I don’t claim to be perfect at daily Bible reading. Honestly, sometimes I forget. But, I begin to feel very anxious and stressed. And then I realize that it’s because I haven’t been reading my Bible; I haven’t been delighting in the Lord. So, let’s first talk about the importance of reading our Bibles daily, and then we’ll look at some ways in which we can all read our Bibles more frequently. Let’s go!
The Importance of Daily Bible Reading
I came to Christ just before my 11th birthday. So, I guess you could say that I grew up in the church. I have always loved to read and write, so I saw the Bible is a giant book of very interesting stories! I would read certain stories in the Bible, and let my vivid imagination take me back to those times and locations. Sometimes I would giggle in glee at the images I would see in my mind’s eye. Sometimes I would be sad and even cry.
However, as I grew in my knowledge of Christ, I began to see the Bible as more than a storybook. I began to see the Word of God in its true form: as a source of wisdom and a manual for godly living. Now, when I read my Bible, I read it through the lens of the Holy Spirit, I read it to hear what the Lord wants me to learn. I just love the Bible! You can read the same scripture several times, and every time you return to it, you get a fresh, new revelation every time!
Daily Bible reading is very important. Why? We are spiritual beings at our core. So if we eat natural food every day (well, except when we’re dry fasting), then to keep our spirit man alive and well, we also need to eat spiritual food. And that spiritual food is the Word of God – the Bible. Here are some other reasons why you need to make daily Bible reading a habit for you and your household:
You Learn the Heart of Christ and You Grow in Him through His Word
We need to love the Word of God and let it be our meditation all the time1. Think about it: how do you get to know someone? You need to spend time with them and you need to get familiar with how their thought patterns, the reasons behind their actions, and their intentions towards you. That’s just the same with Jesus Christ. To know Him more, we not only have to spend more time in His Presence speaking with Him; we also need to know the mind of Christ.
We first came to faith through the message of salvation that was preached to us from the Bible2. Therefore, to grow in Christ we need to remember that:
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
It’s important to grow in our knowledge of the Bible so that we can become stronger Christians:
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Daily Bible Reading Provides Valuable Wisdom and Godly Guidance
Reading and applying the Word of God in our lives allows us to grow in wisdom. We also get valuable instructions about how to live in a way that honors Christ and glorifies Him:
Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
I can’t count how many times the Lord has given me instructions through His Word. I would be reading my Bible and a certain scripture jumps out at me. Then I would hear His instructions about how that scripture applies to what He needs me to do. At other times, I would hear the words of a specific scripture and then I run to Google the words I heard and get the scripture’s location in the Bible.
The Word of God is always new as you get a fresh revelation with every reading. The Bible is multi-faceted and in it, we have all we need to walk in the way of Christ:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Feeling Down? Daily Bible Reading is Essential
I know from experience that when you’re going through a hard season in your life that you just want to curl up alone in a dark place. But, make sure that you take the Word of God with you. I find that reading my Bible in my dark seasons has been one of the lifelines that help me to persevere to my breakthroughs. The enemy of your soul wants to keep you depressed but fight back with the Word of God. Pray the Word of God over your life and believe firmly that you will overcome.
Reading Your Bible Helps You to Learn and Believe His Promises for Your Life
I believe that Christ has a unique plan for each of us, a divine mandate. However, to know and believe the will of God for your life means that you need to read His Word. We all know this familiar scripture:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
If you are to become who Jesus Christ has called you to be within the earth, then you must find your identity in Him and His Word. He has good thoughts about you. Your past hurts and failures can never stop the move of God in your life. But, you need to first acquire the knowledge of His Word so when you apply that knowledge, you will grow in wisdom. Furthermore:
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
With the wisdom and understanding of Christ, as well as your complete obedience, you will walk fully in your divine purpose.
Daily Bible Reading Helps Us to Become Effective Teachers of the Word
Finally, we need to become scholars of the Word of God to become effective teachers in His Kingdom. We are not called to salvation in Christ as a hellfire prevention scheme. We are called to become effective ambassadors in the Kingdom of Christ throughout the earth. I love this scripture and it fueled my desire to study the Word of God when I was growing up:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
We are all called to fulfill the Great Commission:
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
But, for us to be effective in bringing others to Christ and also serving well in our respective ministries, we must be firmly rooted in His Word. So let’s build this habit of daily Bible reading into our schedules!
