8 Steps to Take When Reading the Bible Feels Boring

8 Steps to Take When Reading the Bible Feels Boring

The pages of the Bible are filled with people like us who were far from perfect, living in an imperfect world. We can read of wars, scandals, violence, murder, imprisonments, as well as miracles, wisdom, history, prophecy, resurrection and more.

Many stories show individuals who appeared weak or worthless in the eyes of the world, but they triumphed because they placed their hope and trust in God. More importantly, the whole Bible is God’s spoken Word to us which reveals who He is, who we are in relation to Him and His redemptive plan for the broken world in which we live. Yet so many of us are disengaged with the Bible, opting for other things to fill our time and lacking the motivation to read it. Some would go as far to say it’s boring. 

According to the 2019 State of the Bible report from Barna, more than one-third of adults (35%) report never using the Bible. In contrast, half of monthly Bible users (49%) agree that their engagement with the Bible has made them more willing to engage with their faith, 61% express they always experience a greater awareness of their need for God and 50% desire to know God more. Bible engagement also positively affects their relationships with others and one in three give more of their time, energy and finances. Imagine what these statistics could look like if we engaged with the Bible on a regular basis, not just a handful of times a year or not at all. 

For those who are struggling with seeing the Bible as a boring book, here are eight suggestions that may help to overcome that and increase engagement with it.

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1. Pray

man praying eyes closed Adonai

Nothing is hidden from the Lord and He knows how we are feeling before a word is uttered on our lips or before our thoughts are turned towards Him (Psalm 139:4). If we want God to speak to us and we are honestly seeking Him with our whole heart (Jeremiah 29:13), He will meet us.

He is our loving heavenly Father and we can come before Him honestly and say that we are finding it a struggle. We can ask for Him to speak truth to us through the Bible, to help our heart to be expectant, our mind engaged and to trust that He will reveal what He wants to tell us. Our relationship with Him will grow and deepen as we trust in Him and His Word.

We must also remember that He has spoken to us through Jesus, His Son, who “is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3). We can know more of God by looking at the life, death and resurrection of Christ found in Scripture.

2. Be Filled Afresh by the Spirit 

As we pray, we can ask to be filled afresh by the Holy Spirit who works in us to change and sanctify us. The same Spirit that inspired the writers of the different books in the Bible is available to enable us to understand the word of God.

The lures and attractions of the world that so often keep us from reading the Bible will grow dim as we become sanctified by the Spirit. Moreover, the enemy and the dark forces of this world also do not want us to be engaging with God’s truth, which is why we need to be filled with the Spirit as we seek to read the Bible.

We cannot have a transformed attitude toward the Bible in our own effort, but by praying in the power of the Spirit and reading God’s timeless Word, our heart and mind will be transformed.

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3. The Bible Is Not about Us

Cross in a hazy field

We may come to the scriptures looking for help for our life and the situations we encounter. May we always come to the Lord for all our needs. However, it is important to remember that the entire Bible is all about God, not us. From beginning to end it is a story of God’s redemptive plan for His people, ultimately through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

When we come to its pages looking for answers, let us look to know more of Jesus. The Bible is the living Word (Hebrews 4:12) spoken by the living God. His Word accomplishes His purposes (Isaiah 55:11). Let us not leave the Bible closed and wonder why we are not captivated by the Author. Rather, open it up and know that we are created, formed and made for His glory (Isaiah 43:6-7) and that in all we do, we should do to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). 

4. Consider Who It Is That We Have an Audience with

If we had the opportunity to spend a good amount of time with someone famous that we admired, we would leap at the chance. Maybe they inspire us, excite us, are mysterious to us or for some other reason we hold them in high regard. How much more should we long to be in the presence of the King of Kings, the Creator of all, the Savior of the world?

We have an audience with God Himself because of Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross, reconciling us to the Father by taking our sin upon Himself. He now intercedes on our behalf before the Father (Hebrews 7:24-25; Romans 8:34). When we turn away from our sin and turn to follow Jesus, we stand before God, coming into His presence as if we had never sinned (Galatians 2:16-21).

When we think upon this astounding and wonderful reality of redemption given to us by His grace, how can we feel bored when reading the Bible?

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5. Remember That We Are Not Perfect in Ourselves

Open praying hands, hope to go through hard times

It can be easy to feel guilty for not spending time with God. Look at the disciples of Jesus. In their humanity they fell asleep while Jesus had asked them to stay up with Him and pray on the night that He was betrayed. They fell asleep more than once and then they scattered when Jesus was arrested. Yet we know who they became when they saw the risen Christ; they began to tell everyone about Him, beginning the early church and risking their lives to the point of death for the good news that Jesus brought. 

Even in our human frailty, we can come to see and know the Perfect One - Christ Himself - who is transforming us into His likeness by the sanctifying work of the Spirit. Rather than feeling guilty at finding the Bible boring, we can trust in Jesus and know that His steadfast love never ends, and His mercy is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Forget what happened yesterday and begin afresh today.  

6. Study the Bible and Dig Deeper

It may help to engage with the text rather than quickly glancing over it. We may read briefly over passages and verses here or there, but the Bible is an unending treasure trove which continuously reveals more to us. We will never master it and we can keep digging up fresh insights from the same text we have read over and over again.

As it says in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

There are many Bible studies available online or books that can help explain things more clearly to us. Another idea could be to study with a friend or two to be encouraged and learn together. Take time to explore the Bible individually and then come back together to discuss what has been read.

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7. Make Use of Other Helpful Resources

teenage girl working on homework and studying on living room floor, teach teens true definition of success

Although not a substitute, there is a wealth of helpful resources and information on the Bible out there which can help us to learn and grow. Books, videos, apps, audio, articles, podcasts, websites and more can help our understanding and be a fresh way to engage with the Bible.

A warning would be to not let it stop us from digesting the Bible for ourselves, nor trust everything that we read outside of Scripture, but discern and weigh it up based on the Word of God.

8. Read the Bible Anyway 

When we want to achieve something, we have to be willing to put in the time and effort to see it through. It might be aiming to progress at work, trying out a sport, losing weight, making new friends, breaking a habit, learning something new or another goal that requires something from us.

Opening up the Bible, even when it seems boring, is us committing to wanting to know God more. We show up to read the Bible expecting God to meet with us and over time, there will be transformation and growth as we become more like Jesus.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14).

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Ruth Clemence 1200x1200Ruth Clemence is a wife, mom, writer and award-winning blogger based in Cardiff, Wales. Read more at: ruthclemence.com.