Struggling to Read the Bible Every Day? Try This...

Do you desire to develop the life-changing habit of reading or listening to the Bible every day, but struggle to stay consistent? 

Friend, you aren’t alone. We all experience times in our life when it’s difficult to seek the Lord daily through Bible reading, praying and journaling. Just because you find it challenging, doesn’t mean you are a “bad Christian”; it just means you need a plan to help you stay consistent, grow in your discipline, and genuinely love your time spent in the Word and prayer. 

Here’s a few tips to get you started-– whether you are just starting to read the Bible and pray on your own, struggling to find the time in a busy season, or simply feeling unmotivated:

1. Schedule a consistent time.

One of the best ways to ensure you are devoting time daily to read the Bible and pray is by scheduling it. Yep, that’s right. Make sure you have blocked out some time each day on your calendar to seek the Lord. That might look like 15 minutes or 1 hour, but whatever amount of time you devote, make sure that it is reflected in your daily schedule and that the time remains the same all or most days of the week. 

We recommend beginning your day by carving out some time in the morning for Bible reading, prayer and journaling, but if the best time you have to give is later in the day or in the evening, you do you.

2. Find the right plan.

Often, we fail to remain consistent in our Bible reading because we aren’t sure what we should be reading. The Bible is a pretty large book, after all, and there are so many different types of books in the Bible. 

Thankfully, you don’t have to fly blind when it comes to your Bible reading! There are so many wonderful and easy-to-approach Bible reading plans, and many come with not only a schedule of what to read each day, but also helpful commentary and devotional insights to prompt personal reflection and prayer. For some of our favorite Bible reading plans to read through the Bible in a year, click here. Or choose from a selection of excellent New Testament reading plans here. 

3. Discover an approach that works for you.

You will get the most out of your Bible reading when you not only read through the text, but reflect on what you just read and pray about it. Actively meditating on God’s Word opens our hearts to hear God speak to us and renews our mind to truth. 

There are so many different ways you can do this, and we encourage you to practice a few different methods to help you discover what best suits your personality and needs. The S.O.A.P Study Method and Lectio Divina are popular and highly effective ways to reflect on scripture and prayerfully respond. Or try asking these 4 questions after reading a passage of scripture. 

4. Incorporate journaling into your Bible reading and prayer time. 

Scientific research has found that even though we live in the digital age, we still retain information and remember more when we write down our findings and thoughts as opposed to typing them. Journaling is a great way to highlight key takeaways from scripture, record what the Lord is teaching you, write out your prayers, and commit to meditating on or memorizing Bible verses. 

The Seek First Journal will help you stay consistent in your daily Bible reading and prayer time, keep track of how the Lord is speaking to you, and also better organize your sermon and/or Bible study notes. We created this journal based on decades of experience helping believers cultivate and create meaningful time spent Bible reading, praying and journaling daily. Whether you are just starting to read the Bible and pray on your own, or you are hungry to go deeper in your daily time of seeking the Lord, this journal will bless you! You can order your copy here.

5. Create the right environment.

Architect the atmosphere that best sets you up to be attentive to the Holy Spirit when you read the Bible and pray. Choose a space that is not overly cluttered, loud, and filled with distractions. Set your phone aside and turn off notifications to ensure your time seeking the Lord is uninterrupted. Read your Bible and pray when you are alert— not when you are still waking up or exhausted from the day. 

6. Seek out accountability.

Who says you have to read the Bible and pray on your own? Decide to do a Bible reading plan with a friend, family member or spouse and meet up weekly to share how the Lord is speaking to you. Ask someone you trust to text you daily to ask if you’ve read your Bible and prayed today. Read the Bible and pray with your kids in the morning. Including others will help you stay consistent and the Lord will use the wisdom, encouragement and insight of others to minister to you in very rich and personal ways. 

7. Expect God to speak to you.

The Bible is not a passage book; it is alive and active! The Lord speaks to His people through His Word. When you read the Bible and pray, expect that God will reveal Himself to you and empower you with His Spirit. Expect that you will discover His will, learn to walk in His ways, and become more and more like Jesus. Believe that God can do the impossible in your heart and life when you seek Him. He loves you and His promise is that when you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you! (James 4:8)