It's all Greek to me! Tips on reading the Bible
Reading the Bible does not have to be an arduous task, it really doesn’t. When I began my journey as a new Christian, I felt like throughout the week I needed more. Don’t get me wrong, I was attending weekly church services, but I got to a point where I desired to learn more about this new journey I was on. To be honest, I loved reading about all the drama that took place in the stories of the Bible! Yes, there is drama, dysfunctional families and pretty much all of the issues that we deal with today. There was no internet at that time of course, but there were humans and whenever you are dealing with humans there is nothing new under the sun. You may think this is crazy but I actually committed 15 minutes a day and I literally stuck to that time, checking my watch to make sure I was on target. I went on like that for a few months until I found that I was so intrigued by the adventures, miracles and stories that before I knew it I had bypassed my 15 minute deadline without even realizing it!
My advice would be to pray and ask God for understanding and wisdom before your read. This gives the Holy Spirit permission to come in and help you understand what you will read that day and how you can apply it to your life. Secondly, give yourself a realistic timeframe in which you will read so that you are focused during that time and don’t allow distractions to interrupt you. I usually keep a notepad with me when I am praying or reading the Bible so that if something comes in my mind that I need to do, I can write it down and attend to it after I finish my time with God. Don’t be surprised if you fall asleep! That is one of the distractions that may come up. Bill Johnson, a pastor from Bethel Church said, “What Father would be angry at His child for falling asleep in His arms.” God loves it when we spend time with Him, if you fall asleep wake up and finish where you left off. If you notice a pattern, ask God to help you to stay awake. Another tip to help you in reading the Bible is to use a topical Bible, this Bible lists various topics allowing you to search out specific topics such as prayer, healing, faith, and peace. The topical Bible then lists each place in the bible where you can find these topics. It makes it a lot easier for you to go directly to what your searching for. Finally, it may be best to get an easier reading Bible such as the New Living Translation.
Well, I am super excited about your desire to grow and go deeper in your relationship with God. You will not be disappointed. Always remember that you can go as far as you want in God, the only limitations are the ones you place on yourself.