How to Start Reading the Bible Daily

Reading the Bible every day is important. But you’re very busy so the Bible somehow ends up on the backburner.

Daily habits are hard to establish. You’ve probably heard before it takes 21 days to form a habit. In actuality, that number is closer to 60 days.

What happens at 21 days is that the habit you want to establish and not doing the habit is on equal standing. That means you could equally want to do the habit as much as you don’t want to.

That’s why it’s best to continue on the journey of forming the habit. Just to be on the safe side.

That’s why you’re here. You’re here to learn how to start reading the Bible daily and stick with it.

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The Importance of Daily Bible Reading

First, I want to establish that reading the Bible on a regular basis is important. The Bible teaches us, corrects us, and encourages us.

The Bible says this about the word of God — “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart,” (Hebrews 4:12 ESV).

The Bible is comprised of primarily four components: history, moral instructions, prophecy, and fulfillment. The Bible is not outdated. All four components are relevant for us to learn from today.

God tells us He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). God doesn’t change His mind (Numbers 23:19, James 1:17).

When we read the scriptures daily, we draw closer to God and start to change for the better.

6 Ways to Establish the Habit of Reading the Bible Daily

Being consistent with reading the Bible can be difficult. You get busy and reading the Bible tends to fall on the wayside. That doesn’t have to be the case.

Here are 6 ways to help you build the habit of reading the scriptures daily.

#1 Set a specific time

Decide on a good time for you to read the Bible. It’s best if this time works for you daily — but do what’s best for you.

Don’t just decide on the start time but on an end time as well. How much scripture do you want to read? Be intentional about it.

And don’t worry about reading too much. You don’t have to read for an hour every day. In fact, starting off small is fine. Even if you’re wanting to start with 15 minutes a day — that’s better than nothing.

Once you’ve figured out a good start and end time, start a daily alarm 5–10 minutes earlier as a reminder.

No matter what, stick to this time.

#2 Set a specific place

Where you have your quiet time is just as important as setting a time. The ambiance matters.

I’ve noticed I’m more productive when I have a clean and neat workspace. The same goes for when I’m reading the Bible.

When I’m reading the Bible, I love lighting a candle and having a quiet space. It really sets the mood and helps me focus.

Make an event out of it. Just as you prepare for friends coming over to your home, prepare for your time with God. It makes it more intentional and fun.

#3 Limit distractions

It’s so easy to get distracted. We can’t always get rid of ALL distractions. But what you can do is limit them.

Limit distractions by turning off your phone or putting it on airplane mode. The same goes for any other tech/devices.

Also, make sure you won’t be interrupted by anyone who may live with you. Let them know ahead of time that you’ll be needing quiet time.

I focus better when I know it’s just going to be me and God.

#4 Choose a Bible plan and stick with it

If you want to start off with a devotional, you definitely can. Some don’t enjoy reading much and that’s fine.

If you’re looking for a devotional, I’d suggest looking into the YouVersion Bible App. All you have to do is go to the search bar on the app. Specifically, if you search Bible Project, they have very good devotional plans.

If you don’t want to start with a devotional, choose a book in the Bible to read. Try reading one chapter a day. Once you feel more comfortable, you can read more per day.

Also, read consecutively. Don’t jump from one book to another. It’s better to read consecutively so you can keep the context in mind.

If you’re a new believer, I’d recommend starting with one of the gospels.

#5 Pray over your time dedicated to God

The time you’re carving out of your day is dedicated to God. Pray to Him about it.

Pray that you’d have a desire to spend more time with Him daily.

Ask Him for help when you lack the desire or motivation to stay consistent. He’ll help you!

Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours,” (Mark 11:24 ESV).

As long as it aligns with His will, God will answer your prayers.

#6 Have an accountability partner

Having an accountability partner is incredibly helpful with keeping you on track.

If you don’t know what an accountability partner is, it’s basically when you ask someone to check in with you on a regular basis. This person is someone who’ll be asking you, whether weekly or daily, if you’re staying on track.

Basically, they keep you accountable.

There’s something about having someone ask us if we’re keeping up with our plan. It motivates us and makes us want to make sure we have things in order.