Bible reading for today, tomorrow, and the next

Christians of all traditions believe reading the Bible is important. Its words shape our lives and our faith in profound ways. But with the busyness of life, it can be a struggle to focus on Scripture the way we want to. How can we develop or maintain a routine of regular Bible reading when there is always something new to distract us?

This article explores several different practices, as well as some of the history of personal Bible reading. This should help you develop and maintain a consistent routine.

Personal Bible reading is relatively new

When it comes to the Bible’s availability, Christians living in a Western culture are among the most privileged believers in history. We can read physical Bibles, use Bible apps and digital resources, and explore multiple translations at the same time. But it is also very new.

Until relatively recently, few people had a Bible of their own. For the first 1500 years of the church’s existence, only hand-copied manuscripts were available. They were expensive to produce. In fact, most churches had access to only a small portion of the Scriptures at any given time.

This lack of availability, as well as the limited literacy of people during most of this time, meant regular personal reading wasn’t possible. The average person typically learned the Bible from oral retellings of Scripture’s stories, sayings, and teachings. But three technological and societal shifts made the Bible much more accessible:

Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440. This allowed for books of all kinds, including the Bible, to be produced affordably.
John Wycliffe, Erasmus of Rotterdam, Martin Luther, William Tyndale and many others began to translate the Bible into commonly used languages.
The Protestant Reformation placed a renewed emphasis (and expectation) on the ability of all Christians to study and interpret the Bible.

In the 500 years following the Reformation, Protestant Christians have continued to place a significant emphasis on personal reading and study. But up until the mid-20th century, Roman Catholics were generally discouraged from personal Bible study.

In 1943, Pope Pius XII issued the encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu, which both allowed and encouraged Catholics to study the Bible on their own. Since then, Roman Catholics’ engagement with Scripture has increased dramatically.

What stops people from reading regularly?

If you’ve ever been frustrated in trying to read the Bible, you are not alone.

According to the American Bible Society’s State of the Bible report, Scripture engagement continues to be on the decline among American adults. The report identifies several sources of frustration, including:

Feeling as though there wasn’t enough time to read and study
Not knowing where to start
A lack of excitement about reading it
Difficulty relating to its language

These frustrations are familiar to most, if not all, of us. They tempt us to give up and become disengaged with the Bible. So, how do we overcome these barriers?

How can you develop a regular routine of Bible reading?

Here are five practical tips to help overcome the frustrations that keep us from regular Bible reading.

Find a translation that you will use

The best way to start reading the Bible regularly is to find a translation you will use. There are many different translations of Scripture available. They each fall somewhere on a spectrum between word-for-word accuracy and clarity for today’s readers. Some of the more popular English translations include:

New International Version (NIV)
New King James Version (NKJV)
English Standard Version (ESV)
King James Version (KJV)
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Bible Gateway has two opportunities that can help you find the right translation. First, it gives you access to 232 versions of the Bible available in 74 languages, in both text and audio formats. Second, it allows you to compare passages of Scripture in multiple translations. Comparing these translations will lead you to a translation you will use.

Focus on quality over quantity

One way to confront feeling like there’s not enough time to read the Bible, especially if you are frustrated by long passages, is to focus on quality time over quantity.

It is often best to linger over a few verses and consider them carefully than to skim several paragraphs. To consider their words carefully and ask good questions. To pray for clarity and for God’s guidance in how to respond.

Follow a reading plan

If you don’t know where to start as a Bible reader, a reading plan is a wonderful tool to help. Reading plans are designed to give shape and structure to our time with Scripture. They help us systematically read and study the Bible with different approaches:

Topical plans on relevant issues like hope, grief, or friendship
Thematic plans, such as the life and ministry of Jesus Christ
Explorations of individual books of the Bible
Reading the Bible in a year
Reading the Bible in chronological order
Following a liturgical reading plan

Did you know several reading plans are available on Bible Gateway? Create a Free Bible Gateway account to subscribe to a plan. Receive daily reminders, track your progress, and adjust your plan to read at your own pace.

Read along with a devotional

Devotional readings are also a helpful aid to regular reading. Devotionals are books that offer a reflection on a different passage for each day or week. Some devotionals are based on topics or themes, like the character of God, hope, and anxiety.

Others are focused on specific books or sections of the Bible. This includes groupings such as the Gospels, Psalms, or Proverbs.

These not only give structure but can also create a sense of wonder as you see things in Scripture you might not have on your own.

Visit FaithGateway.com to see a selection of devotionals published by Zondervan and Thomas Nelson.

Try different study methods

Bible study methods provide a framework for helping us understand and apply the Bible. All of these share certain characteristics, even if they place a different emphasis on one or another. Six methods we recommend are:

The Inductive Method
The SOAP Method
The Verse-mapping Method
The Topical Study Method
The TEXT Method
The Character Study Method

Regular reading is good for your soul

Developing a regular routine of Bible reading and study is not always easy. It does require intentional effort. And you will inevitably experience setbacks.

Don't let that stop you. Start small and begin your Bible reading with our Verse of the Day or go a little deeper and select one of our Reading Plans.

As you persist, your time in the Word will bear fruit. Your faith in God will grow. Your life will change as you “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Ephesians 3:16, NET).

For additional reading on this topic, we recommend the following articles: