How to Stay Consistent in Bible Reading
Does your Bible reading feel inconsistent? Do you want to create a new habit of reading the Bible, but aren’t sure where to begin? You’re not alone. Life is full, distractions are real, and it’s easy to feel guilty when we fall off track. But what if staying in the Word wasn’t about pressure, but about presence?
We have been told over and over again that we need to read the Bible every day, and we can feel a bit guilty when it doesn’t work for us. We are so excited and hungry to read the Bible. We are curious about it. We start so strong, but then we get behind and feel like a failure. We tend to read the Bible to check it off instead of reading it to grow closer to God.
Is this an area that you struggle in? You are not a failure and God doesn’t love you any less. He sees you and is proud of the investment you are putting in it. Bible reading is a discipline, a habit to learn. It does not happen overnight. It takes time for it to take place in your lives. Before I share the practical steps you can instill in your life, let’s begin with a foundational element.
Define Your Why
Before we commit to any plans, it is important that you understand why you do it. Why do you want to study the Bible? The “why” is what keeps you going when things get hard. It helps you to pinpoint your focus. It will be the marker that keeps you consistent when you are not feeling motivated to engage in your Bible. Begin by asking yourself why you want to create a habit of consistently reading your Bible.
Once you have your why, write it down in a visible place. When you feel like your behind in your reading, this will keep you on track. Before we make any changes, we need to surrender the things that are holding us back.
As women, we are being told and shown what our faith should look like. Often this comes from other Christians but it can also come from the people we follow on Instagram. Some examples include:
You should read the Bible in a year.
You should read your Bible every day
You should read your Bible first thing in the morning.
“When we operate out of this ‘should,’ we leave our hearts and minds wide open for the enemy to feed us lies about our worth being tied to performance.”
If you are interested in building a consistent rhythm with your Bible reading, here are some steps you could start implementing right now.
Start Small and Be Realistic
You don’t need an hour-long deep study every morning. Begin with 5-10 minutes. Choose one verse or passage to meditate on. Use the "One Verse, One Thought, One Prayer" method: Read one verse, reflect on one key takeaway, and pray one simple prayer.
Make it Part of Your Daily Rhythms
In the book, Atomic Habits, the author challenges us to insert new habits into our already established rhythms. Maybe you have a cup of coffee every morning. Could you read your Bible while you drink your coffee? Think about something you do each day and figure out how to connect your Bible reading and/or prayer to that activity.
Make the Time
You will make time for the most important things in your life. What time of the day are you most energized? What part of the day are you most free? Find at least one chunk of time in your weekly schedule for deep, consistent Bible study.
Over time, as your hunger for scripture grows, you can find more time throughout your week. Once you have uncovered a right time, make a realistic weekly commitment and stick to it. Is there at least one chunk of time time each week that you can claim? Is there something on your calendar you need to remove to make room for this? Do you need to replace screen time or other activities. Figure out your weekly commitment and write it down.
Choose a Plan that Works for You
Now that you have figured out your why and evaluated your time, you can choose a plan that fits your life season. For you to succeed in your Bible reading, you must find a plan that works for you. It’s really about evaluating your current and seeing what works best for you.
Maybe you are in a season where you need to wake up 30 minutes earlier than normal. Maybe it is about changing up your evening routine. Another suggestion may be to start a devotional or a different kind of reading plan. You could also just change up your rhythm. Maybe you are bored or your season has changed. Use this opportunity to change how you read the Bible. Maybe you need to change how often or how long you read every day.
The important thing is to find something that works for you and adjust it as necessary. Our lives look different and it is okay to choose a plan that works with the flow of your life.
Reflection Questions
What’s one small way you can commit to Scripture this week?
What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to Bible reading?
Have you ever tried switching up your approach?
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