Making Bible Study A Habit
Have you ever wondered how to make Bible study a habit? I mean, start strong and keep reading Scripture daily? Reading the Bible every day is such a valuable Christian discipline. Let me help you get started and loving it!
I am so glad you desire to study the Bible every day. A hunger for God’s Word is the most important ingredient to making Bible study a habit. You won’t believe what God can do with a willing heart. He is excited you have decided to study His Word.
How do I know? He tells us to meditate on His Word daily (Psalm 1:2), commit it to memory (Psalm 119:11), and study it to discern truth from lies (Acts 17:10-15).
So how can you begin to study the Bible every day and actually stick with it? Whether you have tried before (and possibly failed) or are brand-new to developing a Bible study habit, here are some tips to start out right.
What’s Your Motivation?
You know that part of the workout video when you want to give up and turn off your TV, but the instructor tells you to dig deep and find your inner motivator? Yup, the same thing applies to studying the Bible. Decide what your motivation for studying the Bible is.
Your reasons for wanting to start studying the Bible every day may be broad-ranged. You may want to feel like you fit in with your Christian friends who are studying Scripture regularly. You may hope to answer your unbelieving friends’ questions when they ask you something you don’t know. Maybe you have a nagging feeling that this is something a “good Christian” ought to be doing.
The best motivation for studying the Bible every day is to know and love God more. It is through His Word that we learn about God’s character and will for our lives. We learn what He requires of us, so that we may obey. We come to truly understand what it means to love God and love others.
A Habit, Not a Chore
It is true, that God asks us to read His Word. If we don’t, we ought not to be surprised that we don’t feel close to Him, are not growing in our faith, or have many unanswered questions regarding the Christian faith or even God’s direction for our lives.
However, Bible study should not become a chore. We are trying to build a habit, which means we want to study the Bible regularly - if possible daily. However, skipping a day of study or deciding to study 4 out of 7 days a week is not a sin.
If we see the Bible as our daily bread and life-giving Word of God, we will desire to reach for it every day or as often as we can. We won’t have to guilt ourselves into studying the Bible every day. God does not want our quiet time with Him to be a chore or motivated by guilt, but rather a habit, motivated by love and a thirst for Him.
Make an Appointment
It all sounds good, but how do you get started making Bible study a habit? Set a daily appointment with God. When will you spend time reading and praying?
Decide on what time of day will work best for you to have some uninterrupted time with God. If you use a calendar, fill in that time slot. You are not available. You have an appointment with God.
Many believers decide to get up early and have this quiet time before anyone else in the house wakes up. If you are like me and currently have two little ones waking you every morning, before your alarm goes off, you may pick another time. What about your baby’s nap time? What about lunch? What about the hour before you go to bed? What about 15 minutes between dinner and your children’s bedtime routine, when your husband can watch the kids?
Do you struggle to rise in time even to make it to your job on time? Do you work long hours? You may need a different plan. Can you use part of your lunch break? Can you read when you settle into your cozy spot at the end of the day - yes, before turning on the TV or roaming your Facebook newsfeed? Or try setting your alarm 20 minutes early after all.
Pick a time that will work fairly consistently. We are creatures of habit, and we are going to take full advantage of that when setting up our daily quiet time. Once you are in the routine of reading the Bible daily, this habit will feel like a breeze. But there are a few more obstacles to overcome...
Set Reminders
Have you ever attempted making Bible study a habit? You had all the right motivation. You decided on a time - only to realize at the end of the day that you completely forgot about your good intentions.
Here is the missing link to remember to study the Bible every day: Set a reminder!
Where will you be at the time? Do you head to the coffee maker first thing in the morning? Do you always wash your face as you get ready for bed? Do you wash dishes right after dinner? Hang a sticky note on the coffee maker/ bathroom mirror/ kitchen sink to remind yourself to grab your Bible and head off to a quiet place.
If you see and notice your reminder but find it hard to get motivated, consider either writing your motivator on your sticky note or changing your appointment time. You may have set out to study the Bible first thing in the morning but find that you are too tired to focus. No problem...
Reevaluate: When would be a better time to read Scripture? _______ Ok, let's try that. Write another sticky note and set it in place.
I encourage you to switch out those sticky notes every once in a while. When we see the same item every day, our brains no longer register it as a reminder but just an expected part of our routine. You can grab a stack of sticky notes during your next grocery run or add it onto your next Amazon order.
Have a Plan
Let's say you made it this far. Equipped with the right motivation to make Bible study a habit, you see your sticky note in time for your appointment with God. You grab your Bible and head over to your cozy spot or sit a table with pen and journal in hand.
What will you read/study? Do you want to begin reading through a book of the Bible, follow a reading plan, or use a study guide? There is no right or wrong answer. Any study of God’s Word is valuable, especially if you are just getting started. Here are some recommendations…
If you just want to build that daily Bible study habit: The book of Proverbs has 31 chapters, perfect for reading a chapter every day, corresponding with the day of the month. This book has lots of wisdom for everyday living while you are developing your daily Bible study habit.
If you want to read through the whole Bible: You can pick from a number of different "Read the Bible in a Year" plans. You can find many of the Bible reading plans on Pinterest. While you are there, check out my Pinterest profile for lots of Bible study resources. You do not have to actually read through the whole plan in one year. Go at whatever pace you works best for you.
If you are looking for a study guide: Take a look at these best-selling Bible study guides on Amazon.
