If you’re a follower of Jesus, you probably know you’re supposed to read the Bible.
So you try when January 1 rolls around…but by now, chances are you may have given up discouraged. Not because you couldn’t do it- but because you just weren’t getting anything out of it.
Sure, the stories were nice- but you didn’t think they really applied to your life right now.
And, as with anything, if we sense it’s not really helping then we tend to dump it. Maybe you didn’t really want to- it just seemed pointless to “grind it out” and “get nothing out”.
I can relate because I’ve been there- and it is discouraging.
The good news?
It’s something that can be changed. You really can get something practical and meaningful out of your quiet time each day.
But in order for that to happen, you have to pay close attention to two things.
#1- Your setting
Are you in a place where you are distraction free? Is your phone on do not disturb? Is it a time of day where you will have uninterrupted, unhurried time?
Or…
Is your phone blowing up? Is the TV on? Are you just trying to squeeze it in?
The setting plays a tremendous role in whether our time in God’s Word is meaningful or, well…seemingly meaningless.
Even Jesus- the Son of God- understood the importance of setting when He met with His Father, as He would intentionally go to “lonely places” (Luke 5:16) to pray.
What’s your “lonely” or “quiet” place where distractions are eliminated and time is not rushed?
Identifying that time and that place will go a long way towards making your time with Jesus something you look forward to and something that impacts your life, especially when coupled with the second thing to pay attention to:
#2- Your system.
Everyone has a system. Even someone who “doesn’t have a system”- well, that’s their system. And the effectiveness of a system determines whether one experiences success (Success, in this case, being able to understand and apply God’s Word to your life).
So what does a “system” look like when it comes to your quiet time?
Part of it is your setting (see above); the rest of it includes things such as:
- What am I doing to engage with the text? Do I journal? Take notes?
- How do I approach the text? What questions am I asking to take me beyond simply reading?
- Do I bring anything along to help me when I encounter something unclear?
- Is there anyone keeping me accountable to read God’s Word and someone I’m sharing my journey with Jesus with?
Here are some suggestions that I’ve found personally helpful:
- Journal your observations and prayers. Doing so leads to much greater engagement with the text.
- Ask the following questions: What does this passage teach me about God? Myself? Others? What is it telling me to do?
- Do a reading plan with someone else.
- Have a commentary or a study Bible available. Freebiblecommentary.org is my go to resource for personal study and my message preparation- and it’s completely free.
- Share your observations in community with others. Not only does this help keep you accountable, it also helps increase your understanding of Scripture as you see others read and apply the Bible as well.
That doesn’t mean you won’t have days where the reading isn’t challenging. There will still be days where it’s just tough read and understand. That’s OK- and perfectly normal.
However, I’ve found that when your setting is right and your system is helpful, the days where it’s tough going- especially once you get going– are far more the exception than the norm- and the good news is even when you have an “off day”- chances are the next day is going to be better if you stick with the setting and the system.
And when you do so, reading your Bible really becomes something you look forward to and something that moves you forward in your journey with Jesus every single day.