, starting with the book of Genesis and ending with Revelation. There was nothing wrong with this strategy; however, by the time I got to the Book of Numbers, I’d already given up because I didn’t understand what I was reading or why I was reading it.
That’s when I decided to start reading one book at a time and go from there, allowing the Spirit to lead me on what to read next. Reading this way has helped me soak in everything I read in one book before trying to rush to the next. I bought a scripture journal with only the New Testament books that let me read each book individually and journal about what I’ve read.
Now, I try to savor my reading time and ask God what He’s trying to tell me through each book.
Follow Bible Reading Plans
Following the reading plans in the YouVersion Bible App has also helped me read the Bible more consistently. It can be easy to lose motivation to read the Bible when I don’t feel like what I’ve read is relevant today.
The Bible App offers plans with encouragement and scripture to help me through all seasons of life. It also has programs that go through the Bible book-by-book, with commentary from Bible scholars to help you understand what you’ve read.
Read Whenever I Can
I used to think I had to have this perfect quiet time routine for my Bible reading to “count.” But as I’ve matured in my faith, I now know that isn’t true. I still enjoy days when I sit down with my Bible, coffee, and highlighters and read. But on other days, all I read is the verse of the day on the Bible app, and that’s ok, too.
In closing, please don’t think your Bible reading must be perfect before you do it. God can speak to you through one verse just as much as an entire chapter, but you must let Him. I hope this encourages you to read the Bible more consistently as well.
