Sometimes, we just have a lot going on. There are kids to drive places, chores to do around the house, meals to cook, and clothes to wash. Maybe you’re traveling a lot or working a lot or caring for a relative a lot. Whatever it may be, we get busy. I find that one of the first things to go when I get busy is my Bible reading and prayer time each day.
There’s no energy to wake up early or stay up late to read. Nor is there time during the day to read. So it just doesn’t happen. Maybe you’ve felt the same way… You’ve gone a couple of days without picking up your Bible and those days turn into weeks. This definitely happens to me!
So today I have a 3 ideas to get you back into Bible reading when you’ve had a lull or time of no reading at all. These ideas will get you “back to the basics” of Bible reading and help you to start again with daily time in the Word.
Jumpstart with an Epistle
When you haven’t read your Bible in a few days or weeks it can seem daunting to start again. It can also be really discouraging if you were using a reading plan and have now gotten behind.
So to “jumpstart” yourself back into daily Bible reading, you should read through an entire epistle in one sitting.
The epistles are those books in the New Testament that are letters written to different churches in certain cities. So Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, etc. Most of the letters were written by Paul and they were written to be read aloud to the churches.
The reason I suggest that you read an entire epistle to jumpstart your Bible reading is because they are not that long! They were actually written so that they could be read in one sitting to the churches. The epistles are refreshing to read and will help you jumpstart yourself back into daily Bible reading.
Reading through an entire book of the Bible in one sitting like this will help you feel like you’ve accomplished something, giving you confidence to read again tomorrow. And it will also help you to have the full picture of the book to carry with you throughout the day. The epistles are powerful and practical, so giving yourself these truths to think through will make you excited for reading again in the following days.
Switch It Up
So you haven’t read in a couple days or weeks and you are not sure where to start. The second thing I would suggest is changing up your Bible reading plan. You’re probably now behind on the days and it would be very hard to catch up.
But what is important is that you read your Bible today! So, do whatever you can to get into the Word today. Trying out a new plan could really help to refresh your mindset when you’ve gotten so far behind. I’ve written a whole post about how to choose a Bible reading plan here to help you pick a new one.
No matter which plan you use, it will be a fresh start and a chance to renew your Bible reading time with a new list of things to read. Ask the Lord to help you choose a reading plan and get going.
Add In Some Books
Now, if you’ve not read your Bible for some weeks and need to restart, you’re probably wondering how I think that you can add in some extra books when you haven’t even had time to read your Bible. But I think you can!
There are two books in particular that I would recommend for this: The Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent and The Valley of Vision (A Collection of Puritan Prayers). Why?
Well, when you are stuck in a rut and haven’t read in a while, these two books will make the Bible exciting to you again. God’s Word is powerful and those books reflect it’s power in their writing. So, when you’ve pulled your Bible back out to read something after a long time of not, read a prayer by a puritan or a paragraph about how the gospel should change your life. You’ll be ready to read much more of the Scriptures with the grateful attitude these books project.
Just Read Your Bible
No matter how long it’s been since you’ve read, weeks, months, years… reading your Bible is the important thing. The Bible is our source of nourishment, hope, and knowledge of God. It’s through His Word that God teaches and molds us to be like Christ. Reading the Scriptures each day is how God will truly change our hearts (Hebrews 4:12).
I hope that these tips will help and encourage you when you’ve not been reading. We all have times where we haven’t read in a long time and we all need help to get back on track too, so don’t feel bad if that is you. It’s been me before too! Just start reading today.
How about you? How do you get back into Bible reading when you’ve not been reading? Let me know in the comments!
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Related Posts:
How to Study the Bible | 5 Methods and Resources
How to Choose a Bible Reading Plan
How to Read Your Bible as a Busy Mom
