- Meditate on what you read (Psalm 1:2). The Hebrew word for meditate means “to mutter words under your breath.” Take a verse or passage and rehearse it throughout the day.
- Read the Bible in small amounts (Isaiah 28:10).
- Read the Bible in large amounts (Jeremiah 15:16). Read an entire book in one sitting.
- Study the Bible to be sure you are being taught the truth in sermons (Acts 17:11).
- Engage in Bible reading every day in some form. You cannot live spiritually without it (Matthew 4:4).
- Remember, the Bible is primarily about what God has done for you, not about what you are to do for God. Jesus is the hero of Scripture, not you and me (2 Corinthians 5:19–21).
- The Bible equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Read the Bible to be informed of how God wants you to live your life.
- Get a translation you can understand, but be sure it is as true to the original as possible (Acts 8:30).
- Read the Bible with others in community—worship services, Bible study, and small groups (Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27).
- When you read something and have no idea what it is about, keep reading. The answer may be in the verses right after, or right before (Ephesians 3:3–5).
- Do not give up (Galatians 6:9). Some days reading will feel pointless, but it never is. It always does more than we think.
- Nobody knows everything; do not be afraid to ask for help (Acts 8:31).
- Remember, just because some things are hard to understand does not mean they are impossible to understand (2 Peter 3:16).
- God does not hate you or even love you less because you missed a day of Bible reading. The reading habit is not to earn His love but to enjoy it (1 John 4:8).
- Memorize as much Scripture as you can, not to show off but to defeat sin (Psalm 119:11; Matthew 4:1–4).
- To get more out of worship on Sundays, read more during the week (Acts 2:42).
- Pray that God will open your eyes to see amazing things in His Law (Psalm 119:18).
- Read the Old Testament looking for Jesus. It points to Him (Luke 24:44; John 5:39–40).
- Something is always better than nothing when it comes to reading the Bible (1 Peter 2:2).
- There is no shortcut to learning the Bible. Read it one day at a time for a lifetime (Job 23:12).
—Adapted from Hiram Kemp, firstcenturyfaithtoday.com
