In my first post on how to read the Bible by having a solid plan, I shared why you should have a Bible reading plan, and I followed that up with some of the Bible study tools I use and why I use them. After the “why and the how,” I finally shared your free Bible reading plans to start the new year with.
And, if you’re anything like me, you do start with a solid Bible reading plan in place. But have you ever started out strong in your plan only to be derailed weeks or maybe even months later? Ok…maybe just days later!!
I have, and I want to help you overcome the derailing and experience a year of spiritual growth. To do that, I’ve called in 3 friends whose blogs I follow that have been a tremendous blessing to me. What a privilege it is to share a few of the bloggers that I follow and respect with you!
Rather than simply asking my respected colleagues to explain how to read the Bible, I wanted to know how they would overcome something that has hindered me and so many others in the past. The question I asked is, “What advice would you give to help someone overcome being derailed in their Bible reading plan?”
Following Your Plan
Jed Jurchenko
The best Bible-study advice I know, is to keep pressing forward. Remind yourself that doing something is always better than doing nothing. When you come to a difficult book–like Leviticus–and don’t understand everything that you read, keep going. When you get busy, and miss a day, don’t get discouraged–and and most certainly don’t give up. If you stick with it–day after day–at the end of the year you will be amazed at how much you have grown!
Jed Jurchenko is an Author, psychology professor, husband, and daddy to four girls.
The best Bible-study advice I know, is to keep pressing forward.
Jed Jurchenko
Dawn Klinge
The biggest obstacles that derail me from my Bible reading plan are time and forgetfulness. To combat this problem, I try to make Bible reading a part of my morning routine, just like brushing my teeth. I also pair my Bible reading with something else I’ll never forget…my morning coffee!
I haven’t written any blog posts specifically about Bible reading, but here’s one about how to pray 3 different types of prayer.
Dawn Klinge writes at Above the Waves, encouraging others, illustrating Biblical truths and weaving the themes of Jesus, trust and grace throughout her writing. Visit Dawn at www.dawnklinge.com.
Make Bible reading part of a morning routine-like coffee!
Dawn Klinge
Andrew Adams
What a great question! We’ve all struggled with this but I think a few encouragements could change that:
1. The Bible is a love letter from God! Sure it’s full of history, prophecy, and stories but it’s overall message is that of redemption, the love of the Father for His creation. When you read your Bible, remember that! When you forget to read it, remember that God loves you and simply wants you to spend time with Him!
2. Know your learning style and take advantage of that. Are you an auditory learner? Use an audio Bible and a notebook to jot down God’s revelations. Are you a visual learner? Picture yourself in the story. What did it feel like? Who’s around you? If you are a natural reader, then this post probably is interesting to you only in the fact that you now realize why others struggle with Bible reading!
3. Use a devotional or study Bible. The wisdom of great men and women of God from the past can be a valuable resource that encourages you and gives you a vision of what true life with God looks like.
Andrew Adams is a Christian author, blogger, and designer. Andrew’s joy and passion is to help people discover the beauty of a life lived with God through writing. Andrew previously wrote at He Inspired Me.
The Bible is a love letter from God who wants you to spend time with Him!
Andrew Adams
These 3 authors have so much to give, I encourage you to visit their sites and connect with them!
How to Read the Bible
One common theme from my friends here is perseverance. As long as you are in the word, God is going to reveal Himself to you and He has promised to meet you there (Jeremiah 29:13; Deuteronomy 4:29; Proverbs 8:17).
And when you come across questions, or need some assistance unpacking Scriptures, I won’t always have the answers, but I’m willing to dig deeper along with you and find them. Contact me anytime.
Hey Gene,
I love this post, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to join in and collaborate. Daily Bible reading is something that is so important to our Christian growth, and to our daily relationship with Christ. Thank you again for the opportunity to share my thoughts on this!
HI Jed, Thank you for being a part of the article! It’s so valuable for me to hear from others on overcoming some of the obstacles we face in different areas. It’s a real honor to have your voice on this one!
I believe that some of us need to know that our growth in Bible study give us the power to pass on what we have learn to others, it makes me a better mother, grandmother, co-worker and adds to my earthly life that I share with others.
Absolutely correct, Mildred. And of all of those things I personally can’t think of a bigger impact opportunity than that of grandparent. Never underestimate the power of a praying grandma or grandpa!
Hello Gene, One of the best tools over the past year to keep me on track is receiving a daily e-mail offered by my church which contains a Bible/scripture reading (about a chapter a day) along with a related devotional. (We are reading through the Bible as a congregation.) I can’t imagine that there aren’t other similar scripture & devotional sign-ups out there for which people can take advantage. Receiving that e-mail on my phone each morning really prompts me to start the day out with prayer and scripture, and provides Godly insight. There are plenty of resources and reading plans online that can be easily found with a Google search as well. If people are looking for a good audio Bible online, I highly recommend Bible.is website. It is free and has various dramatic reading versions that are quite attention-holding. 🙂
HI Cheryl, I just downloaded the Bible.is app to my phone so I could hear the audio while I do other things. You’re right, the dramatic readings are really captivating!
Bible Gateway does offer the option to receive a daily email reminder with their plans, but I really love the congregational reading your church is doing. That could have very positive impact on that community! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and happy 2016!!