Daily Bible reading

[Jun_Canada]

Hi there every1
I have a question about daily bible reading.
I guess its sorta like a survey
What is the best way to understand the Bible? Like I have all day now, now that school has ended and its summer break so would it be a good idea to study as much as i can in 1 day...i dont mean speed reading through as many chapters in a day but understanding each story in the chapter/book....or would it be a bette idea to just read a few chapters a day and meditate on that?
Any suggestions and/or comments would be so helpful!
Thank you

 

[Macca]

Hi there every1
I have a question about daily bible reading.
I guess its sorta like a survey
What is the best way to understand the Bible? Like I have all day now, now that school has ended and its summer break so would it be a good idea to study as much as i can in 1 day...i dont mean speed reading through as many chapters in a day but understanding each story in the chapter/book....or would it be a bette idea to just read a few chapters a day and meditate on that?
Any suggestions and/or comments would be so helpful!
Thank you

Jun,
most people read the Bible with a time frame in mind, try not to be governed by time. Before you start, pray.
Pray for understanding before you start, try to read each book/letter completely, understanding the time that passes from one incident to the next. Ask God what He wants you to learn from you reading. Try reading without a time schedule.
If you have a bible dictionary, that will help with things you missunderstand, also a concordance.
Learn to use the references in your text to see the conection, and get a better understanding of what you are reading.
After all that pray for understanding and then pray.
Macca.

 

[rainbowprism]

A really really good book to get/order is called Search the Scriptures...it'll take you through every chapter and explain and has questions and whatnot.

Don't try to start from Genesis and read straight to Revelation....you'll get lost in the Bermuda triangle of the Bible round Leviticus if you do that.

 

[Jun_Canada]

Im not being governed by time.....im just asking whether its a good idea to read as many chapters as i can in a day to understand as much as i can or would it be better to read only a few chapters and meditate on that.....its not like im gonna read the bible 24/7...but would i get more out of the bible if i meditate only a few chapters or understand and meditate on as much as i could on a particular day?
Thank you
God Bless

 

[Rage4Christ]

jun_canada. Here are your goals. First-- learn the history. Understand the context of the Bible, read other historical texts that place the Bible into context. Secondly-- discover the main Spiritual issues. Only if you know the issues and questions about life, Christ and unconditional love, can you then approach the Bible in a dedicated and organized way.

You can't just stumble your way through the Bible, as if going through the motions of reading is what Christ wants of us. Christ wants us to work through spiritual issues.

Study the philosophy surrounding those issues, then return to the Bible for clarification.

Don't "worship the Bible." That's not what Christ intended. Idol worship is a bad thing.

You need to ask yourself, what are your spiritual concerns. What sort of person do you want to be-- discover yourself, and then let the Bible assist you if need be.

Context and goals-- these are the most important things to consider when reading the Bible.

 

[James Barnett]

Read it, that's a start. Do not be in a hurry, it has a well spring of knowledge, you will understand what you need, when you need. Don't make it hard, Read it, that is a start.

 

[sweetsarge]

Maybe you can try starting out with a Bible you are most comfortable with. If you have not found one, go to any place that sells Holy Bibles and pick the one that you can most easily read (or you won't read it if it's too hard for you). Imagine you are reading a personal letter written to you from a loved one rather than looking at this fine Book as instructions or lessons. Get in a quiet place so that you do not get distrubed and Pray for understanding. Open up the Bible and just flip back and forth through the pages till you see something that catches your eye and start reading there. Just keep reading that part until you feel your spirit is full for now. When you return to the reading again, you can continue that part or start in another area by flipping through back and forth till something else interest you. Let the spirit guide you on what you are open to absorb inside you for that time. If this does not help, then perhaps you can start in Proverbs, which has good short points to ponder on, and then you might know where you want to go afterwards. Touch and go and letting the Spirit guide you is one way. Everyone has their own system but they found out through trial and error and experimenting. Soon you will have your own system that works for you too. Sometimes you will be fascinated with what you are reading and will read for hours. Other times you may read only one chapter or just a few verses. Go according to the need of your Spirit at the moment. Sometimes your mood will be attracted to Psalms if you are depressed or feel full of praise. Other times you might be feeling confused or frustrated or discouraged and there are books in the Bible to match those moods, like Job in the bible when he was going through a difficult trial. Or you might want to increase your faith and you will learn that what Paul talks about could relate to that. Each book relates to something we face today, even happiness. The more you read, the more you will learn to know where to find certain topics to match what you are facing today. Or if you love history and like a good adventure story, you will enjoy many of the old testament books. It is a fascinating book if you read it like a book or a letter, instead of a lesson. And then the moral of the story will begin to become clear to you and you will see the message at the end of the story. It's fun too and at the same time you will have start to draw closer to God. Happy discovering. Amen!

