Why Read The Bible?
The Bible is the Holy and Living Word of the Most High God, our Creator. This book is filled with wisdom, prophecy, revelation, the history of Israel, and the life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Consistently reading the Bible will reveal to you the love God has for you and the world. His Holy Spirit will help you build your faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Son and our Savior. The Holy Spirit will motivate you to imitate godly love while acting upon divine, personal instructions for your life. With the Most High God’s wisdom and insight, you will have access to peace, purpose, strength, and hope in every season.
Tip 1: Invite The Holy Spirit Into Our Reading Time
The Holy Spirit dwells within each born again believer. This is the Spirit of God which glorifies His Son and all His righteousness. The Holy Spirit is our Helper and guide as we walk in God-given purpose. We can rely on the Holy Spirit to teach us as we study the Bible more in depth and grow in faith. We can trust that the Holy Spirit will guide us through and to specific passages for personal revelation, understanding, and practical application.
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” – John 15:26
Even though the Spirit of God comes to dwell within us as born again believers, intentionally inviting Him into our Bible reading time will greatly improve our understanding of God’s Word. Not only does our intentional invitation help activate our mental focus, but it also demonstrates humility of heart. Because it’s God’s Spirit who is acting as our Helper, we gain access to Biblical insight that otherwise wouldn’t be available to us. When we let God know, even through a short prayer, that we need His wisdom, His Spirit, and His revelation as we read the Bible, we simultaneously acknowledge a dependence on Him. This is an act of humility! He faithfully rewards those who seek Him and blesses all who remain humble in His Holy presence.
The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life. – Proverbs 22:4
Why invite the Holy Spirit?
- To help us understand the Bible more deeply with insight from God’s Spirit.
- To reveal to us what we personally need to take out of certain verses and chapters in order to align ourselves with God and get to know Him better.
- To teach us how to depend on God and have a heart of humility.
Tip 2: Highlight Or Underline Verses
Although you may choose not to highlight or underline verses in your physical Bible, know you can also follow this tip using the YouVersion Bible app as well as other free Bible apps. Personally, I love highlighting portions of Scripture physically and digitally. I have a specific color system that works for me which I can share with you later.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7
Highlighting or underlining as you read your physical or digital Bible will make it easier for you to refer back to what the Holy Spirit has shown you during your time together as well as what God is trying to reveal to you. This can help you keep track of what you’ve already read and come back to what passages you want to study more in depth. It’s also helpful as believers to keep a few of your favorite verses handy when you’re facing life struggles or an overwhelming temptation. You may want to use some of these verses as prayer points while prayer journaling or meditating, and when you need a quick soul refreshment after a long day, you can simply flip open to a verse you know will encourage you to stand strong in your faith and bask in God’s grace. Never underestimate the power of God’s Word!
Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, – Proverbs 1:5
Reflection questions to help you personalize/maximize your Bible reading time:
- What stands out to you about the verses you are reading?
- Which details are important for this passage, chapter, or book?
- Who is the author of this book originally writing to or for (group or person)?
- Which words spoken by Jesus do I need to remember?
- Which Proverb could I apply to my life today?
- What is God revealing to me about His character, His power, or His heart?
Why might it be helpful to highlight or underline verses in your Bible?
- To remind us of what we’ve read for those days we’re in need of a quick, soul refreshment.
- To highlight what you want to study more in depth and keep track of already read passages.
- To reflect on later while prayer journaling or meditating.
Tip 3: Be Consistent And Realistic
To be consistent is to read your Bible at a continual and steady pace. It’s good to read the Word of God daily for many reasons. As Christians this should be one of our faith goals. However, you might have to work up to that level of spiritual discipline like I did. Know the Most High God understands that we’re each on a unique, faith journey. He loves that you want to get to know Him whether you start with one verse a day or one chapter a week. You can simply start by downloading a Bible app and exploring different chapters as the Holy Spirit leads you. Try reading once a week at minimum.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:5
We will receive His grace as we align ourselves with His purposes and seek to grow in relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. We will receive the blessings of God such as wisdom as we consistently study His Living Word. To be realistic is to know not all days will be in the same in your Bible reading journey. Sometimes reading will be a challenge. Sometimes we might miss a couple days in our Bible app. Life as a human can be unpredictable, but let’s keep in mind these two things:
1. We can only grow in Biblical knowledge and faith through consistently reading the Bible and living in alignment with God.
2. We will only get to know Jesus Christ and experience inner transformation when we spend quality time with Him.
Reading the Bible can help you build a life of spiritual satisfaction. When we experience the love of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, and when we read (and re-read) about His life, death, and resurrection, we will start to see inner transformation like never before. After developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we will gain new perspectives which will inspire us to serve God’s Kingdom. When we learn to rely on God for strength, hope, and provision, we will develop a deeper love for Him and His people. When we consistently read the Bible we’ll learn what it’s like to have supernatural peace and clarity. As we align ourselves with God’s purposes for our life, we will be blessed – even after death!
Why is it important to be consistent in reading the Bible as a believer in Christ?
- To get to know the Most High God and His Son on a personal level.
- To grow in faith, wisdom, and build a spiritually satisfying life.
- To live with peace and clarity as we walk in God-given purpose.
May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace! – Psalm 29:11
I pray these tips have blessed your faith journey. May God’s peace rest upon you today. 🙂
Copyright 2024 Angie Vargas
Angie is a poet, Christian life coach & wife on a mission to share the transformative power & love of God.