Methods for Bible Reading

When it comes to Bible reading, there are many different approaches. There is reading and studying, which can be very different things, and also alone or with others. In this post, I hope to share helpful advice, resources, and methods for reading the Bible in these four different ways. 

Reading Alone 

Imagine that you are in a long-distance relationship. You are in love with this person deeply and want to spend time with them as much as you can. Your heart is longing to hear from them, and you are hanging on every word from them. As Christians, we are supposed to be longing for God, and we are blessed to be given His Word, the Bible. What love-stricken person would reject such an opportunity? 

I will be honest, reading the Bible can sometimes feel like a chore, or an obligation, or be really hard to be consistent with. But I will also be honest that I have heard from so many different people, and experienced for myself, that the more you read, the more you will want to read. Possibly the hardest part or reading the Bible alone is to just find the time and open the book. 

There are so many distractions in life, and not all of them are inherently bad. Family, friends, work, school, church, community, etc. are all good things, but they take time. We have responsibilities, chores, obligations, commitments to uphold, and promises to keep, and that all takes time. It is pretty easy to get caught up in all the business of life and when time gets tight to throw Bible reading out first to make room for everything else. “God will still be there when I have time, but [so-and-so] is counting on me.” Right? 

Okay. How much time do you spend on social media? Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, YouTube, or any other entertainment platform? How about reading books for fun? Yes, even books like Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis count. Yes, watching The Chosen on Angel Studios counts. Not all entertainment is bad. But it takes up time. 

Time management is a difficult thing. But what if you only read a chapter of the Bible a day, maybe a little less? How long does that take? Some people read fast and it only takes a couple minutes. I have Dyslexia and read slowly, so it takes me around 10-15 minutes per chapter (depending on the length). So what if you set aside 20-30 minutes a day? One less episode from your favorite show, one less chapter from your for-fun reading, instead of playing music in the shower playing a Bible read-aloud, driving to work or school listening to the Bible, during the kid’s naptime (I know that is sacred time), etc. Pulling only a little time out of each day is more possible than you would think. The time is there. Will you be? 

So when you finally have a bit of time to read… then what? I mentioned earlier that there are ways to listen to the Bible. If you struggle with reading comprehension, or if you just want to hear someone reading it to you, you could listen while reading along. I have the Bible app from YouVersion (it will say from Life.Church in the app store) and have enjoyed the features in it. 

I highly recommend reading from a paper Bible if possible. There are countless studies done on how reading from physical paper is better for memory retention than reading from a screen. I used to listen to the read-aloud from my Bible app while reading along in my paper Bible. It worked well for me until I decided that I wanted to read without the read-aloud and take my time to think through the words and their meanings. It also seems to be that whenever I sit down to read my Bible, I happen to get a text or call or notification of some kind. It is almost never important, but it distracts me. I learned that I have to silence my phone and place it face down away from me to be able to focus on my reading. 

Where to read? Anywhere. There are thousands of Bible reading plans out there. For believers that are newer to the faith, I would recommend starting in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). The Gospels focus on telling the life and work of Jesus Christ. For those wanting a challenge, perhaps a one year reading plan to read the Bible in a year. If you are looking for something specific (help in times of hurt/grief, encouragement, wisdom, etc.) then I would recommend talking to your pastor and asking them where they think would be best for you to start. If you are not connected with a church yet, there are plenty of resources online. Never be afraid to google “Where to start reading the Bible for __________.” 

When you have time to read and you know where to read, then all you need to do is read. Reading alone is fairly simple. Like I said, getting started is the hard part. 

Studying Alone 

When it comes to studying, it really depends on what your goal is in the study. Is it a character study? A word study? A book study? Are you wanting to expand your technical understanding of theology? These all are different approaches to studying the Bible? 

When it comes to character studies, a good idea is to make some kind of character sheet. What do they do? What do they say? What could be their intentions? Goals? Beliefs? Are they portrayed positively or negatively, and why? 

Word studies can be fun, but they require a little more technical understanding. For instance, Hebrew/Greek does not translate perfectly into English. Looking at the Hebrew/Greek definitions of the words is important. Reading other verses with the same Hebrew/Greek word, not the English word, helps get an idea of the context for the word. I recommend Blue Letter Bible as a useful resource for word studies. 

When it comes to book studies, it is good to read the full book first, then go through it slowly while keeping the entire book’s contents in mind. I suggest listening to sermons and messages on the book, listening to different pastors and theologians takes on the book. Also, reading commentaries on the book can be highly helpful. I recommend reading Dr. Constable’s Expository Notes (https://planobiblechapel.org/constable-notes/). 

These are all great resources that I have used and found helpful. BibleGateway is also a good free resource for looking up mentions of certain people, places, or events. Another resource would be Logos Bible Software, but only if you are wanting to invest in studying. Logos Bible Software is more complicated and involves purchases for resources but is a highly useful tool if you are willing to take the time to learn it and willing to invest money for it. 

Reading/Studying Together 

Reading and studying with others is a great idea for growing fellowship, community, having accountability, and hearing other ideas or opinions that you may normally not get to hear. I recommend that you all pick a shared translation to read from together if you are taking turns reading aloud. If you are reading the passage(s) before you meet, then you can use whatever translation you normally would. Enjoy meeting to share thoughts, opinions, questions, and discuss applications of what you all read. Maybe go through a study guide book together for where/what you were wanting to study. 

Bible reading can look different for different people. Every group is different, just like how every person is different. But there are plenty of tips and resources out there to help with reading/studying the Bible. Find what works for you! I highly suggest finding an accountability partner, to help one another stick with the reading/studying until it becomes a habit. 

Whether you are reading or studying, alone or with other believers, it is always a good idea to limit possible distractions. Learn what is good for you. Everyone thinks differently, and everyone has different things that can help them understand and learn the Bible more. God’s Word is waiting for you. What are you waiting for?