Reading the Bible can be tough. Going to a Christian bookstore and picking up a Bible is hard enough, but to actually read one when you get it can sometimes be overwhelming. So, how do you take the difficulty out of reading the Bible? Here are some helpful suggestions that you can offer to those you are discipling:
1. Find a READABLE Bible—What do I mean by readable? I mean find one you can actually understand. I read out of the New Living Translation. In my opinion, it is by far the best translation on the market. I read a New Living Life Application Study Bible. It has helpful suggestions and explains and a lot of things that an ordinary Bible wouldn’t. I highly recommend one.
2. Start in the New Testament—Do not, and I repeat, do not start with the first page of the Bible. You will get lost and confused in no time. The Bible has been separated into two sections. The first section is called the Old Testament. The second section is called The New Testament (notice that the letters spell TNT so watch out!). There are many books in each section. The first four books of The New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are called “The Gospels,” but I generally tell people to start in the book of Acts. There is a table of contents in the front of your Bible to help you find it. When you find it, read the entire book. After you read Acts, move to Luke. After Luke, read Romans. After Romans, read Ephesians. From there read any other book in The New Testament. Every time you read a book in The New Testament, read the entire book!
3. Read with a pen—I suggest that you read with a pen in hand and underline anything that sticks out to you and anything that you have questions about. Yes, it’s okay to write in your Bible! It will help you remember what you read.
4. Pray before you read—Every time, before you open your Bible, pray something like this: “God, I pray that as I open this book and read from its pages, that You would speak to me.”
5. After you finish The New Testament—you can either read it again or you can start a new reading system. Here’s what I do: I read four chapters in the Bible when I sit down and read it. I read a chapter in the Old Testament, a chapter in the New Testament, a chapter in the book of Psalms and a chapter in the book of Proverbs. The same rules apply as before—start at the beginning of a book and read it through systematically to the end. When you are done with a book, move to another. The only exception is with Psalms and Proverbs—when you get to the end of those books, start them over again. It’s a great system and it’s been working for me for years!
*All of these tips do nothing if you don’t actually read it, so read it. What can it hurt? You’ve always wanted to know what was inside the Bible, and now is your chance. I promise that if you do what I’m saying, you will be amazed by what the Bible actually says, and your life will be changed as you believe it, obey it and apply it to your life.
1. Find a READABLE Bible—What do I mean by readable? I mean find one you can actually understand. I read out of the New Living Translation. In my opinion, it is by far the best translation on the market. I read a New Living Life Application Study Bible. It has helpful suggestions and explains and a lot of things that an ordinary Bible wouldn’t. I highly recommend one.
2. Start in the New Testament—Do not, and I repeat, do not start with the first page of the Bible. You will get lost and confused in no time. The Bible has been separated into two sections. The first section is called the Old Testament. The second section is called The New Testament (notice that the letters spell TNT so watch out!). There are many books in each section. The first four books of The New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are called “The Gospels,” but I generally tell people to start in the book of Acts. There is a table of contents in the front of your Bible to help you find it. When you find it, read the entire book. After you read Acts, move to Luke. After Luke, read Romans. After Romans, read Ephesians. From there read any other book in The New Testament. Every time you read a book in The New Testament, read the entire book!
3. Read with a pen—I suggest that you read with a pen in hand and underline anything that sticks out to you and anything that you have questions about. Yes, it’s okay to write in your Bible! It will help you remember what you read.
4. Pray before you read—Every time, before you open your Bible, pray something like this: “God, I pray that as I open this book and read from its pages, that You would speak to me.”
5. After you finish The New Testament—you can either read it again or you can start a new reading system. Here’s what I do: I read four chapters in the Bible when I sit down and read it. I read a chapter in the Old Testament, a chapter in the New Testament, a chapter in the book of Psalms and a chapter in the book of Proverbs. The same rules apply as before—start at the beginning of a book and read it through systematically to the end. When you are done with a book, move to another. The only exception is with Psalms and Proverbs—when you get to the end of those books, start them over again. It’s a great system and it’s been working for me for years!
*All of these tips do nothing if you don’t actually read it, so read it. What can it hurt? You’ve always wanted to know what was inside the Bible, and now is your chance. I promise that if you do what I’m saying, you will be amazed by what the Bible actually says, and your life will be changed as you believe it, obey it and apply it to your life.