The purpose of this article is to provide advice that can enhance your reading of Scripture in 2022. Oh what a treasure chest of spiritual riches God has placed at our fingertips! Now more than ever, may the Word be sweeter than honey and more precious than gold.
Here are seven tips to help you read the Bible this year.
Read the Bible Like Any Other Book
My first suggestion is to embrace what I call “A Better Way to Read the Bible.” Simply put, a better way to read the Bible is to read it like any other book, which means we read the whole thing. Think about the last time you read a book that you truly enjoyed and from which you benefitted greatly. Did you read it all, or just a portion? Did you read only a few sections, or did you start at the beginning and go all the way to the end. I’m stating the obvious, but to truly understand a book, isn’t it best to read it in its entirety?
TIP #2: Read the Bible Like No Other BookMy second suggestion is to pray… before, during and after you read the Bible. Here’s one of my favorite Bible reading prayers: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Psalm 119:18). The word “law” can mean “instruction” or “teaching.” The Word of God, like no other book, contains the instruction and teaching of God. While the Bible is to be read like any other book, it is also to be read like no other book, because there is no other book like the Bible. It is the only book written by God, and we need His supernatural help to understand it.
TIP #3: Get the Big PictureWhen reading the Bible, always keep in mind what Jen Wilkin states so succinctly, “The Bible is a book about God.” I take this to mean that the Bible is primarily or mainly about God. It is His autobiography. Until just a few years ago, this was a new idea for me and a hard pill to swallow, so I know it can come as a surprise to some. But like life itself, the Bible is not primarily about us. Sure, we are there, too, and the Bible has much to say about you and me. But we’re not the focus. God is. Therefore, every time you read the Bible, ask the question, “What does this passage teach about God (Father, Son and Spirit)?” And then ask, “What is my response to this teaching about God?”
