7 Tips for Regular Bible Readings

Most Christians realize they should probably read their Bibles every day. Most Christians want to read their Bibles every day. Yet many Christians (the author of this post included), have found it difficult to be consistent in reading their Bibles every day. If you find yourself wanting to more faithfully read the Bible in 2026, here are some suggestions that will hopefully help you start (or reinforce) a habit that sticks.

• Pick a challenging yet reasonable plan. Simply having a plan can help you be more regular in your Bible study. There are many good Bible reading plans you can check out. Our church’s website has put some of these together, along with other helpful resources which you can find here. It doesn’t have to be through the Bible in a year, it can be a book, section of the Bible (Pentateuch, Minor Prophets), or anything else. The key is to find something you can do consistently.This plan should stretch you but not leave you feeling crushed. It should be slightly challenging, whatever that means for you. If your goal is to read one verse a day, you might want to up your goal. If you aren’t normally in the habit of reading your Bible every day and your goal is to read through the Bible in 2 months, you might want to tone things down. Find something that you can do regularly and consistently.
• Make Bible reading a priority. There are certain things you will do every day because you have to. You go to work every day, because if you don’t you will get fired. You feed your kids every day, because if you don’t they will starve. When there is something that we tell ourselves must be done, we get it done. Make Bible reading something that is going to happen every day. Make a commitment that no matter how short the time is, no matter how distracted you might be, no matter how pointless you might feel, you will read your Bible. It is better to keep moving along, even if that movement looks like stumbling or being dragged, than it is to stop Bible reading completely.
• Bible reading should be a discipline and a delight. You should read your Bible even if you don’t want to. But you should also want to read your Bible. So what if we don’t feel like reading it? What are we to do? Should we simply force ourselves to do something we don’t want to do, and then feel guilty the whole time? Let me suggest that you do what you know is the right thing to do and read your Bible, and then ask God to change your heart. Be honest and transparent with Him about what you are thinking and feeling. Tell Him you are trying to do right and need His help. Ask Him to melt your hard heart and give you a love for Him and His Word. And pray in faith, expecting God to answer that prayer. He will. I’ve seen it for myself.
• Plan a place and a time. Humans are creatures of habit, and we are in the habit of doing devotions or the habit of not doing devotions. We like to do things the same way every time. Half the battle of regular Bible reading is getting in the rhythm of a regular time and location. Doing so will help make Bible reading a normal, habitual part of your life.
• Include prayer. Begin and end with a short prayer asking God to open your eyes and help you to live in light of what you have read, in addition to other prayer lists you might keep. A simple prayer asking God to help you in your Bible reading can go a long way, and is a healthy place to begin.
• Ask good questions. Good Bible study is all about asking good questions. Three questions that I recommend to people who are just starting Bible reading are:

1. 1. “What does this passage teach me about God?” The Bible is a story about God. Ask yourself what in the passage makes God sad, angry, or happy. Pay close attention to what He does and doesn’t do. Ask why He behaves the way He does. Come to Scripture hungry to learn more about God.

• 2. “What does this passage teach me about humanity?” The Bible often functions like a mirror (James 1:23-24). When we see Israel fail to trust God again, or Peter fearfully deny Christ after proudly claiming he would never do that, we are getting a window into our own soul. Watching the successes and failures of men like David, Abraham, or Noah will teach us a lot about ourselves. If we’re humble enough to admit it.
  3. “What does this passage teach me about the world?” The Bible not only teaches us about God and humanity, but it helps us think rightly about the world we live in. Books like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes help us think about what careful living in this world looks like. The letters of the New Testament give us a picture of how the cultures of the world often array themselves against Christianity. Learning about the world we live in will help you live better in that world.
• If you fall off, get back on track! Satan wants you to wallow if you miss a day or two, God wants you to get back to it. If you miss a day, a week, or longer, get back on a regular schedule as soon as possible! The key to successful Bible reading isn’t always never missing a day. Sometimes it’s about missing a day and getting right back to Bible reading the next day. Be ready to recommit yourself January 9 if you need to. And then rerecommit yourself January 15, or January 22, or March 15. Restart 100 times in a year if need be. If you keep at it, you’ll get better at it. It will slowly crystallize into a habit. With patience and God’s help, you can achieve a point where you can’t imagine a day without your Bible reading.

Ben Hicks is the Associate Pastor at Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Indianapolis. This article originally appeared on his Substack.

Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash