Three Tips For Better Bible Reading

Most Christians know they should read their bible. But if we are honest, we struggle from time to time understanding how to get much out of it. People don’t usually give up their quiet times because they dislike God. They give them up because they feel unproductive or even bored.

Here are three tips to get more out of your Bible reading.

One: Ask, “What does this passage teach me about who God is?”

Understand that the Bible is more about knowing who God is, rather than what He wants. It does include instruction and exhortations for the Christian life. But before that, it’s a book about who God is. Does He have a temper? How will He respond when I make a mistake? How does He treat the outcast? What’s His patience like? For me, this framework has changed the way I read the Bible. I don’t want to downplay the value in the Bibles commands and instructions for holy living. But thank God He gave us more than just rules. In His loving design, He chose to paint a picture with a big story. That story shows us who God is.

The next time you read your Bible, practice asking the question, “What does this passage teach me about who God is?” I was just reading in Luke 5 this morning about how Jesus healed a leper. I asked myself that question and it lead to such a refreshing and encouraging prayer time with God. Because it didn’t just teach me something to do or not do. But it reminded me about God’s loving nature.

Two: Mix your Bible reading with prayer.

Pray before you read, while you read, and after you read. Before you read, because you need God’s help to see beautiful things in the scriptures. A helpful Psalm to pray as you begin reading is Psalm 119:18: “Open my eyes to see wonderful things in your Word.”

Pray while you read. When I was reading about Jesus healing a leper, it caused me to stop and pray. Why? Because I was moved by what I saw. By asking the question above, I learned that God is compassionate towards those that society outcasts. That God walks near those who are dirty. That God is gracious and gentle with His creation. That’s amazing! That is refreshing for my soul. It reminds me how Jesus, though He was in Heaven and seated on a throne… would humble himself and come down to this earth. Not to be served, but to go to the outcast and cleanse them.

Pray after. As I finished reading, I wanted to meditate on the scriptures more. The best way to do this is pray what you read and what you are thinking to God. As I thought about this story of Jesus, I asked—what kind of God is this? It’s astounding. We don’t deserve His love and mercy because we sin so often. We dismiss Him and go our own ways. When I saw what the text was teaching me about God, it caused me to pray. I wanted to tell God what I saw. I wanted to thank Him for being like that. I wanted to confess my sins and be more like Him. I wanted to love outcasts too, like Jesus. Praying after gave me things to think about all day. It helped God’s word instruct my heart.

Three: Keep doing it.

Diamonds are not mined in an hour. Affections are not aroused in an evening. People are not known in one encounter. Put your hand to the plow every day. Mine God’s words for beautiful truths. Some days you will pick away at dirt and find nothing. Do not despair. Because the goal isn’t to find deep, beautiful, shining truths. (Although we want those experiences!) The goal isn’t to read X amount of chapters in a day. The goal isn’t to remember everything you read.

The goal of Bible reading is to spend time with God. That’s why we ask “What does this passage teach me about God?”, that’s why we pray while we read, and that’s why we keep doing it. Because more than anything, we want Him.

Learning to love the scriptures,

Josh.

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