Below are a few suggestions for engaging in Bible reading in this upcoming year:
1. Pick a time and place. Figuring out when, where, and how often is best for you to personally read Scripture is essential. It may be in your kitchen early in the morning every day. It may be listening to Scripture on your way to work five days a week. Time, place, and frequency will be different for each of us, but some sort of plan is essential for all of us.
2. Pick a reading plan. Figuring out how much to read is also essential. For me, a plan that gets me through the entire Bible every two years, with Psalms and Proverbs twice each year, has proven to be a good pace for me. Again, it will be different for everyone, but a reading plan is key. Click here for ideas on different plans.
3. Read with others. One way to help ensure consistency with reading Scripture is to read with others. Find one or two or three others, pick a book of Scripture, and meet each week or every other week to discuss what you’ve read. A great “how-to” guide for doing this is One to One Bible Reading by David Helm.
4. Attend Sunday School. Our adult Sunday School class this term will focus on 1-2 Peter. A great way to read Scripture is to simply read through and study the passage for each week on your own; you will not only be reading Scripture on your own but you will also get much more out of Sunday School.
5. Use a reading method. Another tool for reading Scripture is to incorporate a grid for working through a given passage. Using certain questions or categories can be very helpful for “digging deep” into a passage. One simple grid is simply asking three questions: (1) what does the passage teach about God? (2) what does the passage teach about me and my need for God? (3) how does this passage point me to Christ?
6. Use a study Bible. A good study Bible with helpful notes and commentary can really make Bible reading fun. My favorite is the ESV Study Bible; I also like the NLT Life Application Bible.
What a wonderful blessing that we have God’s words written down and recorded for us. May they be the words that most shape our hearts and minds this year!