Five Tips When You Are Struggling to Read the Bible
Raise your hand…
If you’ve ever struggled to read God’s Word consistently. ✋🏻
I have walked through seasons in my faith journey where I couldn’t set the Bible down, and other times, it took an extreme amount of effort to sit down and open God’s Word. As Christians, our most valuable possession is the eternal Word of God. The enemy can try to invade your heart and rob you of the powerful work of God’s Word in you, but God’s Word will always bear great fruit in your life!
The Bible tells us we have two choices to make in life: 1) to follow our flesh/feelings or 2) to follow God. As Christians, we know that one choice leads to anxiousness and death, and the other leads to life and peace. When we choose our way over God’s way, we are simply choosing idolatry.
Often, when we think of idolatry, it's easy to think of Old Testament ways of worshiping statues or pagan gods. However, idols go as far as putting anything before God. Therefore, we walk in idolatry anytime we replace our time in God’s Word with things like social media, TV, or other forms of entertainment. When we recognize the seriousness of idolatry, we want to flee from the sin that so easily entangles us and run toward a heavenly Father who loves and sees us.
So my question for you and me is, how are we watering the Word God has planted in us? Any time we invest in growing in wisdom and knowledge is time well spent. Nothing is more important than spending time in God’s Word (Isaiah 40:8).
Here are five practical tips to help you when you struggle to read the Bible.
01. Schedule Time
We live in a fast-paced world, and sometimes, finding a spare moment in our schedule is difficult. When we realize the importance of reading God’s Word, we learn to prioritize it daily. I enjoy reading God’s Word in the morning because it focuses my attention on what’s important for the day. It gets my mind focused on doing the Will of my heavenly Father. If you struggle to find time in your schedule, ask the Lord to help you make time. Pray that He would give you the desire to spend time with Him.
02. Pick A Place
Designating a location in your home, office, or neighborhood to read the Bible can help! It sets aside distractions and helps you enter a mode of prayer and learning from God. Choose a quiet location and one that can be easily accessed when you need it. Keep a pen and notebook close. Take notes and journal what the Holy Spirit reveals to you.
03. Pray
If you lack the motivation to get into God’s Word, ask Jesus for help. The Bible tells us that when we seek God’s wisdom, He will give it to us above and beyond what we ask (James 1:5-6). God wants to be able to help us. He will start to remove distractions and give us a heart that seeks after His will and desires. He’ll begin to reveal things in His Word that excite us and make us want to spend time with Him again and again (Mathew 4:4). If you are bored of reading God’s Word, I challenge you to ask God to reveal Himself to you. He is always trying to speak to us, and when we have eyes to see and ears to hear from His Word, we crave it more!
04. Open Your Bible and Start
With 66 books in the Bible, it can often feel intimidating knowing where to start. From my experience, the best way to start is to dive in! Pick a book from the Old or New Testament and begin to read. Read a chapter a day until you complete the book. Once finished, go on to the next book! If you are new to reading the Bible, reading the Gospel of John is one of the best places to start. This book takes you through the life of Jesus and paints a beautiful picture of Christianity.
05. Text a Friend for Accountability
Having personal discipline is hard. Reach out to a friend who will check in and help you stay accountable. The benefit of reaching out to a friend is that you can also hold them accountable. Two is better than one, and a three-strand cord is not easily broken.
Pray with me
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your Word. Thank you for wanting to spend time with me and to teach me Your ways. Help me to have a new desire to seek Your Word. I want to crave reading Your Word in a fresh and new way. Teach me Your ways so I may walk in your Truth. If anything is distracting me, I give you permission to take it away. Tear down the idols in my life that distract me from walking with You. Make time in my schedule for me to read Your Word. Help write Your word on my heart so I may stand on Your Truths in times of trouble. Amen.
