How to Read Your Bible
It takes a lot of discipline to study God’s Word, and it’s one thing we may not feel we have a lot of time for, but it is WORTH IT! (Aren’t all the best things in life hard, but worth it?) What you read on a daily basis impacts you, more than you realize! Think about how you feel when you're scrolling through your Facebook feed. Studying the Word will always bear fruit in your life. You will learn more of God’s character and more about His kingdom. Your heart will be changed, and your mom life will be better off for it! Read on for more of the "why" and "how" of getting started reading the Bible.
Why is reading the Bible important?
Reading the Bible shows us God's character. The Bible is our definitive source for the answers to our questions about God.
Reading the Bible teaches us to imitate God.
Reading the Bible helps us discover our next step.
Reading the Bible keeps us from sin.
Reading the Bible helps us to renew our minds so we can know God's will.
Reading the Bible is how we learn about the gospel.
Reading the Bible gives us courage.
If I want to read the Bible, where should I start?
A lot of us try to tackle reading the Bible from front to back and then we get stuck a few days or weeks in because the Old Testament can be hard to read! But the Bible is not like any other book, it isn't necessarily meant to be read from front to back. The Bible is actually a library of 66 books that all tell one big story! Check out a few of the following Bible reading plans that will help give you a better understanding of what order to read the stories. If you’re not sure where to begin, I like the gospel of John.
Zondervan reading plans
Zondervan 60-day overview of the Bible
BlueLetterBible.com reading plan options
How to Stick to Your Reading Plan
Let go of your idea of what it's "supposed to" look like
Instead of an hour away, grab 10-15 minutes and ask God to make the most of those minutes. If you are a mom who craves quiet, silence, or alone time, confess that to God, and let Him know the desires of your heart. Sometimes just admitting out loud that we aren’t getting what we want makes it easier to bear.
Read at the same time every day
It is hard to build any habit! If you attempt to read your Bible at different times of the day and in different places, it will be even harder to build the habit of reading. Try to carve out a specific time in your day to read your Bible and it will be a lot easier to follow through with your goal!
Find a Bible-reading partner
Setting a goal with someone else makes it a lot easier, and more fun, to accomplish! You can hold each other accountable and dig into deeper discussions about stories you read in the Bible.
Get a Bible you enjoy reading
Bible reading isn't very fun when you don't understand what you're reading. It's helpful to have a Bible that helps you understand what's happening (and how it applies to you). Lately I have been loving reading from the New Living Translation study bible. Look into the many options available and find one that you love.
Bible Reading Apps and Podcasts
No matter how busy your life may be right now, there's no reason reading the Word has to take a backseat. With daily Bible study apps and podcasts, you can take God's Word with you wherever you go. I love listening to the Bible through YouVersion while we’re doing things around the house. Try listening to a version you don’t usually read, like The Message, to bring a freshness to the Word. There’s a podcast called The Bible Recap that walks you through reading the entire Bible with short accompanying podcast episodes, so you can better understand what you just read. Check out more of our favorite Bible study apps below.
YouVersion
The most important tip I can give you moms, is don’t give up. Don’t give up because it’s not ideal, or it’s not easy, or you’re not “getting much done.” I love this passage in Isaiah about God’s Word:
"As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
Birds on a Wire is a ministry that provides Godly, practical advice so that moms at any stage can feel celebrated, encouraged and equipped to parent with confidence. Karen Stubbs founded Birds on a Wire in 2011 to share her experiences as a mom and guide others through their motherhood journey. Through Mom Studies, books, the Wire Talk podcast, The Perch blogs, BOAW groups, in person events, and an active BOAW Mom's Group on Facebook, BOAW creates a welcoming community for moms to connect on topics that are meaningful to them. Follow us on social on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn or learn more about us at birdsonawiremoms.com.