Practical Habits for Reading the Bible

Let me be clear: we don’t want to be those people who delude ourselves. We don’t want to deceive ourselves. We don’t want to be the people who think we love the Bible, and yet when we actually look at how much time we’ve spent with the Bible in the last 24 hours, we haven’t actually spent any. We’re living in this sort of self-deception delusion, but we’re not trying to lie. We want to, we intend to. Most people didn’t spend any time reading the Bible yesterday, but they really plan to tomorrow. Of course, tomorrow will quickly become yesterday in two days’ time. So my point is you’ve got to actually have a plan to do this. Let me give you some real practical things that will help you in doing this.

Avoiding Self-Deception

I began saying that we don’t want to be those people who delude ourselves. We don’t want to deceive ourselves. We don’t want to be the people who think we love the Bible, and yet when we actually look at how much time we’ve spent with the Bible in the last 24 hours, we haven’t actually spent any. We’re living in this sort of self-deception delusion, but we’re not trying to lie. We want to, we intend to. Most people didn’t spend any time reading the Bible yesterday, but they really plan to tomorrow. Of course, tomorrow will quickly become yesterday in two days’ time. So my point is you’ve got to actually have a plan to do this. Let me give you some real practical things that will help you in doing this.

As it is written in James 1:22 (NKJV): “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

We can easily fall into self-deception when it comes to reading the Bible. We think we love it, yet when we look at how much time we spent with it in the last 24 hours, we haven’t spent any. We’re not trying to lie; we want to, we intend to. Most people didn’t spend any time reading the Bible yesterday, but they really plan to tomorrow. Of course, tomorrow will quickly become yesterday in a couple of days’ time. My point is you’ve got to actually have a plan to do this.

Establishing a Time and Place

Number one, I would start with a time. I’m talking about a time of day, a time and a place where you will read your Bible. That’s simple. We all have different lives. We all have different commitments, different things we’ve got to do, and I accept and completely agree with that. I would never rebuke anybody for that. But find a time. I would say ideally find a time alone with a good chair, notepad, and those kind of things. But if you don’t have a time you plan to read your Bible, you’re planning not to read your Bible. If I came to you and said, when do you plan to read your Bible tomorrow and you don’t actually have a real specific time, then you’re planning not to do that.

As it is written in Psalm 119:147 (NKJV): “I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word.”

I would say carve out that time, decide that time. Time is not logical. Time is not mathematical, to be represented mathematically, but literally God can put eternity in your time. God stretched time for Joshua, gave him a 30-hour day, and God can put eternity in your time. So I would encourage you: carve out a time at the beginning of the day, where you’re going to spend some time with the Bible. I would say start small. It’s great to say I am going to spend five hours a day reading the Bible. For some people, literally spending five minutes, but being consistent in doing it and finding that it’s actually really great.

Has somebody ever tried to give you some food? You are wary of. You’ve never tasted. You’re a little bit suspicious of. I don’t know about this. They just say take one bite. I encourage you to taste and see that the Lord is good. So we come to God and just give Him a little five minutes of every day. Most people’s lives would be changed if they gave God five minutes of every day and started, and quickly they’ll enjoy it so much that five minutes will stretch and grow and become something else.

So have a time, have a place. I know, and I accept, and I do this, you can read your Bible on a plane, in a car with an audiobook, in a cafe. There’s many different ways of doing that. I would actually say find a habit, find a place you’re not distracted, find a place where you can develop the habit of being in that place.

Creating Supportive Habits

I actually have some music I usually put on when I read the Bible. It’s the same music I’ve played for 15 years, just this really peaceful Spirit-filled piano music. My point would be create habits and sort of trigger habits, like Pavlovian dogs, create circumstances, environment, habits, places you are that you go, this is my Jesus time.

As it is written in Psalm 119:97 (NKJV): “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.”

Create habits and sort of trigger habits, like Pavlovian dogs, create circumstances, environment, habits, places you are that you go, this is my Jesus time.

Choosing and Engaging with Your Bible

There are many different tools, but I would say have a Bible you actually like. I’m going to upset some people here. I have every electronic thing out there and I really use them. I use Kindle, I preach from an iPad, use all of these kind of things, but there’s nothing like having a tactile Bible that you can hold in your hand. This is just me, but I would say get a really good one. Get one that you want to spend a couple of hundred dollars on a Bible. It will not break you. Believe God for the money. Get a Bible that you actually like that when you hold it, you feel good. Is that spiritual? No, not at all. But you are spiritual. You actually enjoying the experience of reading your Bible is spiritual.

As it is written in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV): “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

I would say when you get that one Bible, I would begin underlining it, putting stars next to it, making notes, try to find a way, if you can, of doing that in a neat fashion, but my point, leave your mark upon that. God won’t give you everything at once in one sitting. So when you read the Bible, engage with underlining things, do something with it. The more you put into this, the more you will get out of this.

Beginning the Journey

I encourage you to begin that journey, decide, I am going to set my alarm 15 minutes early. I am going to get my Bible out and just begin. In a way, be okay if you’re bored. Just begin reading the Gospels. If you will take a step towards God, He’ll take 10,000 towards you.

As it is written in James 4:8 (NKJV): “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

These practical steps—establishing a time and place, creating habits that support your reading, choosing a Bible you engage with, and simply beginning—form the foundation for a consistent life in the Word. When we move beyond intentions and into action, we open ourselves to the transformation that comes from encountering God through Scripture.

Selah.

Scriptures for Further Study: James 1:22, Psalm 119:147, Psalm 119:97, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalm 34:8, Joshua 10:12-14, Psalm 119:105, Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Psalm 1:1-3, Matthew 4:4, Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:11, John 5:39, Acts 17:11, Psalm 119:18, Romans 10:17, Colossians 3:16, Psalm 119:130, 1 Timothy 4:13, Psalm 119:133, 2 Peter 1:19, Psalm 119:160, Revelation 1:3, Psalm 119:89, James 4:8

10 Questions for Reflection:

1. Have I been deceiving myself about my commitment to reading the Bible?
2. What specific time of day could I set aside consistently for reading Scripture?
3. How might starting with just five minutes change my approach to the Bible?
4. What place in my home or routine could become my dedicated space for encountering God in His Word?
5. In what ways can I create habits that trigger a sense of this being my Jesus time?
6. Do I have a Bible that I truly enjoy holding and reading?
7. How can underlining and noting in my Bible help me engage more deeply?
8. What step can I take towards God today in my Bible reading?
9. Am I willing to be consistent even if it feels boring at first?
10. How does believing God can stretch my time affect my planning for Bible reading?

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