Bible Reading Tips

A book with incredible stories, wisdom and truth: the Bible. Anyone who believes in God and wants to get to know him should also deal with his written word. We can guarantee whoever reads the Bible will have a period of aha and revelation. The Bible is the most widely distributed book in the whole world, many people have it on their bookshelves. But probably only a fraction of them actively read it. But this is no wonder: the Bible is a thick and special work. You don’t just pick it up like a novel and start reading. In the age of Twitter, WhatsApp or Facebook, mankind has got used to short messages and texts. We preferred to have everything summarized in a nutshell.

But that’s not what the Bible was written for. Anyone who intends to read it should know this and keep it in mind. This book has been written in different languages ​​and sentence forms over the centuries. In addition to the stories, it also contains poems, family trees and laws. It has very long sentences with complex theological ideas. In short, it will be a challenge to read – but it’s worth it.

And how you can make Bible reading easier, we show you 7 tips for Bible reading:

1) The eye “eats” too

The eye “eats” too. If your Bible is very old, dusty, and yellowed, it will be harder for you to pick it up. Investing in a beautiful new Bible that you like visually will be worthwhile. However, if your Bible has emotional value for you and you would like to read this issue as well, you can alternatively buy a nice dust jacket. This not only helps you read, but also protects the book.

2) Find a Bible that you like

The Bible comes in many translations – choose one that you like best and is easy to read. You can buy them in plain language or even in dialect. Most, however, prefer the version that is as close as possible to the original text. Nowadays you are not used to this language and it may be a bit bumpy to read at first, but you get used to it over time.

3) Use a Bible reading plan

Use a Bible reading plan. There are plenty of them on the internet, so you can pick the one that works best for you. These can help develop a ritual. They are a daily reminder of which passage to read and help you achieve your goal of reading the Bible through completely. Of course, it’s not about getting to know all sides as quickly as possible, quantity is not important. It’s about the content, that’s the reason why you read the Bible and this is of course in the foreground. Even so, the Bible reading plans serve as motivation and help get you through the dry parts of the Bible.

4) Create a routine for yourself

Create a routine for yourself. You will definitely find it easier if you make reading the Bible a regular part of your daily life. The attitude “I read when I have the time” will not get you closer to your goal. Because then you will find more and more “important” things that you will do instead. 10 minutes a day are enough to devote to reading. Be it in the morning with a coffee or during the lunch break at work. The time spent on the train can also become the new “Bible minutes”. If you are often distracted by family members or friends, make sure they know about your resolution. Tell them that you have made up your mind to read more and that you need rest.

5) Force yourself to read the sentences you are so familiar with

You may never have read the entire Bible in one piece, but you know a few passages very well. When you get to these places, it can quickly get boring. You already know every word and you could read it with closed eyes, then you just go to the next page and skip this part of the Bible. You already know it, right? No! Force yourself to reread even the sentences that you are so familiar with. Because if you allow yourself an exception here, it will certainly happen more often and in the end you will not have read the Bible completely. So even if it gets boring while reading: grit your teeth and get on with it! In the end you will be happy about it.

6) Are you lacking motivation?

Are you lacking motivation? It often helps to achieve such a goal together with a loved one. Much like having a gym partner who beats your inner weaker self, this can also help with Bible reading. If you always exchange ideas afterwards about the passages you have read, you are practically forced to sit down and read. After all, you don’t want to let the other person down. This can be your best friend, your partner or your aunt. The main thing is that the person is just as interested and pursuing the same goal.

7) Quality is more important than quantity

As already mentioned: quality over quantity counts. If you take longer than “planned” for certain pages, don’t stress yourself. Sometimes it’s not bad at all if you take a few more minutes. Then there is still the opportunity to think about certain verses from the Bible. Do you like to meditate? Then try sitting down with the verse in your head and just focusing on your breathing. Or imagine the text visually – paint a picture in your head and let your imagination run wild. Example Psalm 36: How refreshing do you think it is to drink from the spring? Is the water cold or pleasantly warm? Imagine resting in this place, lying on the grass and keeping your feet in the water. If you put a picture in your head more often and bring the passages of the Bible to life, you will be more actively participating in the scene. Not only are you reading the passage, you are living it and you are having more fun reading the Bible.

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