Daily Bible Reading

Daily Bible Reading

Reading Scripture daily aligns us to the way of Jesus

In the Christian life the practice of reading Scripture daily can’t be overstated. Scripture is God’s revelation of himself to humanity. It is foundational for our understanding of God, ourselves and how we ought to live. Our theology, our self-concept, our ethics must align with the Word of God to be rooted in truth.

Daily Bible Reading Approaches

There are lots of different ways to read Scripture daily. If you’re in a rut with your daily Bible routine I’d encourage you to try something different. All of these have great value and can be employed at various times in the Christian life.

With all of these approaches for our daily Bible reading be sure to read with both an eye to learn but also an eye to be formed. Learning doesn’t always equal transformation. To be formed we must allow the text to move from our head to our heart—from knowledge to love and devotion.

  1. Read through the Bible in a year

    2. In this approach you will read multiple chapters a day which likely won’t leave much time for meditation and reflection on the text, but it will help you see the big picture story of Scripture better. You can find these reading plans on the Bible App below or even print Bibles organized to read through them in a year.

  2. Read a chapter a day

    3. Most modern Bibles are divided into chapters and verses. Whereas those are not original to the text they can be helpful markers to follow in our daily reading.

  3. Read until something strikes you

    4. In this approach you may read two chapters or you may read 3 verses. Simply read until something strikes you then chew on that all day. By “strikes you” I mean wonder, truth, beauty, conviction, encouragement, etc. There is little structure to this approach so it may or may not be your cup of tea.

  4. Daily Devotionals

    5. At LifeBridge we put out a Devotional. You can follow along with that or there are tons of devotionals on the Bible App below that you can read through and even go through with a group together.

  5. Lectio Divina

    6. This is an ancient practice of reading Scripture. It’s a way of meditating deeply on one passage and applying it to your life. Before you begin be sure you are in a quiet place. Ask the Lord to speak to you through his word. You will then read through the text three times slowly. The first time through look for a word or phrase or concept that jumps out at you. The second time through focus in on that concept. Ponder what it means and what it means to you. The third time through consider how it changes you. Does it challenge you to think differently? Does it challenge you to act differently? Does it encourage you? Then pray for the Spirit to cement these words in your heart and life. Finally, sit in reflection for about 10 minutes on what God has said to you in his Word.

To Get Started

  1. Pick a regular time and place to do your Bible reading each day.

    2. The goal is to make it a habit and that takes time. If you miss some days, don’t give up!

  2. Choose the type of Bible reading you would like to try.

    3. If you’re new to reading the Scripture I’d encourage you to do a daily devotional or read out of a study Bible. Those will help you understand what you’re reading.

  3. If you’re struggling to be consistent ask some friends to do a devotional with you. That will help keep you accountable and you’ll get to see how others are impacted by the Word.
  4. If you’re struggling to understand what you’re reading try reading multiple translations.

      5. Here are my 3 go to translations:

    1. ESV - Formal Equivalence: The translation attempts to translate the original language more word-for-word into english. This method is usually better for detailed study but makes for some clunky English and can lose some of the intended meaning of the overall passage.
    2. NLT - Functional Equivalence: This translation method seeks to first and foremost capture the broader meaning of the passage in its original language and translate that meaning into English. This method is great for understanding the big picture and overall meaning of the text. It is limited in it’s usability for detailed study.
    3. NIV - Intermediate - This translation method attempts to balance formal and functional equivalence methods and provides a nice middle ground for general use.

      4. *these categories are from Gordon Fee’s How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth

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