Bible reading

Has your Bible study become routine? Do you find yourself glancing at the clock to see if you’re done yet? Did you make a resolution to read through the Bible in a year or study something new this year, but find yourself never making the time? 

Here are 30 tips to get you back on track.

1. Pray and ask God to teach you.
2. Unplug from social media.
3. Create a playlist of your favorite “study” music and only listen to it when you’re studying.
4. Hide your smart phone while you study, or at least enable “do not disturb.”
5. Leave your books,favorite pens, laptop and notebook on a desk or in a corner, so it’s always ready.
6. Start now.
7. Set realistic goals for when and how long to study. If you only have 30 minutes/week, don’t resolve to study an hour/day.
8. Keep a list of questions to be solved. My favorite study questions usually begin “Why” or “How”.
9. Study with a specific question in mind. Stop only after you’ve made progress answering it.
10. Write everything down, don’t try to study in your head.
11. Keep a blog or a journal of what you’re learning.
12. Study a book or passage that speaks to an issue you’re dealing with right now.
13. Check your attitude  (“I’ll practice” vs “It’s too hard;” “I can learn” vs “I’m probably wrong”).
14. Create a plan of small “next steps” and work through it one at a time.
15. Study the whole, then the parts, then the whole.
16. Think about your passage while exercising, driving or doing dishes.
17. Find a “study buddy” and tell each other what you learn each week.
18. Study with your study buddy at the same coffee shop or kitchen table.
19. Gather a small discussion group to talk about what you’re learning.
20. Use more than one translation of the Bible.
21. If you know a foreign language, study your passage in that language.
22. Learn to use an analytical outline.
23. Read a new book on how to study the bible.
24. Take advantage of bible study software.  My favorite is e-sword.
25. Learn to use a new online tool from a Bible Study website.
26. Read a commentary by one of your favorite author or a new author.
27. Read a commentary you’re likely to disagree with and figure out why.
28. Listen to a sermon MP3 on your passage and take notes.
29. Learn some New Testament Greek.
30. Find a couple of bible teachers who challenge you and listen to their teaching.
31. Pray and thank God for what He is teaching you.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash