How often?

At our meeting (church), we've been talking about how important it is that we are in the word (bible), daily. It's had me thinking a lot about how I spend my time. I need to be reading more. What about you?

How often do you read the bible?
When do you find is the best time for reading?
How often are you reading?
Do you have a particular place where you like to read?
Do you prefer to listen or read?

Feel free to share as little or as much as you'd like.

Not nearly enough. The best time, schedule wise is the evening. But as far as mentally the morning would be better.
In my bedroom. Sometimes I listen, most times I read, and once in a while I listen while I read.

I have been using the "For you" series of bible study books as I read through different books of the Bible. I have done Ephesians and the first half of romans so far. I just ordered several more.

I have read through the Bible once, almost twice (not very impressive for my age) but found that it was more about accomplishing a goal rather than taking in what I was reading.

Yeah, I definitely feel like I need to spend more time in the word.

Similarly to you, I find I have the most time in the evening. If I start early enough, I feel like it's a good time for me to just read through. I really like to begin my day in the word even if it's for a short time. Morning also tends to be my random time of opening to a random spot and seeing what the Lord has for me.

I've never heard of the "For you" series. I will have to look it up.

Something different this year that I've tried is listening to the word through an app as I drive to work. It's typically only a chapter or two, but it feels good to start the day thinking about the Lord. (Listening to someone read is much harder for me, but I manage.)

Thank you for sharing!

I've tried unsuccessfully to read the Bible all the way through several times. But it never works out well.


Maybe one day I'll have the dedication to read it front to back. Or not.

Yes, actually I've just started to make it part of my routine to read the Bible each day.. I heard at least 5 Christian leaders say that reading God's word every day has amazing results. I usually schedule it after a string of shows I watch in the morning w/my coffee. Also, a number of them said to devote any amt of time first thing when we wake to pray. I've been doing both and feel so much more Godly and better about myself. I now would now say it's a must do thing during the day for me. There's a '1 yr Bible' that helps someone read it in a yr, reading from different sections ea day. Good question and God bless.

I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me (Psalms 16:7)

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything (John 14:26)

That sure is the truth! When I read the Bible with an "I need to complete this task" mindset, I didn't get a thing out of it. It doesn't really do any good until you start reading it as a valuable information resource.

I think it’s more about what you’re reading and your mind frame when reading, rather than how much you read. 🙂

Reading makes me feel closer to the Lord and He brings back what I’ve read during the day, so even hard days are better when I make time for Him. It is crucial.

Thanks for sharing!

This year I'm reading about four chapters per day, (almost) every day, which will take me through the whole Bible in less than a year. Last year I read one chapter aloud (almost) every day.

I concur with the idea that reading to tick a to-do list is much less beneficial than reading to know God better.

I'm currently doing a plan that will take me through the Bible in a year. It is jumping back and forth between the OT, NT and has some Psalms or Proverbs each day. I've gone through from front to back before, but I kind of like this approach. It's starting with Matthew and Genesis. Looking again, it looks like the OT will be chronological outside of Psalms/Proverbs.

At this point, I am mostly just reading and absorbing what I can. I would like to do a more thorough study at some point.

I've also found that if I pray for God to help me focus and to give me understanding it usually helps.

And I think it's important to read larger chunks rather than a verse or two here and there. Hopefully keep things in context.

The bible was not dictated verse by verse as if every verse is separate and unique to it self. It's not a spell or incantation book although I've heard people say things like: "God promised to give us the desires of our hearts. So in this verse it says this and such and says that, in another verse so and thus. Just name and claim what you desire. God always keeps his promises if you believe it. Thank him for them now and you will receive!" Heresy.

I study systematically and topically passage by passage or chapter by chapter everyday.

Glad you spoke about the heresy...I’ve read the Bible through 3 times? But knowledge puffs up but love edifies...so more doesn’t mean better I think..when I feel loved while I read I know I’m on target...

Thank God He wakes me up early nowadays, when i cannot wait to get up to read=). Sometimes when i'm a little earlier, lines of (Scripture) songs come to mind, but i do not want to be waking ppl up, so i often keep quiet and wait for time to up and read. It's often early morning for me, but when there 's free time at night before bed, i'd like to as well.

I'd like to read (aloud) later too, when the sunbeams flit thru the leaves of some trees, but there seem to be so many mosquitoes these days outside! I can listen at times too, when i've no chance to take notes, but prefer to read and write in a handy notebook wc i can take elsewhere to 'review' what God gave to think abt during the day at waiting times at clinic, etc. Phones are too small for me to read much, and i got to turn pages when i need to return to other passages and notes=).

I would love to read the Bible but I always find something that fills me with fear and questions am I doing this? Am I doing this wrong? Does this count towards this? I look up answers online and they make sense till I see an opposite view on it then I'm confused again. I cant read anything else or play games or watch anything or write or draw without feeling awful about myself. Just praying for a heart attack at this point....on another note Ecclesiastes is my favorite ot book.

You are saved by grace! Not by works.
Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ!
Confess your sins and He is faithful to forgive all your sins.
You don't need to live in fear!
If God is for you, who can be against you?

Kojikun, our works our important but not as a means to salvation but instead as a fruit of salvation.
If you struggle with sin (we all do) remember the gift of God's grace and ask for forgiveness.

He is a great and awesome God!

Not nearly as much as I should. I get distracted after just a few seconds of reading. I wish I could focus and put on blinders so that I don't see anything but what I'm reading. When I DO read, it's usually early, early morning for a few minutes.

Young man, I oughta smack you for that comment!! Speaking as a member of a family who ALL have bad hearts, myself included, I find that comment offensive. :/ I sincerely hope you were only being sarcastic.

Life is not a turn-based strategy RPG on the highest difficulty setting. You don't have to min-max life.

In other words, dude you are way overthinking this! Life is to be experienced. If you keep trying to min-max everything you will wind up doing with your life what i do with Fallout games - spend all your time worrying that you could have made a better setup if you knew something you don't know whether you know or not.

The RPG analogy holds right down to the part about answers making sense until you see an opposite view. The game I'm currently playing, Wasteland 2, has many different fans with many different, contradictory opinions about everything from action points vs. combat initiative to what conversation skills are most important. Whenever I google something I get a perfectly clear answer and I know exactly what I want to do in the game... and then I find another guy who says exactly the opposite.

It happened so many times that I finally decided to just play the game and see what happens. That's good advice for life too.