How to Read the Bible!

I love reading the Bible. Like a lot. Like it’s one of my favorite things ever.

But tbh? If you would’ve told me a few years ago that I’d get to this point, I would’ve probably laughed right in your face.

Growing up in a Christian household, I was familiar with the Bible, but no matter how hard I’d try to get into it, it was flat out boring. I struggled reading the Old English of the King James Version; the stories made little sense, and I just couldn’t get my head around how such an old book could hold any relevance in the modern day.

Fast forward a few years and reading the Bible is a non-negotiable for me! I read it every single day, not out of pressure, but just because I love it!

So, if you find yourself struggling to read the Bible yet really want to start, look no further! In this article, I will be sharing practical, and hopefully motivational, tips to help you get started!

But First…Why Should We Even Read the Bible?

This might be more of an opinion than fact, but how I see it, if you are a person who is literate, a person with access to the Bible (and if you’re able to read this, then you are), I believe wholeheartedly that God is speaking to you through the Bible, whether you choose to open it or not.

I’d even say that if you’re the person described above, and you want to hear from God, but you don’t read your Bible, then you don’t actually want to hear from God.

Because the Bible is the word of God.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Tim 3:16).

God has already spoken. Granted, it takes a little intentionality to understand it—as everything in there can’t be taken at face value—but God has already provided the answers to so many of the questions and concerns we’d like addressed.

Additionally, though it’s true that He still speaks to us through other methods (songs, dreams, other people, His literal voice, etc.), nothing God speaks will contradict the Bible, because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). So, knowing the Bible is actually the key to understanding other messages. How would you even know God is speaking to you if you don’t recognize His voice?

Another reason why we should read the Bible is because it shows us the heart and character of God. Love is the foundation of Christianity, but it’s hard to love someone you do not know. Through poems, stories, and accounts within the Bible, we get to see how God shows up. We learn His interests, dislikes, provisioning, everything! Knowledge of God softens our hearts and inspires our walks with God. It’s not a practice we should often skip.

So, How Do We Do it?

Now that we understand the importance of reading the Bible, here’s how to actually build the spiritual muscle of studying it.

Choosing a Bible

The first step to reading the Bible is–shocker–finding a Bible. Luckily, in the age of the internet, this is easier than ever!

When possible, I like using a physical Bible, because I’m an annotator (as both a Christian girlie and bookish girlie), but for convenience, I also downloaded a free Bible to my Kindle and have the Bible app on my phone. What’s great about the Bible app is that there’s a compare feature which allows you to read the same verse in different versions (there are a lot of versions of the Bible). I use this a lot, because if I don’t understand a verse, I’ll read several versions to see if the slight variation in wording helps me understand.

As far as which version you should you read, my opinion is that it’s up to you! Some people are sticklers for the King James Version, but for me, a huge barrier to reading the Bible initially was how hard the KJV was for me to understand. I will warn against using too easy or modern of a version, because the message sometimes gets a bit watered down from what I’ve seen, so try and find a happy medium.

My favorite versions include:

• CSB (Christian Standard Bible - seeks to give as direct of a translation as possible)

• NKJV (New King James Version - King James Version, but in Modern English)

• New Testament Recovery Version (Direct translation of the New Testament, originally written in Greek)

Steps to a Good Bible Study Sesh

Step 1: PRAY

I think this is the most underrated advice for reading the Bible, but it’s so super important! Part of Christianity is the presence of the Holy Spirit, the third of the Holy trinity. When Jesus went back to Heaven, following the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit was left to guide and convict us (John 16:7).

The Holy Spirit guides us in many ways, but a part of the role of the Holy Spirit is helping us understand spiritual manners—such as the messages found within the Bible.

Western Christians can sometimes struggle with viewing Christianity as spiritual, but studying the Bible starts with understanding that all scripture is breathed out by God, thus spiritual.

I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but when I started praying before I read in the Bible, asking and believing for the Holy Spirit to be with me and guide me, I started understanding the Word a lot better. There are times where I’ll forget to pray before reading. While stuck, I’ll stop to pray and then suddenly understand. It’s very cool and something to try!

Step 2: Notetaking

Have something next to you for notetaking. I’ll admit, I haven’t been as good with taking notes while reading the Bible lately, but I find that it helps so much in retaining what you’re reading.

Unsurprisingly, I’m team journal and colored pens, but you can take notes digitally as well if that’s easier!

