4 Ways to Get Back into Reading Your Bible

Inspiration is the name of this process. The authors used personal, historical, and cultural contexts to write the Bible. But they wrote what God wanted them to write, even though they used their own ideas, skills, language, and style.

Because God wrote it, Scripture is completely dependable, and its words are crucial to our faith and lives. The Bible was “breathed by God” (Ephesians 3:3-5; 2 Timothy 3:14-17).

3. To be tested and tried.The Word of God is more than just a collection of God’s words and a way to convey ideas. As it operates within us, it is dynamic, living, and transformative.

It reveals who we are and what we are not with the sharpness of a scalpel. It gets to the heart of our spiritual and moral lives. It identifies the good and bad aspects of ourselves.

Making the right decisions is necessary to meet the requirements of God’s Word. We must read the Bible and allow it to guide our lives, not just to listen to it (Hebrews 4:12; John 6:63; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:23).

4. To increase hope. Our outlook on the present and the future is influenced by our knowledge of the scriptures.

The more we understand God’s past actions, the more certain we are of what He will do in the future.

To increase our faith that God’s will is best for us, we ought to read our Bible attentively and dutifully (Romans 15:4; 1 Peter 1:13).

1. Read on a regular basis. The Book of Deuteronomy is written as a treaty between a king and his subjects. The king was supposed to be a man of God’s Word.

He was required to obtain a copy of the law for his own use, to always carry it with him, to read from it daily, and to strictly adhere to it.

He would gain respect for God, avoid feeling superior to others, and avoid neglecting God during times of prosperity through this process.

We can only learn what God wants from His Word, and unless we regularly read and reflect on it, His Word will not have an impact on our lives.

It is not difficult to gain access to the king’s wisdom's source today because the Bible is readily available. The more difficult part is adhering to its instructions (Deuteronomy 17:18-19; 1 Timothy 4:13).

2. Read with devotion. The desire to emulate their parents or other older siblings is a trait that all children share. We become spiritual infants when we are born again.

We will want to grow if we are healthy. How sad that some people never reach spiritual adulthood. A baby’s need for milk is a sign of growth and a natural instinct.

Our spiritual appetite will grow, and we will begin to mature once we recognize our need for God’s Word and begin to find nourishment in Christ. How eagerly do we desire God's Word? (Psalm 119:18; 1 Peter 2:2-3).

3. Read attentively. James tells us to get rid of everything that is wrong in our lives and to be humbly thankful for the salvation message we have received, “the engrafted word,” because it is the only thing that can save us.

Knowing what God’s Word says is important, but following it is even more important. Our attitudes and behaviors are a good indicator of the effectiveness of our Bible study time.

James used a good analogy. He compared a person who listens to God’s Word but does not act on it to a person who immediately forgets his own face after looking in a mirror.

We should find both concepts absurd. If we will not act on what we see, why look? If we will not remember what we just saw, why look?

James explains in this passage how believers should approach studying the Bible. Christians ought to pay close attention to the law of freedom, the perfect law. They will be blessed in their actions if they consistently do that and follow what they see there (James 1:21-25; Ezra 7:10).

4. Read out loud to yourself. Some people do this to help them locate passages of Scripture more easily.

There are times when we read out loud to ourselves; it may help us to understand what we are reading and to remember Scripture.

The problem that we can see in our society today is that there is no desire to know God or to hear from Him. Much of humanity has become so infected with Satan’s influence and the tolerance of sin throughout the world.

No more is sin considered sin because now society says that it is okay to live, to act, and to be whatever you want, regardless of what God’s Word tells us (Joshua 1:8).

For further reading:

Valuing the Word

Why Is Reading the Bible in Context Important?

Why Should I Be Interested in Reading the Bible?

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/rachelstrong10

Chris Swanson answered the call into the ministry over 20 years ago. He has served as a Sunday School teacher, a youth director along with his wife, a music director, an associate pastor, and an interim pastor. He is a retired Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman with over 30 years of combined active and reserve service. You can contact Chris here, and check out his work here.