The Simple 3-Step Bible Reading Plan
The Bible continues to be a number-one bestseller year after year, yet most people find themselves too busy to read it.
My goal is to help you build a life-giving bible reading habit that will help you reframe your life through the lens of Scripture and become an anchor for your life.
Maybe you have tried reading the Bible but have given up because:
– Busy lifestyle.
– Doubts or skepticism.
– Not sure where to start.
– You find it uninteresting, irrelevant, or confusing.
Whatever your reason, I invite you to consider giving it another chance.
Maybe you have tried reading it but struggle to comprehend it. Perhaps you ignore it because you’ve been disillusioned or disappointed by people who call themselves Christians.
I know how frustrating it can be to sit down and read the Bible only to find yourself daydreaming or struggling to understand what you’re reading (here’s how the Bible has the power to change your life forever).
For many years, I read a few chapters every day, feeling very good about the accomplishment because I could check that box, but if you asked me what I read two hours later, it would be highly unlikely that I would retain it.
A few years ago, I changed my method. I’ve found a simple way to read, retain, and see how it is helping me grow.
I will show you how committing 15 minutes to read the Bible will build a life-giving habit that you will look forward to every day.
Here is a simple three-step plan to get you started:
Step 1) Read the Bible to find Jesus.
Step 2) Write to help you remember.
Step 3) Apply it to your life.
Let’s dig in.
Step 1) Read the Bible to find Jesus.
If you’ve never read the Bible, you may be wondering why you should read this book in the first place.
The Bible teaches us not through essays and lectures but primarily through biography — the stories of real-life human beings. Its purpose is not just to give us good advice but to reveal who God is and how we can relate to him.
These stories tell us what is wrong with the human condition and what God has done to restore and redeem.
Every chapter of the Bible has a pathway to knowing God through Jesus. Jesus invites you to follow him, believe, and obey what he taught. When you place your faith in Jesus, he gives you the Holy Spirit to live in you, help you to resist sin, and participate in God’s purpose for your life.
The goal of reading the Bible is to search for this pathway as you would search for hidden treasure. It’s not always obvious, but I’ve found that reading one chapter per day and meditating on it will help you see something you wouldn’t otherwise see if you’re reading for speed.
Don’t think of the Bible as a book to accomplish but as food to absorb.
The Bible has 1,189 chapters, so it will take approximately three years to read it entirely.
Just like slowly eating small meals is much healthier than gulping down a feast once a week, reading one chapter a day is a manageable starting point that will be healthier for your soul.
Don’t substitute the Bible with a supplement.
There are many Bible reading plans and devotionals on any topic you can think of. However, most of them focus on supplementing the Bible. Devotionals, podcasts, and YouTube videos can be helpful content, but they are supplements.
Step 2) Write to help you remember.
Writing helps you meditate on what you’ve just read.
I’ve found that the most effective way to retain what I’ve read is to write down my thoughts about it.
If you’re not a writer, don’t dismiss this step just yet. I never saw myself as a writer and often disliked any writing assignment in school.
For me, writing about what I read has been life-changing for three reasons:
– Writing clarifies your thinking.
– Writing leads you to meditate on it throughout the day.
– Writing documents what you’re learning to recognize and measures your growth.
The hardest part of writing is getting started. Staring at a blank page can quickly become a roadblock that is difficult to overcome. The key to overcoming this roadblock is to begin with copywork.
Copywork is handwriting a portion of text word for word.
Here’s my suggestion:
After reading a chapter, choose one to three verses that jump out at you and handwrite them with a pen in a journal (here are a few life-giving verses you can choose). Don’t use a computer for this writing.
Writing by hand unlocks something in your brain where the words will begin to flow so that you can see what you’re thinking.
Making this kind of journaling a life-giving experience, especially for non-writers, is about having the proper writing prompts:
Bad prompt: Journal all your thoughts on this Bible passage.
Good prompt: Write down one trait you see about God.
Good prompt: Write down what the original author or audience may have learned from this passage.
Good prompt: Write down one promise from obeying God’s instructions.
Good prompt: Write down one question you have about this passage.
Good prompt: Do you see the pathway to Jesus?
As you practice writing, you’ll develop your own prompts or see that you may not even need them. After writing for ten minutes, you will likely have a sentence or two of gold.
Highlight it for the final step.
Step 3) Apply it to your life.
Reading without application is pointless.
Every time you read Scripture, you open a treasure chest of timeless truths that will shape the way you think. Your thoughts become words, words become actions, and actions determine the direction of your life.
Learning to apply it to your life takes practice. Choose one or two thoughts of gold you got from the chapter and replay them throughout the day.
You’ll begin to see how the Holy Spirit helps you apply it to your day!