4 Simple Actions That Take My Bible Reading Deeper

What I do when I meet with God has changed over the years, depending on life.

What has not changed is, in fact, the Unchangeable. God Almighty, Who was, and is, and is to come.

When I choose to make my morning appointment with Him, He always shows up.  That has always been true.

Your routine and methods may be different than mine.  This post is not meant to prescribe what you should try, but to describe the basics of what I do to take my Bible reading deeper. I hope you walk away with a few good ideas.

Why do I struggle to read my Bible?

I am not focused.

There are so many distractions in our world, our homes, and our brains.  Moms like us have a special brand of distractions all around us.  It can be an easy slide to let your lack of focus prevent you from reading your Bible.  But God means for His daughters to be in His Word.  It is worth it to build a routine and do simple things to keep yourself focused.  I pray you find some good ideas here today.

I don’t have a plan.

The simple lack of a plan will prevent you from opening your Bible most days.  It could be you don’t have a good reading plan, or you got behind on a reading plan.  Or maybe you know what to read, but not what to do with it or how to understand it.  You are not alone.  But I am here to tell you there are simple, realistic ways to plan a Bible reading routine.  At the end of this post, there is a link to my “6 Keys to a Daily Bible Reading Habit,” a good place to start if daily Bible reading is not really a thing for you.

I have not prayed for my Bible reading time.

If you are struggling with Bible reading, have you considered asking the Lord for help?  We can pray for understanding, pray for joy, and so much more.  The whole point of studying God’s Word is to know Him better.  Are you ready to have a deeper relationship with God?

How can I improve my Bible reading?

 

1. Pray

When we pray for understanding, we place our confidence in God’s ability to help us, not in our own minds to comprehend.  This certainly removes some stress when approaching Bible reading.  When we pray for joy in His Word, we find it is okay to admit when we are not super excited about opening our Bibles.  Friend, He means for you to be abiding in His Word, and He loves to answer these prayers!

Free Printable “20 Prayers You Can Pray Before Reading Your Bible”

My life is full, my days are busy, and my heart often wakes up dragging worry behind it.  Another important aspect of prayer in the morning is to lay down that worry. Some days I can get specific and detailed in my requests. Some days I thank Him for anything and everything.

There are days that “Make me the mom I need to be today” is my simple offering.

Lay down your worries and pick up your Bible, sister.

2. Sing

There are several great reasons for owning a hymnal, but that’s another discussion.  One is to use it personally.  I am currently doing my own personal skipping-around, sing-through of the hymnal I basically grew up with.  And yes, I own my own copy. (Music nerd here.)

When I sit down at my table, the first thing I open is (sorry!) not my Bible.  My goal here is to prepare my mind and heart, for that moment when I open my Bible and begin studying.

“Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.”  Psalm 100:2

So I come.  And I sing.  Very quietly because the rest of the household is usually still sleeping.

Many hymns focus on the character of God, the doctrines of the gospel, and our need for a Savior.  My heart is directed to praise God and get focused on Him.  I am made ready through the action of praise.

I love hymns.  But you could sing anything.  Songs you know by heart, or just stream your favorite worship station for a few minutes.  Sometimes, there is a particular song on my heart, and I look it up on YouTube.

However you do it, the personal discipline of singing to the Lord may just transform your morning routine.

3. Study

Ever open your Bible, because you know you should read it… but have no idea what you should read today?

My go-to, keep-it-simple method is to place a bookmark in a book of the Bible, and every day I read a chapter at my bookmark.  Here are two simple ways to go deeper with Bible reading.  You interact with what you read on a level that fits your routine and your capacity.

• After you read your chapter, copy down a verse or two from that chapter.  This causes you to slow down and meditate a little longer on those verses.
• As you read your daily chapter or passage, write down answers to these questions, as they apply:
  • What is the author trying to communicate?
  • What does this teach about God?
  • Is there a command to obey?
  • Is there an example to follow?
  • Is there a promise to claim?
  • Is there a sin to avoid?
  • Is there a principle to follow?

4. Write

Here is my other favorite part!  As a writer, I unapologetically love writing.  And pens.  And journals.

But even if you don’t, this can be a hands-on, focused way to respond to God and His Word.  Here are things I often include, in no particular order, and not always every one, every day:

• Simply copying a verse or passage from my reading
• Answers to some of the Bible study questions above
• Writing out the song I sang today
• My own thoughts in response to God’s Word
• A drawing or graphic presentation of a verse or song
• The name of somebody God put on my heart this morning (I always pray for them, and often contact them later)
• A prayer to God (especially when I can’t focus my thoughts in my head—the pen helps)

As with singing and studying, there are days even I don’t “feel” like writing and responding.  Those are the days I discipline myself to simply copy a verse of God’s Word.  This causes me to meditate on it further.

Journaling has been a key part of deepening my personal study of God’s Word and keeping me focused in the discipline of meeting with God daily.

My Lord has met me, and I have offered my sacrifice of praise.  All of this routine is meant to turn my eyes off of my own desires and circumstances, and turn them on Him.  He calls me to go deeper than checking Bible reading off my list.

How will you go deeper with Him?

Don’t even have a Bible reading routine? Start with the basics: