The primary goal of this article is to cultivate the love for God’s Word. The Bible is a comprehensive revelation of God to us. God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, inspired specifically chosen men to write the Scriptures, thus making it available to all men and women of all generations.
God is a creator of everything in the Universe, literally everything. Thus, He is the ultimate source for the existence of all the matter and non-matter. That is to say, that God designed our bodies in that way that we can replenish our physical energy by consuming the food.
In like manner, our souls are not an exception from that rule. In order not to fail as spiritual beings, we have to recharge ourselves regularly. And the Bible, as a revelation of God Himself, is our only source for that.
How Often?
May I ask you a question? How often do you eat? Do not try to answer that one; it is a rhetorical question. We know – that for the proper functioning of the body, a man has to eat at least once a day.
There is an old saying: “Eat breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince; dinner like a pauper.” I think it is not just a saying – it is the wisdom of many generations, so to speak, golden role.
But what about your Bible reading habits. How often do you read it? Do you even have any hunger?
According to Our World In Data, on average, we spend 2 hours watching tv, 1.5 hours on personal care and sport, and another 1.5 on other leisure and entertainment. It is 5 hours in total on non-essential things.
Of course, eating and exercising are essential for our physical well-being, but what about your soul? Do you think you can dedicate at least 1 hour in favour of God’s Word?
Why is it Important?
To understand the importance of God’s Word in the life of a person and the impact of the absence of thereof, please check out these statistics that the Mental Health First Aid USA has to offer:
- In late June, 40% of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health or substance use.
- One in six U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year.
- Half of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
- Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people aged 10-34 in the U.S. and the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.
- The most common mental illnesses in the U.S. are anxiety disorders, which affect 40 million adults (18.1% of the population).
- Transgender adults are nearly 12 times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population.
That is very frightful statistics there.
According to Pew Research Center, about a third (35%) of Americans say that they read the Bible at least once a week. Those are shocking numbers too, my friends. I assume that they are reading the Scriptures while attending a church service.
Do you think that eating once a week would be healthy for you? Of course not! As we have already established, our souls, the same as our bodies, require daily bread.
What should I do?
My best suggestion is that you have to discipline yourself and make a habit of reading the Bible daily. Yes, I know, we are all living a busy life. But that is not an excuse for rejecting an intimate time with God. Besides, that is your soul in danger!
When?
Choose the best time that works for you. For the sake of cultivating a habit, it has to be a specific time of the day. For instance, read the Bible right after you woke up, so it will give you spiritual food for a day ahead.
Also, it is a good time to devote to God just before you go to sleep, in the comfort of your bed. Another one, depending on your work routine, you can read the Scriptures instead of having lunch.
Where?
Choose the best place where nobody and nothing can disturb your time with God. Any place works fine unless it serves the purpose. And, please, no phones or other devices. That requires a real Bible 🙂
By all means, please, do not read the Bible in a hurry. Just stop for a moment and think, it is a revelation of God Almighty! Nothing is that important as quality time with our God the Father.
How?
Choose the best Bible reading plan that fits your goals and preferences. Some people prefer to read the Bible chronologically, that is to say, starting from the book of Genesis and making your way to the book of Revelation. Others following the thematical Bible reading plan.
Certainly, it is up to you. I found it hard for myself to read the Bible chronologically. Therefore, I prefer to read the Old Testament and the New Testament parallel to each other.
For example, I like Dr. John Neufeld’s 2020 Bible Reading Plan or the ones from ESV.org. But you can google and find the hundreds of other Bible Reading Plans for your taste and colour.
By the way, although we do not have a Bible Reading Plan on the website, we do have the Daily Devotionals that you can read also. Subscribe and receive it daily via email; or better yet, click the red bell in the left bottom corner of your screen to receive a notification on your phone/computer once we have a new posting available.
Anything Else?
Yes. It is worthwhile to mention that your ears must hear the Word of God. Thus, read the Bible aloud. It is also good to keep track of your thoughts and learnings with a journal or notebook. Although I am not a big fan of journaling, they do recommend it, so do I.
One more thing, what do you think you have to do with all that you have learned? Yes, you have to remember it, carve it out on your heart and DO IT! (Deuteronomy 11:18, Proverbs 3:3, Proverbs 6:21, Proverbs 7:3, Exodus 13:9, Philippians 4:8-9)
Finally, always open your Bible reading with a word of prayer. Speak to God in the name of Jesus Christ and ask Him through the power of the Holy Spirit to give you knowledge, understanding and wisdom from our Lord God. In like manner, close the time of your devotion with thanksgiving to God.
God Bless you and have a joyful Bible reading 😉
