Strategies for Daily Bible Reading
Reading your bible is one of the best things you can do as a believer. The Creator of the universe has given us a book with pages upon pages of his thoughts, words, and heart — the bible. And yet, reading your bible can be one of the hardest Spiritual Practices we do. That’s why we wanted to give you these four strategies for reading your bible this year. If Jesus says that, “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4) then let us feast upon God’s word together!
1) Plan a regular time and place into your daily schedule
Whether it is the morning, afternoon, or evening — plan a time, and place, to read. The old adage rings true here, if you do not plan it, it won’t happen. Don’t let your time with God be dictated by your schedule. You will get busy, your schedule will not magically fall into perfect place every day. There will be genuine reasons for you to not read if you don’t put it in your schedule. If your time with God through His word becomes a game-time decision you will find yourself perpetually on the sidelines.
I’d recommend making time in the morning for this. Even if you’re not a morning person, this is a valuable thing to sacrifice for. It does not have to be in the mornings, but this will allow you the most opportunity for consistency. On top of that, this is what Jesus modeled for us (Mark 1:35). Schedule a time, and place — don’t just put a time on your calendar. Think through where you will read. Maybe you have a favorite chair, or a spot outside where you can read and watch the sun rise. Wherever your spot is, just get up and move a little bit. This will help resist the urge to “rest” your eyes for a moment.
2) Do it with your City Group
I’m not saying that you actually meet in person to read with everyone each morning, but get your City Group, or a few men or women from your group, to commit to reading with you. This will give you natural opportunities to talk about what you’ve been reading with these men and women. And also allow for a sense of accountability and camaraderie — you’re in this together! When we did our 31 Days Together back in 2017 we heard numerous stories of men and women who were so encouraged by how they were actually able to talk about the bible in City Group because everyone was reading the same plan. If your group isn’t reading PRDX365, maybe you should invite them to.
3) If you are new to it or bad at it, keep it simple and short
The beauty of PRDX365 is that it is simple. One chapter from either the Proverbs or Psalms accompanied by one chapter from another book in the bible. If this is still too much for you — what I mean is if you find yourself not remembering what you read that morning — then simplify it even further. Focus on a section in that chapter, or a few verses. Meditate on these. Pray through them. Allow space for God to speak through His word. Start small, then build on that.
For example, reading and praying about one verse for five minutes each day is way better than doing nothing, and it’s a good starting place to build from. Just like walking around your block every day for 10 minutes isn’t going to adequately prepare you for a marathon, but it can get your started. A little is far better than none.
4) Start and end with prayer
Before you even open your bible, pray. Come into God’s presence. Meet him there. Set your heart and minds eye on him. This doesn’t have to be long, but take a few moments to allow yourself to recognize who you are, and who God is. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to understand what you read and speak to you. Ask if there is any unrepented sin that might hinder your time with God — and then confess and repent if he brings up anything.
When you get to the end of your reading, continue your conversation with God. Pray through what you’ve read. Respond to the text — confess your need for him, thank him for salvation, etc. Allow for a time of reflection and response.
Our hope is that these strategies are a help to you. As you seek to grow in the grace of Bible intake, “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1–2). Will you join in with us each day and commit to PRDX365?
Get started with the #Prdx365 Bible Reading Plan
Adapted from this blog on FTC