Beginner’s Guide to Reading the Bible

1. Secure a hard copy Bible. 

Many serious students of the Word still prefer to use the hard copy Bible. Reading from a screen is just different from reading from hard copy pages. Also, the hard copy Bible does not have pop-up notifications. If you find that you have difficulty absorbing what you are reading, it may be time to switch back to the traditional hard copy Bible.

2. Seek out Bible tools.

A good Bible software, like E-sword, when used in tandem with your hard copy Bible, can be of much benefit. For example, E-sword gives you access to commentaries, dictionaries, and lexicons, which may help you to better understand difficult words or verses. You can use the concordance to find other verses related to the current text. Also, you can do word searches to help you find a verse quickly. Technology can enable us to be more effective in our Bible reading.

3. Start with the New Testament. 

If you are just starting out, you can begin with the New Testament, particularly the Gospel accounts. After all, we are currently living under the New Testament (the Law of Christ), so its teachings are more relevant to Christians today. That being said, the Old Testament definitely still offers things for us to learn, so we can aim to go back and read the Old Testament later on.

4. Set a regular time each day for reading.

It is a common complaint that it is hard to find time for bible reading amidst our busy schedule. If we do not set aside time for bible reading, we will never have time for bible reading. Set a fixed time each day that is dedicated for bible reading.

5. Stick to a Daily Bible Reading Plan. 

It is easy to start reading the Bible daily. However, it is also easy to stop. It is more difficult to maintain a daily Bible reading habit. Hence, it may be useful to find a good Daily Bible Reading Plan, and stick to it!

6. Supplicate God before reading. 

It may be challenging to focus on Bible reading amidst the distractions around us, and also the many worries in our minds. Say a prayer, and get our minds focused before opening the Bible.

7. Solve questions. 

One problem we may encounter after reading the Bible, is that we walk away not understanding what we read. As we read, we need to ask ourselves questions like: What is happening in the text? What does the text mean? How does this passage apply to my own life?

8. Show up for Bible classes. 

It is not always easy to study the Bible on our own. Studying together, with the help of the Bible class teacher, can aid us in understanding the Bible better. In turn, this will aid us in our own personal Bible reading at home, especially when we read passages that we have covered in class before!