The Bible is so much more than just a book. It’s God’s Word, filled with His voice and perfect guidance for every stage of our lives. In its pages we find encouragement when we feel alone, direction when we feel confused, clarity when we feel doubtful, and hope when everything around us feels dark. The Bible is the ultimate source of light that dispels the darkness of this world and the lies of the enemy. If you have not read the Bible in a long time or if you have never read it before, perhaps you might think it’s too difficult or that there are some things you can’t understand. However, trust us on this – reading the Bible is easier than you think!
Here are 10 tips to help you study the Bible freely and effectively.
Read the Bible in its entirety once a year.
Reading the Bible in its entirety is something you should do at least once a year. This is especially helpful if you’re brand new to reading the Bible or if you haven’t read it in a long time. You can read the Bible in chronological order or start with whichever book or portion you are most interested in. There are many resources online that can help you with this, or even if you prefer to read the Bible off paper, there are many Bibles that come with a reading plan.
Don’t be afraid of the words you don’t understand.
Even though the Bible is God’s Word, it does not mean that everything in it will apply to your life or will be easy to understand. If there are passages you don’t understand, don’t be afraid to skip them or look them up later. On the other hand, don’t let the parts that you don’t understand stop you from reading the Bible. When you find something that is difficult to understand, write it down and look it up later. While you are reading the Bible, let your desire to know God and His Word outweigh your desire to understand every word.
Read it together with other people.
Make it a goal to find a partner or small group to read the Bible with. This will be an invaluable way to encourage each other and help each other understand the passages you are reading. You can do this online or in person, either in a small group or in a Bible reading room. Reading the Bible with other people will help you stay accountable to reading the Bible regularly and encourage you when you struggle to understand certain passages.
Start with the books you are most familiar with.
When you first start reading the Bible, start with the book(s) that you are most familiar with. This can be whichever book that was read to you as a child, the book you’ve heard the most about, or the book that you feel a particular connection with. This will help you build confidence in being able to understand what you are reading, which will make it much easier for you to branch out and read other books of the Bible.
Take note of the different flavours of verses and phrases you encounter.
As you encounter different passages and verses, take note of the flavours of words, phrases, and Scriptures that you encounter. Remembering the different flavours will help you be able to identify them in other passages, which can be incredibly helpful as you seek to apply what you’ve read to your life.
Commit to regularly reading short passages each day.
Choose a book and a portion of Scripture that you will commit to reading each day. You can either choose a portion that is recommended to be read each day or a book that has daily readings (such as the Psalms). As you read, ask God to speak to you through His Word. Regularly reading small portions of the Bible will help you build a habit of reading it. This will also help you to remember what you’ve read and make it much easier to apply what you’ve read to your life.
Find comfort in knowing God is always with you.
Finally, when reading the Bible, remember that God is always with you. He is the one who wrote the Bible, and He is the one who is reading it with you. As you read, listen for His voice and the truths that He wants to speak to you.
It is important to read and study the Bible because it can help us grow closer to God by increasing our faith because we can see how much God loves us. The Bible can also inspire us to do good things because it shows us how much God wants us to do good. And lastly, reading the Bible can help us stay calm because it can give us strength when we feel stressed or anxious.
