Reading the Bible is a lifelong adventure of discovering who God is and what he has done. As we read God’s Word, we become better acquainted with him. God’s Spirit applies the words we read to real situations in our lives, in such a way that we know God is speaking to us through his Word.
God loves to reveal himself to us personally and prophetically through his Word, giving us guidance, counsel, correction, comfort, and encouragement for every circumstance. God loves to speak to us about himself, his works, and our lives. Through his Word, he continually speaks. The question is whether we will listen (Isaiah 55:2-3).
Listening to God’s Word can take many forms. I want to give you a host of ideas for how to engage with God’s Word daily. But I don’t want you to see these as methods for reading the Bible. Instead, I want you to see them as a way to draw nearer to Jesus.
Jesus says to us in John 5:39-40, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life” (ESV).
Jesus tells us that sometimes we go to the Bible seeking life as though it is a magical book. We think Scripture is an end in itself. When really, the living and active nature of the Bible comes from the fact that its author is alive and powerful, and he applies his words in Scripture to our lives.
We call the Bible “God’s Word” to remind us that the Bible is no ordinary self-help book. It’s the personal revelation of our Creator. We don’t go to the Scriptures for life, we go to God for life, and we get to know him through his Scriptures.
10 Simple Ideas for a New Bible Reading Habit
We want to help you seek God through his Word every day. We want you to grow to enjoy listening to him every day, as you spend time in the Bible. So here are 10 ideas to help you develop a new Bible reading habit.
1. Read a Devotional
Devotionals are books where the author thinks hard about one verse from the Bible. But the word “devotional” also refers to one day’s meditation from a devotional book (confusing, I know). Devotionals help you reflect on a smaller section of the Bible, rather than reading a large portion of the Bible.
Some wonderful devotionals are Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon and My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers.
Reading one devotional in the morning and one at night can help you start and end your day reflecting on God’s Word. Devotionals jumpstart your thinking on a little bit of Scripture that you carry with you for the rest of your day.
2. Write Out Psalm 119
Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible and is a beautiful meditation on God’s Word itself. It’s a super long poem all about the Bible. It teaches us about the blessing of God’s Word, and the powerful effect it has in our lives.
Psalm 119 includes 176 verses! In our English Bibles, these verses are divided into paragraphs, because in the original Hebrew, each verse within each of these paragraphs begins with the same letter of the alphabet, from a to z!
You could meditate on Psalm 119 for about a month in at least three different ways:
- Set a timer and write out the psalm for 10 minutes. Stop when the 10 minutes are up and carry on the next day where you left off.
- Write out one section of Psalm 119 each day.
- Read one section of Psalm 119 aloud three times each day.
In meditating on this psalm, you will come to better appreciate the gift of Scripture!
3. Read a Commentary
A commentary walks through a book of the Bible, commenting on, or explaining it. Rather than reflecting on the Bible, commentaries do their best to help us understand both what the Bible says and what it means. It provides cultural context for us as well as insight into what the original languages say. While some commentaries are very technical and academic, many of them are written by faithful pastors who want you to know what the Bible means, but also delight to tell you how to apply it to your life.
Consider choosing a book of the Bible and a commentary, reading them from beginning to end together. Each day you could read a section of the Bible, and the corresponding chapter in the commentary.
Our favorite commentaries to use devotionally like this are written by Dale Ralph Davis. We especially love his commentaries on 1-2 Samuel and Luke. You can find his commentaries at Christian Focus Publications. Or, consider choosing a book from the Preaching the Word series by Crossway Publishers.
4. Read a Book of the Bible Daily
Each book of the Bible has its own message, themes, author, cultural context, and setting or occasion. God gave us a rich diversity of revelation in the 66 books of the Bible! Learn about the backgrounds of each book here!
Many people invest in learning Bible verses, but neglect getting to know whole books of the Bible. When you study a book of the Bible, you come to understand the overall message of it, and its argument or plot.
It’s important to learn that James is about faith, and Habakkuk is the journal of a prophet wrestling with the character of God, that Job is about suffering, and Ecclesiastes gives us wisdom for when the world seems all out of whack.
Many of the books in your Bible originated as letters—meaning they’re short enough to be a piece of mail. Others take up just one page in your Bible. Many books in your Bible take little time to read.
Try choosing a short book of the Bible and reading the whole book every day for one week, or one month! You will naturally come to memorize some of the verses within it. Ask God to teach you the message of that particular book as you listen to it as a whole.
5. Read an Epistle a Couple Verses at a Time
The epistles communicate so much truth and instruction in such a small space. They are worthy of meditation. Biblical meditation just means mulling over Scripture, giving Scripture the mental energy it deserves. The books of Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, and Jude are the New Testament epistles.
