Do you strive to read your Bible on a daily basis? Was it maybe even your New Year’s resolution? Now that we are well into March, some habits that started strong earlier this year may be waning, and this can be true of our Bible reading and praying too. It’s also easy to get so into a routine that you realize you aren’t actually absorbing anything you’re reading but merely checking a box. With all that being said, here are 4 tips to help you refresh your Bible reading routines to make sure that you are spending an adequate time doing so and approaching it with the right mindset!
1. Change the Time
My husband and I are typically more night owls than early birds, so we often sleep in as much as we can before work and on weekends; however, for a while this meant that our “quiet time” wasn’t until after work or even right before bed. This meant that it often felt like a last priority and that we weren’t really fully focused at ten or eleven at night. So this year we decided to change that!
My husband and I have started getting up just 30 minutes earlier than we used to and spending our first 30 minutes of the day reading our Bibles and praying. I am still trying to work on making sure that I have the right attention while reading, but I do think it’s progress to have made it a higher priority in our day.
2. Pick a New Spot
I especially recommend a cozy spot that encourages you to want to spend time in the word and in prayer. While I often just end up on our couch because it’s convenient and comfortable, the times where I make the effort to read in the rarely used extra chair in my office seem particularly special. I can close the door to the room. I get a warm cup of tea. I bundle up in a blanket and let the sunshine in, and it totally changes the way I am able to read and focus during that time. So maybe find a new space that feels inviting to you or just allows you to refocus on your quiet time!
3. Use a Reading Plan
It can be hard to pick what to read each day or remember which books you’ve read in the last 6 months or not especially if you don’t typically follow a Bible-in-a-year plan. When I get in these slumps and don’t know what to read next, I will look for a week to two-week long reading plan that centers around a particular topic or book. To do so, I use the YouVersion Bible app and search through their huge list of plans.
If you’re looking for a longer commitment that will help you stay on track for a year or so, the Bible app also has options, and you can google many different formats for reading the Bible in a year. Either way, setting up a reading plan can be helpful to stay on track and give you something specific to look forward to reading each day!
4. Use Commentaries or Devotionals
Similar to the previous suggestion, this one can help when in somewhat of a reading slump. I often find myself reading but not totally comprehending yet still just moving onto the next chapter or book. When I get in this kind of mindset, I will often find a small commentary on a particular book of the Bible or a devotional that follows a book of the Bible and use it to guide my reading. This allows for more focused time in the word as I read a chapter in the Bible and also several pages from a commentary or devotional that help me better understand the reading. This is one of my favorite ways to read the Bible because I feel so much more invested and curious about the text than I otherwise would be.
Here are some of my favorite devotionals and commentaries if you’re looking to get started:
Exalting Jesus in Hebrews (Christ-Centered Exposition series) by Al Mohler
Beholding and Becoming: The Art of Everyday Worship by Ruth Chou Simons
Disciplines of a Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes
90 Days in Galatians, Judges, and Ephesians by Tim Keller & Richard Coekin
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