How to read the Bible

The Bible is a complex and very detailed book. Its story is grand and compelling, yet also emotional and personal. Find a way of reading that suits you. Here are some different things you could try...

How to read the Bible

There are a number of different ways to read the Bible.  The Bible Society endorses a personal quiet time approach: spending time with God alone each day through prayer and Bible reading.  By doing this, you put yourself in position to be transformed by God through his Holy Spirit.

 

When you read the Bible, do these things:

1.    Talk to God
Thank God for the Bible.  Ask God to help you understand what you’re about to read.

2.    Read and Listen
Read the passage carefully and thoughtfully.  Listen to what God is saying to you through it.

3.    Think
Think about what you’ve read.  Ask yourself these questions:
•    What is the main point of the passage?
•    What does the reading say about God?  His character?  His plans?
•    What insight is there for me to apply to my life situation?
•    Is there an example or a warning?  Is God giving me a promise?
•    How does God want me to respond in my thoughts, words or actions?

4.    Respond
Turn things you’ve learned into prayers.  Ask God for his help in applying what you’ve learned to your life.  Pray for others.

Some Approaches to Bible Reading

Quiet Time Reading
Select a passage or chapter, read and reflect on it (see above).

Chunk Reading
Read several chapters or even a whole book in one sitting.  This allows you to better grasp the outline of a book and eventually the whole Bible story.

Verse Memorisation
Memorising scripture has many benefits.  It helps us reflect on scripture even when we don’t have a Bible handy and it ensures that it is planted in our minds, shaping our thinking and our actions.

In-depth Study
This helps you understand the original meaning of scripture through the use of resources such as a Bible dictionary, comprehensive commentary or a study Bible.

Bible Meditation
This helps us get scripture deeply into our hearts.  Read a passage slowly, out loud if possible.  Imagine yourself in the story, a part of the scene.  Re-read it and meditate on what you’ve read.  This is designed so that God can speak to you at a spiritual level rather than an intellectual level.

Character Study
This approach focuses on study of a particular individual in the Bible.  Find all the passages that a character appears in (some may be in many, so choose some that reflect a certain period of the character’s life or event).  Use a concordance or word search to do this.  Focus on this character’s relationship with God.  What can you learn about God through them?