Step 3: Read

I like to read in smaller chunks, so I can spend plenty of time unpacking what I read. I tend to read one chapter a day.

Read the segment of your choice all the way through once, then continue with the next steps.

Step 4: Observation

This is the longest part of my Bible Study. Before learning how to read the Bible, I would often skip this step and go straight to figuring out the meaning of the text, but it’s hard to interpret the hidden meaning of something without having an understanding of what’s going on in general.

Therefore, during this step, I take bulleted notes of basically everything I observe while reading the chapter. This can include, but is not limited to:

• Context (i.e. anything historical that affects what I’m reading)

• Writing Form (Is it a story? A poem? A letter?)

• Whatever is happening

• Thoughts I have while reading

• Questions I have while reading (then I try and find answers)

Be as detailed as possible! The point of this step is for you to understand what you’ve just read.

Step 4: Interpretation

Now that you’ve spent time understanding what the chapter is about, you can start thinking about what it all means.

I actually learned this entire Bible Study technique from the ministry I’d attend in college, and something I learned about interpreting the Bible is that you’re not trying to figure out what it means to you; you’re trying to figure out what it means. (What it may mean to you is the next step).

The author, and ultimately God, had a reason to add what’s in the Bible to the Bible, so the interpretation step is where you try and uncover this takeaway. It may not always be a grand revelation—sometimes the purpose of a story in the Bible is to set up a later story—but there is a point to everything written.

Step 5: Application

Finally, what does it mean to you? End with thinking of 1-3 ways to apply what you’ve read.

What new thought patterns can you implement? What habits should you start/stop to better align with God’s Word? How can you respond in gratitude to what you’ve just learned? These are the sort of questions you can ask.

Other Considerations

Seek to Understand

I don’t think you need a degree in Theology to understand the Bible, but like any good text, it takes time and a little research to fully comprehend the messages, both literal and symbolic. Ask questions as you read; look up words you don’t understand; do a little digging into the politics, history, and culture of the time period of which you’re reading. Basically, if you’re like me and really miss the days of English class, you’re in for a treat!

Proverbs 25:2 reads “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.” This basically means that it’s God’s glory to hide wisdom (in the way treasure is hidden) and our glory to uncover it.

I use good ‘ol Google most days, but I also love watching Bible Project on YouTube, because they have in-depth videos on all the books of the Bible, along with other very insightful videos.

Start with the Gospels

This is pretty well known, but if you’re brand new to the Bible, it’s suggested you read one of the four Gospel Books: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. (Matthew is my favorite book in the Bible, and the first one to ever make me cry, so I’d suggest that one.)

The reason Christians start with the Gospels is because these are the books that cover the life and teachings of Jesus, who is the way the truth and the life. Jesus is the only way to salvation. Therefore, you will find that every single book in the Bible (even those in the Old Testament) point to Him. Therefore, it’s a good place to start, and it’s a good place to revisit if ever unsure what to read next.

Make it Routine

An easy way to get into reading the Bible is by adding it to your morning or night routine (or both!). If it isn’t obvious, I romanticize everything, so my Bible Study is no different. For me, this looks like waking up early, grabbing all my colorful pens and highlighters, making a cup of coffee in an aesthetic mug (bonus if it has scripture on it), and reading my Bible at the dining room table.

It makes the experience so much more cozy and intimate that way, which is important, because personal Bible Study should be your quiet time with God, free of distraction, where you can actually understand what He’s trying to tell you.

Work with the Time and Resources You Have

Yet, the most important thing you can do is just start—even if you don’t have the pretty Bible, the good highlighters, or the huge block of time to read. Give God what you have, and He will happily work with you!

For example, lately my Bible study is done during my commute to work on weekdays. I read on my Kindle instead of my physical study Bible, and notes—if any—are taken digitally. God is okay with that. What’s important is that I’m making time for Him.

It’s fun to romanticize things, but Christianity is not meant to be an “aesthetic”. You don’t need fancy tools, you just need a willing heart that desires to seek the Lord’s heart. If you can bring that, you have all you truly need.

Hopefully this helps

& you’re feeling inspired to either start reading the Bible or deepen this practice. The Bible isn’t an easy text to read, and if I’m being honest, it’s not always a comfortable text to read. However, I’ve grown so much from reading the Bible, and God has used His Word to guide me, calm me, convict me, and shape me in so many ways.

What I’m trying to say is, if He can do it for me, I’m confident He will do the same for you!