1. Take a Moment
Pause and breathe for a moment in helping clear your mind before you start reading the Bible. I would encourage you not to simply jump in and immediately start reading. Having a moment to pause and clear your mind before reading helps put distractions or wherever your mind was before you begin to read. Often, we can approach reading the Bible perhaps as a task, another thing to check off our list, but it is meant to be much more than that.
Saying a short prayer before reading the Bible is a great way to help clear your mind, set your focus on God and opening yourself to His Word. It is said that we do not just read the Bible, but that the Bible reads us. Nate Edwardson the pastor of the Stirring says the following…
“As we crack our lives open and the Bible, God shows up to his sons and daughters.”
2. Read Slowly!
Read slowly and take your time in reading the Bible. Too often we quickly read through the Bible and miss what God is doing in those verses because we are a people who are often in a hurry. When you read the Bible slowly, you will pick up on profound moments and movements and see and experience things you have never seen before.
I regularly hear people reading the Bible aloud and it almost seems like it is a race or an objective that they need to finish as soon as possible. I guarantee you that when you race through the Scriptures you will miss what God is doing in the text.
3. Stop and Explore
While you are reading if there is a part of the text, a word that is used that you have never heard before or read something you do not understand, then stop and spend time here. Do not simply rush past the text. It will increase your knowledge and you will be surprised of how you can encounter God through the text, through the story when you take time in encountering the text.
Often when I am reading the Bible, I approach it as if I was a detective or investigator so to speak. Who is talking in this passage? Where are they? Who is at the center of the text or story here? This word keeps getting repeated, what does it mean? What is the deeper meaning of Jesus’s parable here? How does this passage connect to the Gospel?
We do not just want to read through the Bible and not understand it. God’s Word is alive and speaks to us and thus it is important for us to have a posture where we are a people who are diligent with God’s Word.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
Often you will find footnotes at the bottom of the page or verses labelled off to the side that connects with the greater story of the Bible in connecting into what is being said in the passage you are reading. For example, you may be reading John 3:16 and I would see in my Bible how this passage connects with Romans 5:8; 8:32 and 1 John 4:9-10; 5:13.
If this really interest you, I would encourage you to invest in a study Bible. This has been one of my greatest investments I have made in my faith journey with God. I have an NLT Illustrated Study Bible and I will link it here below of you are interested. I have also written a blog on this Deeper with a Study Bible.
4. When Scripture Impacts You
As you are reading the Bible there will be times when the text grabs your attention so much so that your response might be, “Whoa! How is this speaking directly into my life right now so accurately?!” Or “Wow, this is really speaking to the situation that my spouse, family member or friend are going through! Let me share this passage with them.” When these spiritually impactful moments happen do not just say, “Whoa! That was cool!” And keep reading until you are finished and then go about life for the day. Stop! I believe these are impactful encounters we have with God’s Word that we are meant to stop and spend time with.
This does connect with #3 to an extent, but I felt that again often we can rush past these spiritually impactful moments with God when He wants to take time with us and speak into our lives as a loving Father speaks and counsels his children. We have been so richly blessed with the Bible for a reason! We have the opportunity to grow and go deeper in our faith and relationship with God so much so that it has the ability to shape our lives profoundly!!! So, when the Scripture you are reading impacts you and you feel as if God is speaking to you through the text, take time to stop, pray and reflect on this Word with God.
5. A Prayer of Thanks
This is something I practice regularly when I have finished reading a chapter, passage or personal devotion for the day I simply say, “Thank you God for your Word.” My heart posture with this is simply to express my gratitude and thankfulness for the blessing that God’s Word has been in my life. Often, we regularly come to God with prayer needs which of course He wants us to as He already knows our needs. However, I also believe that God loves to hear our praise and thankfulness for what we experience Him doing in our lives. It makes our relationship with our Father in Heaven not simply one sided, but so much richer when we spend time with Him in encountering His Word. Blessings