7 Tips for Reading Scripture

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“I have a hard time getting into Scripture reading. How do I make it a habit?

When the Bible is difficult to understand, it’s hard to prioritize regular reading. After a little anecdote about my first meaningful encounter in God’s Word, I’ll be sharing seven simple tips that have helped me get the most out of Scripture reading.

The year was 1999, the movie was She’s All That. I was on a city bus in the suburbs of Montreal making my way to a movie theatre to watch Freddie Prinze Jr and Rachel Leigh Cook slow dance beside a backyard pool under twinkle lights to the tune of Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer. Can you picture it? 

I was going to meet a boy I had a crush on and I wasn’t allowed to be there alone, so, a friend came along as our third wheel. Unfortunately, I found out too late that I, in fact, was the third wheel on their date. I had no money for an early bus ride home and had to wait for my mother to come pick me up whenever it was over.

Back home, I was on the phone with another friend (one who did not betray me) and dramatically told her my sob story. We talked for a while before the call went quiet. She eventually returned with her mom’s Bible and opened it right to the middle. If you know anything about the Bible, you know the psalms are in the middle. She shared Psalm 34:18 with me. 

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

I was immediately struck by these words. It was the first time in my life, despite years of exposure to Scripture, that I realized the Bible had anything to do with my actual life. I felt seen. I felt known. I felt loved. And I knew I was not alone. 

I started that day hoping for a meaningful encounter with a boy. I ended that day having a life-changing encounter with God and his Word.

After that, I was interested—very interested in what the Bible had to say. Sometimes I got nothing out of it, other times the words jumped off the page in full color and surround sound. It’s not just that everything spoke to my specific situation, it’s that I fell in love with the story God was telling about himself. The more I read, the more puzzle pieces fit into the whole and I could see a clearer picture of what God was doing, and what he’s about, and what he’s still doing. 

“…my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

What God speaks from his mouth is the Word that we receive. And what we receive, if we are regularly feasting on God’s Word, nourishes us just like food does. We eat daily, even if we don’t see why. Even when we don’t remember what we ate. And we know it will serve a purpose somehow, some way to nourish our bodies. God’s Word is like that. It will produce something, 

so, we want to maximize the best ways to do that.

As the friend who makes you want to read your Bible, here are 7 tips to get the most out of Scripture reading:

Tip 1 - Set a designated time—make it a habit

Some of you are free spirits, flying off the seat of your pants, nobody puts Baby in a corner types. I get it. I mean, I don’t really get it because I’m pretty Type A and thrive on routine, but I do acknowledge that some of you are like that. And yet I would argue that even the most spontaneous among us enjoy the same cup of coffee each morning and doom scrolling at night. 

The truth is we are more likely to have success in something if we make it a habit. So pick a time that works for you. If it’s mornings, great! But it doesn’t have to be. Whatever time works best for you, be consistent, and make it a habit. 

Tip 2 - Ask Holy Spirit to speak to you through the Scriptures 

If you grew up in a faith tradition that doesn’t put much stock in the work of the Spirit, this may not hold much value. Yet most Christian traditions recognize that the Holy Spirit did inspire the biblical authors in their writing, so why not ask him to reveal to you the truth within its pages? The Holy Spirit was given to believers as a gift to teach and to guide into all truth. What may be hard to understand can be made incredibly clear with the help of the Holy Spirit. Simply ask him to speak to you before you begin your reading each day.

Tip 3 - Read from a study Bible, pick a translation that resonates with you

This is a 2 in 1 tip. Firstly, reading from a study Bible is so helpful when trying to make sense of the text. Study Bibles give context for what’s being said within the biblical canon and/or historical context as well. They make connections to other parts of the Bible and simply explain what you’ve just read, sometimes verse by verse. Secondly, picking a translation that resonates with you means that you actually understand the words! You’re not impressing anyone reading from the KJV if you don’t understand it. So pick a translation that makes sense to you. NIV is a popular word-for-word translation, while NLT is also written in accessible language and is more of a thought-by-thought translation. Whatever you pick, make sure you’re comfortable with it so that the language used isn’t a barrier to your understanding.

Tip 4 - Utilize commentaries, free apps, reputable websites, podcasts, etc.

We have never been better resourced for understanding the Scriptures and yet it’s been said that the Bible is the least read best selling book of all time. That doesn’t have to be true of us! There are plenty of organizations making free resources to accompany Scripture reading. Here are some of my favorites: The Bible Project, The Bible Recap, YouVersion, enduringword.com, and Bible Gateway! Reach out to me if you have questions about any of them or if you would like to check out others.

Tip 5 - Study in groups a) for accountability and b) to get answers to your questions

Especially when you’re just starting out or lacking motivation, reading Scripture in groups can help keep us accountable. Knowing someone else is reading the same thing as you, and maybe even struggling through it too helps us keep going, keep reading, keep showing up, and keep asking, as well. Scripture is meant to be read in groups, in community. It’s how we wrestle through hard passages, praise God for his goodness revealed, and hold each other accountable when convicted. 

Tip 6 - Making sense of context through exegesis vs eisegesis

These might sound like very technical words but you already know what they mean, I promise. Exegesis means to draw things out of the text in order to understand the intended message for the original audience. It comes from the same root word as exodus or exit. So to make sense of what we’re reading, we want to understand it in context. The opposite is eisegesis which means to put into the text what I want it to say to me. This can be dangerous because passages can be taken out of context and applied in areas they are not meant to be. Good exegesis is often the work of a biblical scholar, but making sense of what the Bible says through the use of a study Bible, resources, and group study can be done by anyone!

Tip 7 - Ask questions of the text 

Every single time I read the Bible, I ask these questions of the text: “What does this tell me about God?”

“If the Bible is a story about God, how does this fit into the grand narrative of the Bible”

Questions like this don’t just address what’s being said in context, but they help us gain a better understanding of what God is doing in the Greater Story. Answering these questions helps develop our theology: beliefs about God based on what the Bible says. So, the sooner we stop looking for ourselves in the text, and start looking for God instead, the more we actually get to enjoy reading and enjoy getting to know the God of the Bible through it. 

In the end… my prayer is that your encounter with the God of the Bible will lead you to the flourishing life he offers. Like I often tell my students, God has the best ideas for how to live best. So getting to know him through reading his Word helps us discover how to live our best lives. 

What’s in the Ears

This is the part of the show where I share a song or podcast I’m currently into. Today I’m sharing an artist called Streetlights who puts entire chapters of the Bible to music. The tracks are titled things like, Leviticus 1, Leviticus 2, etc. It’s a really innovative way to engage with Scripture. Let me know if you check him out!

If this stirred something in you, share this post with a friend or drop a comment below. I’d love to hear what small step you’re taking towards the flourishing life today! And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss a thing.

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