Seven Practical Tips for Building A Bible Reading Habit
Chandler Francis
Here are seven practical tips to establish a Bible reading habit:
Set a reminder (Deuteronomy 6:8). It is good to put the Bible in a place you will see it. Set an alarm on your phone or get a bookmark.
Read in the same place every day (Deuteronomy 17:18; Luke 4:16). Maybe your spot is in bed. Perhaps it's at the breakfast table. Some like to read on the couch. Others will read in the car.
Read at the same time every day (Daniel 6:10). This will in general help structure your day. We all get busy, and unless you make time you won't find time.
Use a highlighter or pen (Deuteronomy 17:18; Isaiah 30:8). This will show progress. This will help you keep focused.
Choose a good readable translation (Nehemiah 8:8). If you cannot understand the King James Version, don't read the King James Version. However, don't just settle on any smooth-reading translation.
Read aloud or listen to the Bible (Revelation 1:3; Luke 4:16-20; Acts 8:30). The Bible repeats itself a lot--that is by design. When you read something in your head, once is enough--and if you need to read it again, you can just reread the same thing, no built-in repetition is necessary. When you hear something, sometimes you need it repeated over and over again. Up until 400 years ago, having a personal copy of the Bible was unheard of. People had hand copied the Bible, letter by letter, so it took years to produce one. So, already Bibles were expensive--but then, they deteriorated quickly too, making them more expensive. Thus, for the common man to read the Bible, he had to listen. And thus, the Bible was written in a way that made it easy to listen to.
Realize how little time it takes (braggadocios) (Proverbs 9). Figure out how long it takes you to read. Know that you will get faster at reading as you build that muscle. Remember how much you are on your phone!
--Edited by Noah Olson