You’re Better at Reading the Bible Than You Think if…
“Am I doing this right?” “I don’t understand what this is talking about.”
You’re not alone if you’ve ever had one of the thoughts above while reading the Bible. Many of us know the Bible is important to read and want to read it more, but sometimes it can feel intimidating. We don’t want to misinterpret or misunderstand what God is telling us, which is understandable. However, in so many ways we are overthinking it. If you are reading the Bible because you want to know God more and grow in your walk as a Christian, you already have what you need and may not realize it. And you are probably better than you think at reading the Bible, but aren’t giving yourself enough grace or credit.
So how do you build greater confidence in reading the Bible?
1. remember who you are reading about
Go into reading the Bible with your mind laser-focused on God. Even now, stop and think about how profound and incredible it is that words God said are recorded and we get to read them. In the Bible, any time you read “The LORD said” or “the LORD appeared,” notice the reactions. It’s fear: holy reverence, awe, and sometimes outright panic.
“When Abram was 99 years old the Lord appeared to him saying ‘I am God Almighty. Live in My presence and be blameless….’ Then Abram fell facedown and God spoke with him.”
Genesis 17: 1 and 3
It’s bowing down, building altars, and being completely enamored. Completely enamored. That should be our response when we read the Word. At the edge of our seats every time it says “The Lord said.”
The Lord gave us a hunger for His Word and a hunger to know Him. It may help to play worship music before you read and let your heart and mind ponder on God’s goodness. You could think about things God has done for you, for those you care about, and the things you know about His character.
Do you go into the Word with your mind and heart focused on knowing God more? If you already have a habit of doing this, your heart is in the right place and you’re well on your way to understanding the Bible.
Once you’ve set aside any distractions and have put your attention and affections on God, the next important thing to do when reading the Bible is:
2. Pray. It’s that simple!
“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.”
Psalm 119:18
David, the man after God’s heart who wrote Psalm 119, understood that He couldn’t see what He needed to see without God’s help. The Bible is “God-breathed” which means it’s supernatural. We cannot with our own human minds interpret what God is revealing about Himself. We need God to open our eyes and give us His wisdom. Through prayer, we ask God to illuminate what He wants us to see. We ask Him to show us more about Him .
And don’t worry if you don’t think you’re the best at praying. God cares about our heart when we pray, not how “good” it sounds. Be patient with yourself and the journey. Also, you can pray scripture to God, like the one above. You can read Psalm 119:18 aloud before and while you read scripture.
Do you pray before reading the Bible, believing that God will reveal Himself and help you understand? This is a great way to lean on God and trust Him to answer your prayers!
3. Read with an expectancy of learning at least one thing.
Have confidence in this truth – God wants us to know Him and God wants us to understand His Word.
When we diligently seek God and pray for understanding, in due time, God does reveal what He wants us to understand. This is why I think it’s important for us to be excited when we even understand one thing after reading scripture. There is no race and there is no rule that you have to understand everything at once. Be excited when one verse stands out. When you focus on one verse, you may just realize that’s the one verse that was meant to help you through a day or through a season.
Remember how you prayed before reading? God may be highlighting and illuminating one verse or passage for a reason. His Spirit will give you the discernment you need to understand the lesson He is teaching you. So don’t get so distracted by the surrounding scriptures that you didn’t fully understand that you miss those that you do understand. Focus on what God is showing you.
Do you go into the Word expecting and excited to learn something? Do you celebrate understanding what God says to you? If not, you can always start now!
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12
4. Meditate on the verse that popped out at you and bring challenging verses to God.
So what should you do with the verse or passage that stood out to you? Maybe you learned a new promise of God or something about who He says you are, or maybe you read a verse that is hard to accept. No matter what it is, observe how the verse made you feel and talk to God about it. If it’s something you need to remember, ask God to help you call it to remembrance. Write it down or save it in a note on your phone.
Remember, get excited! Knowing and understanding even one verse means your time in the Word was successful. If you come to verses that challenge you and are hard, that’s okay too! Ask God to help you understand. It may slowly come to you that day or it could take months. Whatever the time frame, ask God for peace and faith in the waiting.
…his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
Psalm 1:2
and he meditates on it day and night.
So we’ve talked about having the right heart posture and focusing on God’s goodness. We’ve talked about praying and relying on the Holy Spirit to reveal the Bible’s meanings. And we’ve talked about paying attention to what stands out and meditating on His Word. Notice that much of this is an act of humility and a result of loving and trusting God.
Pause and think about how you do these things as you read the Bible?
And as you focus more on who He is, you’ll notice a hunger to understand more about the Bible as a whole. You will want to understand the deeper meanings behind the books, as they were intended then and are intended now. Which leads me to the last thing (for this list) that will build your confidence in reading the Bible.
5. Pay attention to the context
Understanding context (the background of the book) can make a huge difference in your overall understanding. It’s helpful to have a few questions answered before reading a book in the Bible like:
- Who wrote the book you’re reading?
- Who was the intended audience?
- What category does the book fall in? (law, history, poetry, prophets, gospels, letters)
- What is the purpose of the book?
This doesn’t have to be hard to find or learn at all. Many Bibles have a page before a book begins that gives a summary which includes these items. And you can do a quick google search for information that’s missing. I recently discovered the Bible app (free on all smartphones!) has a summary included.
More on Context
As you read, remember these are real people going through real life, fighting real temptations like you and me. Imagine the weight of the calling Paul felt. And the weightiness of the calling on Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness. I believe this also puts the grace of God into perspective even more and how He blessed, kept, and helped them to persevere. And He still is doing that with us today.
There are other ways to better be informed on context too. Maps, dates, commentaries, study Bibles, searching events from that time in history, reference libraries, etc. Figure out what’s a sweet spot for you right now, where you have an idea of what’s going on in the text and can move forward reading. This may change over time. As you read and as you grow in understanding, you can always go deeper into study.
In all this, don’t be afraid to ask wise counsel (like a pastor, a parent, a friend, a mentor) or watch trusted videos and sermons on topics. There are plenty of times I first understood a verse to mean one thing and was later enlightened otherwise. God doesn’t require perfection from our time in the Word. He just tells us to come. He wants us to be in His Word and to have His Word on our hearts and minds. We aim to get better at reading the Word to grow in knowledge and wisdom of Him.
Encouragement
So no matter where you are now, if you do all, most, some, or none of the items above, I encourage you to persevere. Continue to seek the Lord and to know Him more. And always pray. That is at the top of the list for a reason. Prayer is our direct access to God in Heaven. If you do nothing else on this list, pray with faith that God is listening and will answer you. Pray for your eyes to be opened and for your heart to be softened.
Remember, you have all that you need to grow in Christ if you have been saved. His Holy Spirit, His gift of salvation, and access to the Father. If you have access to the Bible, it is our weapon. I pray you use it to your advantage.
“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
Ephesians 6:17-18
Salvation Prayer
If you haven’t accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, know that it’s a gift from God. He loves us so much, that He gave His one and only Son to die for our sins and Jesus was resurrected from the dead so just as He rose from the grave, we too rise from death when we put our hope in Him. We were once dead in our sin, but we are raised to life and given another chance. To accept Christ, you just have to believe that with your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is King. Read Romans 10 for Paul’s words on giving your life to Christ.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Romans 10: 9-10
If you prayed that prayer, hallelujah to God and congratulations! I pray you continue to diligently seek after God and that you find community to be discipled and grow in.
Final Question
Are there other tips that you’ve found helpful for reading the Bible with more confidence? I’d love if you’d share in a comment below.