Faith

Tips For Reading The Bible In The New Year

Oct 29, 2024

Reading the Bible in the new year is an exercise that I commit to often. I don’t always finish, but this positive habit brings me closer to Jesus, allows me a few moments for reflection and mindfulness, and ultimately transforms the quality of my life. Without time in Scripture, I’m not sure how I would think or behave. Fortunately, I have access to many different bible reading plans and books out there for this practice. No matter which plan I’m on, or which book I’m reading, I also have my nose in a study bible similar to this one.

Here are my tips for reading the bible in the new year:

Create an environment that will encourage this new habit. Place your Bible on a kitchen table or side table—somewhere with a lot of “foot traffic”—where you will see it often, and want to pick it up and read it. House a favorite pen, bookmark, journal, and highlighter there for convenience.

Select a plan to follow. The Bible is a massive book, both literally and intellectually. It can be overwhelming if you don’t break it up into manageable reading material. I’m currently using this book and loving it.

Tell someone else about it. Gently inform them that you’ll need the time and space to build this new habit. If they love and care about you, they will naturally want to help. Speaking this goal out loud to someone else will provide the added benefit of accountability.

Set a schedule. If you can’t read the Bible in the morning, choose another time that works best. Maybe you have thirty minutes in the car line to read on your phone or listen to this app for women. There’s no right or wrong time of day to get in the presence of the Lord. If you commit to this journey for sixty days, you will likely stick to this habit for many years to come. For those first two months, set alarms and stay as consistent as you can.

Celebrate your small victories. Whether you finish a book of the Bible, or your life is changed by an epiphany God gives you, celebrate these. Focus on the reason why you’re reading the Bible in the new year—to cherish God’s living Word. To garner a deeper connection to the Holy Spirit. To learn His character, and to have your character shaped in the process.

Oct 29, 2024 | Faith