By Adam Pursel
It can be a struggle to consistently spend time in God’s Word for so many of us. We forget to do it. We feel like we don’t understand it. We weren’t very good in school and don’t like to sit and read. Whatever the reasons, we can go days, weeks, months, or even years without spending time in God’s Word.
We want to help. Here are three simple ideas that will help you begin a habit of Scripture reading.
ASK GOD FOR HELP
Whenever you begin your time in God’s Word, take a moment to ask God for help. It really is that simple. You can say things like:
- “God, please help me understand your Word today.”
- “God, please help me trust you more today.”
- “God, please help me obey your Word today.”
- “God, please help me see how this text connects to Jesus.”
Obviously, you can say a lot more than that if you want! The important thing is that you spend time in prayer as you prepare to read God’s Word.
DO IT TODAY
Bible study is for today. Don’t put it off until tomorrow. Do it today. I know…you’re busy. We’re all busy. Do it today. God uses His Word to make us more like Jesus. You can’t afford to put that off till tomorrow. Do it today.
A simple way to begin a Bible study habit is to add 5 minutes. Whatever you’ve been doing, just add 5 minutes to that. We’ve all got 5 minutes somewhere in our days. Start there. And after you develop the habit of 5 minutes a day, you can add 5 more minutes. So, add 5 minutes. And do it today.
REMEMBER ONE THING
Whenever we read God’s Word, we’re going to see things we don’t fully understand. That’s OK. You don’t need to understand or remember all the things. As you begin this habit, focus on understanding and remembering one thing.
Let’s say, for example, that you read all of Ephesians 2 today. It’s full of amazing stuff…some of which you understand, some of which you don’t. That’s OK. But, you could choose to remember one thing. You could choose to remember that you are saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ (verse 8). Now, you can choose to remember and think about that one thing throughout the rest of your day…which leads to God’s Word shaping your entire day, not just 5 minutes.
So, let’s get going. Ask God for help. Do it today. Remember one thing. If you want help choosing a plan, you can email us. If you want a more robust framework for Bible study, check out part 2 of this post.