10 Things I’ve Learned about Bible Reading + My Bible Reading Strategy

This week, I want us to think about the spiritual discipline of Bible reading. I’ve read the entire Bible annually for several years, but I still have room to grow in this discipline.

Here are some things I’ve learned about Bible reading, followed by my general reading plan:

1. We in North America have incredible access to the scriptures in our language. I’ve been all over the world where believers have none of the Bible in their language—and they sacrifice greatly to hear the Word taught anytime they have opportunity. Many of us, though, have more Bibles than human beings in our homes. I have MANY more copies of the Bible than people in my house.

   
   

2. I need a reading plan. I wish I were disciplined enough to get up each morning, determine what I want to read, and let nothing get in the way of my reading. I can get sidetracked easily, though, so I need a plan. I choose a plan each year by doing a simple “Bible reading plan” Internet search.

   
   

3. I need to know the night before what I’m going to read the next day. This point, of course, ties to the previous one. Any time I spend in determining my reading each new day is an opportunity for something else to draw me away—so, I want my Bible open to my reading for the day when I wake up in the morning. Again, I need a plan.

   
   

4. I enjoy some reading plans better than others. I prefer, for example, reading both Old Testament and New Testament materials each day rather than reading straight through the Bible. For me, the latter approach makes it seem like Thanksgiving before I get to the New Testament—though I do still follow that pattern at least every three years.

   
   

5. It’s not imperative that I read through the entire Bible in one year. I do always get through the Word, but I don’t feel obligated to do so. I do think we ought to read through the Scriptures at least every two years (reading a little less than two chapters a day—which all of us should be able to do), but it’s most important to me that we spend some time with God each day.

   
   

6. A good study Bible can be helpful. I look for a study Bible that is not so heavy with study notes that I get distracted from reading the Word, but that does have enough notes to help me remember the history, identify people, understand terms, etc. One of my favorite study Bibles is the Christian Standard Study Bible.

   
   

7. Quantity of reading is not always best. I fear we’ve been taught that more reading is always better than less reading—that is, more chapters are always better than fewer chapters, even if we don’t understand or remember what we read. This formula now reflects my thinking, however: Consistency (reading regularly) + quality (reading with some depth; not just skimming the text) + accountability (letting someone else know what I’m learning) > quantity of material. I’ve found that quantity usually increases when I make sure I live out this formula.

   
   

8. Accountability matters. For years, I’ve written a daily devotion based on my own Bible reading. I began writing those devotions when I wanted to encourage some young men I’m mentoring to do the same. I needed them to know what I was reading, and I wanted to encourage them to read with me. All of us can send a quick email to others to let them know what the Lord’s teaching us through His Word.

   
   

9. The Word is convictingly sweet. It really does penetrate deeply into the soul (Heb 4:12). It hurts and soothes at the same time—and I cannot imagine not reading it every day. That’s what we’ve talked about in previous posts: developing a habit of spiritual disciplines that eventually becomes part of our spiritual DNA.

   
   

10. I want to give the next generation worn-out, well-marked, intentionally highlighted Bibles that reflect my love for God and His Word. Even if young people don’t appreciate the gift until later in their lives, it seems to me that a used Bible is a good gift to give. The final section of this post will tell you how I’m trying to produce that kind of Bible today.

    
    

Here's the plan I’ve followed for years now. First, I choose a reading plan, as I noted above. Second, I buy a new study Bible each year. That way, I can take new notes each year. Third, I prayerfully choose several topics (typically, 3-5) I want to watch for as I read the Word that year. For example, I’ve studied topics like spiritual warfare, prayer, holiness, marriage, leadership, fasting, evangelism/missions, love, etc., in the past.

Fourth, I buy new highlighters each year, color-code the topics on the inside cover of my Bible, and highlight as I read. If I read a text related to prayer, for example, I might highlight it in blue—which is what I did the year I studied that topic. I also always include a yellow highlighter for anything else I find in the Bible that challenges me, even though it may not have been one of my topics for the year.

Fifth, I thank God for showing me what I needed to see each time I get the opportunity to highlight something. That response might also include praise, confession, thanksgiving, or intercession for others.

Finally, I send a brief email to a group of friends and mentees to tell them what I read and what the Lord is teaching me. That simple task holds me accountable for my reading and allows me to do daily journaling at the same time.

I hope that one of these thoughts and ideas will help you as read the Word this week!