Consider reading an epistle, but just a few verses at a time. Start at the beginning of the epistle, and stop at the end of each complete thought. Read your way through an epistle one thought at a time.
Pastor John Piper makes excellent videos teaching us how to meditate on one verse or idea in the Bible at a time. One of our favorites from his Look at the Book video series, “Fear Not Little Flock,” will help you learn to do this.
6. Read a Proverb a Day
God authored the book of Proverbs for us through the wisest man to ever live before Jesus did, Solomon (1 Kings 3:12; Proverbs 1:1). What a gift God gave us in this book! The book itself welcomes everyone to learn from it (Proverbs 1:2-6).
Proverbs conveniently consists of 31 chapters. Since most of our months have 31 days, Proverbs is a great book to read a day at a time for a month.
Try reading a proverb a day for a month. If you enjoy it, start over the next month! If you would love to get this book into your bones, read a proverb a day each month for a year, and you would have read through the book of Proverbs 12 times! All the while, ask the Lord for the wisdom only he can give.
7. Read a Psalm Before Bed
The book of Psalms must be one of the most precious parts of Scripture. It vocalizes our pain, longings, and joys to the Lord in prayers authored by the Holy Spirit. It teaches us to pray and helps us pray.
You can close out the day with the Lord by reading a psalm. If you’re married or have a roommate or sibling you share a living space with, consider offering to read your psalm-of-the-day with them.
We love the ESV Psalms Scripture Journal created by Crossway Publishers. In it you can write thoughts, reflections, or prayers as you journey through the book of Psalms, and keep it by your bedside.
Reading a psalm before bed can orient your thoughts towards the Lord, at a time when we are most tempted to let them settle on a host of sinful places instead. It will remind you of God’s presence at the time of day when we may be tempted toward discouragement, regret, stress, or disappointment. Ending the day with a psalm encourages us to take all our end-of-day thoughts to the Lord in prayer just like the psalmist.
8. Read the Same Psalm Every Day
We treasure the book of Psalms, but each psalm within the book is a priceless gem as well. Psalms either lament pain, express joy and worship, plead for God’s help and deliverance, or do all of the above. Each psalm fits particular circumstances and occasions in our lives.
For example, Psalm 88 is the prayer of a deeply discouraged, suffering individual. Psalm 18 celebrates deliverance. Psalm 27 is a faith filled declaration for those who feel afraid.
Consider reading all 150 psalms and pray for God to point one out to you for you to memorize. Then, commit to read that psalm every day—maybe when you first wake up, on your lunch break, or before bed. Read it until you know it by heart. If you want a suggestion of one to start with, read Psalm 23, the most famous psalm.
Whatever psalm you choose to meditate on each day will not only become associated with a season in your life, but the Lord will use it that season to encourage you and he will write it on your heart.
9. Use Bibles.net Book Introductions to Read the Whole Bible
Want to read through the whole Bible? We wrote short introductions to each book of the Bible that help you understand what the book is about, why you want to read it, and how it fits into the story of the Bible.
You could read our introduction on Genesis, then read through Genesis. Determine to write out three things God taught you from that book, and a sentence about what you learned from the book as a whole. When you finish Genesis, read the intro to Exodus. Then, work your way through Exodus. At the end, you’ll have a log of three things you learned from each book of the Bible, and one sentence summarizing what God taught you from every part of his Word.
This will help familiarize you with the whole Bible and hear the entirety of God’s revelation to you! But you won’t have to feel intimidated by what you don’t know, as the intros will help you keep your bearings in the Bible story.
10. Read Any Book of the Bible a Chapter at a Time
Reading through the Bible one chapter at a time may be the most popular way to read the Bible. Although the Bible originally included no chapter divisions or verse numbers, these divisions can be helpful to us, either to pace our reading, or help us recognize when the author changes subject or scene.
Choose a book of the Bible to read. Read one chapter of that book per day until you finish. But, as you read each chapter, keep a journal of one thing you learn from it. Ask God to teach you through what you read and give you something to hold onto throughout your day.
Before You Start a Bible Reading Habit
All these Bible reading habits can be done in the morning or at night—really, whenever. Before you start reading the Bible, be sure to ask God for help to understand what you are reading and to know him better through his Word.
Whatever habit you choose to pursue, ask God for help to stick with it. More than anything else, you need faith. Faith just means confidence in God’s Word to reward you as you seek him through his Word and to reveal himself to you as he promises (Psalm 1:2; Hebrews 11:6; Jeremiah 29:13).
We cheer you on as you discover more of the Bible, for we are so excited for you to discover the character and works of the Lord!