Sometimes I sit down to read the Bible, and it’s a glorious feast that I don’t ever want to leave. But other days, I feel like I’m just staring at black marks on a white page, feeling guilty for my lack of excitement about this book. So why does Bible reading sometimes feel dry, and what can I do when I just don’t enjoy it? Here are some ideas to work through.
Bible reading and study
How Do I Read the Bible? Enjoy a Daily Quiet Time.
(This post is one in a series on “How Do I Read the Bible.” Find other posts in the series here).
How do I read the Bible? Enjoy a daily “quiet time.” The basics of a quiet time are (1) the Bible and (2) prayer. We set aside a specific time to read God’s Word to hear his voice, and we talk to him in prayer. When prayer lulls, we read his Word some more. Back and forth – read and pray.
How Do I Read the Bible? Never Read the Bible Alone.
Psalm 119:18 is a prayer we can use when we open our Bibles to read: “Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from your Word.”
We need the Holy Spirit to help us understand God’s Word. 1 Cor 2:14 says, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” The Bible cannot be understood and embraced accurately by unbelievers, or even by us in our own strength. Knowing this, we read the Bible with dependence on God to help us know him through the help of the Holy Spirit.
…How Do I Read the Bible? Discover the Big Picture Story.
Today, as I continue to write on “How do I read the Bible,” I want to explore this important aspect about Bible reading: Discover the Big Picture Story.
The Story of the Bible is the awfulness of sin and the loving plan of God to reconcile sinners to himself through his Son, Jesus Christ.
…How Do I Read the Bible? Read the Bible as a story.
I’ve been thinking through helpful ideas I’ve been taught for how to read the Bible. While Bible *study* skills are important, Bible *reading* skills are also vital. And so, I want to post some of those ideas I’ve found useful. I don’t think that ANY of these ideas are original to me!, so I’d love to hear your ideas, too. Today, here is the first thought…!
How do I read the Bible? — Read the Bible as a story. What I mean by that is that we want to read the Bible with the understanding that when we open it to a particular chapter and verse, we’re jumping into part of the story.
…On Quiet Times and Marching Orders
My favorite time of day is my morning “quiet time.” It used to not always be that way, so I don’t tell you how this is a special time in order to lay one.more.burden on a fellow Christian’s shoulders, but, like a hungry pilgrim who has found a loaf of tasty bread, to invite you, too, to seek to enjoy a time of daily “devotions” in ways that you might not have before considered.…