As Christians, our lives must be grounded upon the truth of God’s Word—and we must engage the Bible in both reading and study.
Reading gives us a global view and context of the entire Bible and study allows us to dive deep into the truth of God’s Word.
If reading your Bible has become dull, non-existent, or if you desire to get more out of it when you read, I want to give you ten helpful ways you can read the Bible.
Listen to and Download the Episode
Episode 13 Overview
In this episode, you will …
- discover ten ways you can read the Word and get more out of it
- gain several helpful hints on how to turn dull Bible reading into a profitable time of seeking after God
- be reminded about the importance of reading the Bible for your spiritual health and relationship with God
Show Notes / Additional Resources
10 Ways to Read the Bible:
- Read the Bible Thoughtfully – think about (study) the Word of God
- “The Bible does not yield its fruit to the lazy”
- Read the Bible Repeatedly – read it often … over and over
- Read entire books in one sitting
- Start at the beginning of the book
- Use difference translations
- Listen to Scripture
- Read the Bible out loud yourself
- Read the Bible Patiently – it’s okay to go slow and realize that study takes time (“fruit takes time to ripen”)
- Read the Bible Selectively – ask the right questions, such as:
- Who?
- What?
- Where?
- When?
- Why?
- Wherefore? – so what?
- Read the Bible Prayerfully – pray through Scripture
- don’t just pray before you read the Bible, pray the Scriptures themselves
- Ephesians 1:17 – that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him …
- Read the Bible Imaginatively – let the Word come alive … use your imagination
- Use different translations
- Rewrite the passage in your own paraphrase
- Read the Bible in a different language
- Listen to Scripture
- Vary your setting (example: read Psalm 23 watching sheep)
- Read the Bible Meditatively – reflect “day and night” – Bible reading isn’t merely a 20-minute activity
- Read the Bible Purposefully – look for the aim/purpose of the author
- nothing in God’s Word is there by accident
- if a passage doesn’t have much information, obviously we are not meant to know more – if a passage is lengthy, we need to ask ourselves why God included so much detail … and remember many themes/details are given and woven throughout the entirety of Scripture
- Read the Bible Acquisitively – don’t just read to receive it but retain and possess it
- Read the Bible Telescopically – view the parts in light of the whole (remember to read in context)
Quote from DL Moody
“The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.” – DL Moody
Additional Resources:
- Howard Hendricks’s book: Living By the Book (Amazon Affiliate Link)
- Articles on deeperChristian about how to study and read the Bible
Join the Conversation
Question: What is your favorite way to read the Bible? Do you have any additional ideas on how to gain more from Bible reading?
Leave a response or ask a question and we will try to address it in a future episode.
The difficulty with podcasts is that they are one-sided—so each week I ask one question for you to participate in the conversation. Head over to the deeperChristian Facebook page to leave a comment and join in the conversation.
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About NRJohnson & the Deeper Christian Podcast
NRJohnson (Nathan Johnson) is a Christian who has an overwhelming passion for Jesus, the Gospel, and Studying God’s Word. He is a writer, teacher, and communicator who helps other believers understand and apply the Bible as they grow and mature in their faith—desiring that they gain greater intimacy with Christ, experience the victorious Christian life, and transform the world through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Read more about him here.
The Deeper Christian Podcast is the podcast to help you study God’s Word, know Jesus intimately, and discover how you can build your life around Jesus Christ. This weekly audio program, hosted by NRJohnson, dives into Scripture and encourages Christians to keep their focus upon Jesus Christ—equipping believers in how to study the Bible and know God’s Word, grow in their spiritual lives, and change the world. Main discussion topics center around practical advice on Christian living, Bible study, prayer, the Gospel, freedom from sin, evangelism and how to share your faith, the Christian disciplines, and the lives and messages from the Christian heroes from yesteryear such as A.W. Tozer, Charles Spurgeon, Major Ian Thomas, Oswald Chambers, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, Corrie Ten Boom, C.T. Studd, George Müller, Andrew Murray, Leonard Ravenhill, E.M. Bounds, and others. Learn more about the deeper Christian life.
Leave a response or ask a question and we will try to address it in a future episode.
The difficulty with podcasts is that they are one-sided—so each week I ask one question for you to participate in the conversation. Head over to the deeperChristian Facebook page to leave a comment and join in the conversation.
Subscribe to the Podcast
If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe on your favorite app.
Like what you hear? … Leave a rating & review
If you enjoyed the podcast, please take 30 seconds and rate it on your favorite app (and write a brief review if you can). This would be a tremendous blessing to help us get the word out to others who might be encouraged and blessed by it—apps use the rating and reviews in their searches to help other people find the podcast.
About NRJohnson
NRJohnson (Nathan Johnson) is the host of the Deeper Christian Podcast and has an overwhelming passion for Jesus, the Gospel, and Studying God’s Word. He is a writer, teacher, and communicator who helps other believers understand and apply the Bible as they grow and mature in their faith—desiring that they gain greater intimacy with Christ, experience the victorious Christian life, and transform the world through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Read more about him here.
About the Deeper Christian Podcast
Many Christians feel frustrated because they don’t grow spiritually. The Deeper Christian Podcast helps equip Christians to understand the Word of God and cultivate a passionate love for Jesus that turns the world upside down.
Whether you want to learn how to study God’s Word, grow in your faith, cultivate a powerful and effective prayer life, share the Gospel boldly, deepen your intimacy with Jesus, live victoriously, or transform the world through the indwelling life of the Holy Spirit, the Deeper Christian Podcast with NRJohnson (Nathan Johnson) will encourage and equip you to grow spiritually and live a Christ-centered life.