Tips to Help You Read Your Bible More Often
Now that we are clear on all the amazing benefits of daily Bible reading, here are some useful tips to help you get you settled in this great habit:
Pray to Jesus to Get an Appetite for His Word
Do you find that you fall asleep whenever you need to read your Bible? But, then you find yourself engrossed in your social media streams for hours? Then you must pray and ask Jesus Christ to give you an appetite, a deep love to read your Bible. The Bible is Jesus’ words to you, a personalized collection of letters and invaluable wisdom that you need to survive, to excel in this world. There are so many things that distract us from Christ. Therefore, we need to pray for a change of taste from worldly entertainment to engaging in daily Bible reading.
Establish Daily Devotions
Whether you’re single, married, have children (or not), you (and your household) must have regular devotions. Establish a time where you (and your family if applicable) sit in Jesus’ Presence. Christian devotions must include singing praises unto Christ, worshipping the Lord, praying, and of course reading and discussing3 Bible passages.
Ideally, you want to have daily devotions (even if they are abbreviated on some days). It’s best to choose a time of day when you can spend at least a few minutes with Christ. It can be morning, midday, or in the evenings. The main thing is to pick a time that works for all concerned and to be consistent in meeting with Christ at those times.
See the Bible as a Manual of Divine Instructions for Daily Living
It will be easier for you to engage in daily Bible reading if you the Word of God in your everyday life. I encourage you to get in the habit of sitting in Jesus’ Presence and get to know Him. Then, as you grow in your relationship with Christ, you will be able to ask Him guidance on specific matters and get His guidance in real-time. However, it all starts with reading His Word and building your relationship from there.
Use Bible Apps
We live in the smartphone era, so let’s use the tech to keep us reading our Bibles each day. I find the YouVersion App to be quite helpful in my daily Bible reading efforts. You can get access to online devotionals that are arranged according to topics (like anxiety), seasons (such as Easter), and stage of life (single, dating, couples, parents, etc.).
When you sign up for an online devotional, you get a certain number of scriptures related to the day’s topic. I like that when I finish each component (the devotional content and scriptures) for each day, I see a checkmark. I know, it’s somewhat juvenile to love checkmarks, but I do! Furthermore, YouVersion also has the Bible reading streak, which counts the days that you’ve consistently read your Bible via the app. And I like keeping those streaks long! lol! So consider downloading the Bible app of your choice and get to reading scriptures that align with your topic of interest. By giving you access to themed plans, the app helps you to read your Bible and apply the Word to your life every day.
Play the Bible as You Work and Sleep
I also like to play the YouVersion Bible App while I sleep. Yes, I am sleeping, but the scriptures still flow into my subconscious mind and I permeate my atmosphere with the Word of God.
I have also played the app while I work a few times. However, I do this rarely, because I like to make notes, so I prefer to just sit and read the content, and then make my notes. But, if you are always on the go, and you like to listen to audiobooks, then why not listen to the Bible too? There’s no restriction on listening to the Bible via your smartphone or tablet. The main thing is to ensure that you are hearing the Word of God and then consciously applying His instructions and guidance in your daily life.
Daily Bible Reading is Vital in Our Christian Lives: Don’t Give Up!
This has been quite a lengthy article! However, I just have to share as the Lord leads me. We can all see the many benefits of daily Bible reading. I invite you to practice these quick tips to help you get in the habit of reading your Bible every day – even if it’s only a few verses. If you have some tips of your own, then feel free to share them in the comments below.
I want you to know this:
If you find that you miss a day or a few days, please don’t fall into guilt and get angry with yourself. Guilt is not of God; that comes from the devil. However, the Holy Spirit of God will always convict you and point your attention back to spending more time in His Word. Simply get back on the proverbial horse, and keep on reading your Bible each day!
Let’s engage in daily Bible reading. Let’s all become learned Bible scholars, effective ambassadors, and mighty warriors in the Kingdom of Christ in the earth.
May Jesus’ blessings, peace, and wisdom be upon us all.
Sophia.
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