Sweet

 

[Kjgregor13]

I find reading the bible hard, my mind wonders... It use to be a chore, Now I keep a journal as I read and I find its not so much a chore anymore...

I still have to pray alot about understanding and getting the most out of the bible because some days I read and then when I am done I am unable to get anything out of it..

I found this article maybe it will give you some ideas...

HOW CAN I BEGIN LEARNING THE BIBLE?
1. Pray. Tell God that you want to study the Bible. Ask Him to provide everything you need (e.g., a Bible, uninterrupted time, motivation, self-discipline, confidence, concentration). Ask Him to give you wisdom to schedule a daily time slot for Bible reading and prayer.

2. Schedule time. Pick a time slot that is unlikely to be interrupted. Early in the morning may be best. If you need to get up earlier than normal, ask God to give you the energy and stamina to go with less sleep, or the self discipline to go to bed earlier. Before you go to bed, ask God to get you up and out of bed early enough the next morning to have time with Him in the Bible and prayer.

3. Pray. Each time you sit down to read the Bible, it is vitally important to pray before you begin. Ask God to be your teacher. The prayer could go something like this:

"Father, I would like to know You. Please reveal Yourself and the Lord Jesus to me. Please don’t let me be deceived, believing what is false. I thank You that I can approach Your throne in confidence, because I come by faith in Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Please bring me close to you. Lead me into the truth. Open my eyes to see all that you want me to see. I trust the Holy Spirit to teach me, because Jesus said ‘​

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He will teach you all things.’ I call upon You now, trusting that You will do according to Your Word, as You have said, 'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' Thank you."

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4. Read. Start the Gospels in the New Testament—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Read through John a few times, then read Matthew, Mark, and Luke. After reading the Gospels, continue with the books of Acts, Romans, and the rest of the New Testament. Try to devote a minimum number of minutes to Bible reading each day, but don't be concerned about the number of verses or chapters that you cover within the allotted time.

5. Memorize. When you want to remember something you’ve learned during your Bible reading, memorize a verse. Select a key verse or two within the passage--the verse that means the most to you. On one side of a small card (say, 5 cm x 9 cm), write the address of the verse (e.g., John 6:35). On the other side, write the verse (e.g., Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst"). Over time you will build a "stack" of memory verses. Review a few memory verses each day, trying to recite the verse after looking only at the address. As you review memory verses, you will gain a better understanding of them, and remember the lessons that prompted you to memorize them in the first place.

 

[Jun_Canada]

I didnt say I wasnt reading the bible....I do read the bible. I havnt read the whole bible from front to back...im just asking whether its a better idea to read a fe chapters a day and meditare on that or to study as many chapters as I want to in a day and meditate on that. Would I learn a lot more if I just meditate on a few chapters or would it be better to read and meditate on as many chapters that I haver read on that day.......like....Im not trying to kill my self trying to get through the bible, the thing im trying to do is understand and know what Gods Word truly conveys....and through this I want to know whether its a better idea to meditate on a few chapters a day or meditate on as much chapters that ive read for that day.
Thank you
God Bless

 

[Jenster]

Jun_Canada,

How do you usually learn best? By taking a small bit of material and thinking about it, or by reading a lot, getting the overall picture, and then thinking about it? If you have certain study habits that work for you, you may find them just as effective for reading sections of the Bible.

If you feel either way is equally effective, then the best approach will depend on what you're reading. Some chapters of the Bible are quite dense and have a lot to reflect upon. Other sections, like ones that cover genealogy, can be read more quickly and in larger chunks.

In practice, I would suggest reading until you feel you are no longer being thoroughly attentive. Then stop and pray for God's Spirit to grant you insight as you meditate.

Thanks for posting. Now I feel like reading the Bible!

 

[TheMainException]

It think that it is MUCH better to read a few chapters and then meditate on them, even read them as many as six times, slowly to get the full understanding of the verses. Focus on key verses and maybe even write some stuff down or highlight things. Also, it might help to look up backround info on what you are reading. Asking your pastor might help also.