It can be hard to stick with reading the Bible daily when things don't make sense to you or the sentence structure seems confusing. The Bible does encourage us to engage with the Word daily (Psalm 1:1-3, Psalm 119:15, Matthew 4:4, Philippians 4:8, 2 Timothy 3:16-17). So, how do you dive into the Word without getting overwhelmed? Here are some tools that can help to make the Bible less daunting to read!
If you have a hard time reading alone, read aloud with others! Listen to the Bible and follow along. Another way of engaging is to read as though it is your prayer and pray out the passage you are reading.
Creating some extra margin in your day to read more than one chapter at a time helps to bring understanding to what you are reading. Chapters in the Bible are not perfect breaks and sometimes can breakup thoughts and speeches. Following a daily devotional can help to focus on a topic, theme or specific book. Prewritten reading plans are a great tool to guide you through daily readings. Reading through the Word start to finish can be so daunting and discouraging at moments. Continually reading will help you gain a better understanding of what God's heart is for His people and how He chooses to pursue a relationship with us.
Linked below are a few great reading plans! Chronological reading will breakdown the time frame things happened in Scripture. Another option is reading in book order. This helps you to see the development of God, events and history. You can choose from several time frames depending on how slowly or quickly you want to get through the Bible.
Here are some reading plans that can help you stay consistent and excited about getting in the Word!
Devotionals:- The Book of Jude Study YouVersion
- Hope Word Devotional
- Word Study & Devotional
- Gospel Study Devotional
Helpful Apps for Reading and Devotionals:
Reading Plans:
- 1 year Everyday With Jesus
- Chronological Reading Plan
- 90 Days Through the Bible Reading Plan
- 1 Year reading plan with Gods Redemptive Plan
A great motto when reading the Word is context is key. Understanding general information about the book can help when meditating through Scripture. Some things to know for context are: the author, intended audience, historical events, timeline, and theme of the book. Reading or watching a quick overview of a book will help when you get lost, or feel disconnected or discouraged at what is going on as you read. Below are links to a few different resources to find background info and context to books without having information overload. Choosing a topic or type of specific characteristic of God can help when seeking to understand more of who God is and engage with Scripture. TheBibleProject does a great job with their topical YouTube videos and podcasts to give context and scripture references.
Here are some resources I love for looking into the context of Scripture I'm reading!
Context:
Exploring Biblical Themes and Topics:
The last tip is to try a translation change. This can help with understanding the meaning or theme of scriptures if you struggle to read in current translation, change it up! Some word for word translations (i.e. more literal) are ESV, NASB, NKJV. Some thought for thought translations that stay true to the meaning are NLT, NIV, and in-between translations are CSB and NET.
I hope you feel inspired and championed to give reading the Word and making it a daily habit a try!
