3 Tips for Starting to Read the Bible

One of the first Bible stories I ever told my daughter was based on the parable of the lost sheep. I started with the words “once upon a time” and then hit the highlights: shepherd and sheep, missing and found, joy and celebration.

If I recall, she slept through about half of it. (Not a problem. I gladly told it to her again.)

Perhaps you first became aware of God’s Word through someone reading it aloud or retelling it. That’s true for most people throughout history.

As you consider how to start reading the Bible, remember that listening is also a form of spending time in the Word. And actually, reading a physical copy of the Bible in your native language is a relatively recent privilege that should not be taken lightly.

The Bible hasn’t always looked like a thick hardcover book on thin, densely printed paper. Until the invention of the printing press, people copied the Bible by hand, word by word, section by section. Others committed parts of the Bible to memory and recited them for their community to memorize too. Unlike my loosely paraphrased lost-sheep story, the Bible has been accurately and reliably communicated via oral literature since creation.

Now with so much screen-based reading, God’s Word has gained another format. Yet the Bible is still the Bible whether it’s backlit or not.

How to Start Reading the Bible

Getting started with Bible reading is pretty straightforward. Like a journey of a thousand miles, it begins with one step: access a Bible. Then, build a twofold habit: read the Bible and share it with others.

1. Access the Bible

You might be asking yourself what the best type of Bible is. The best Bible is one that you can access and understand. This could be print, digital, audio or a combination.

If you already own a Bible in print, you’re all set. If you don't have a Bible yet, any format will do. It doesn't have to be themed or fancy. Or if your friends have a Bible, ask to borrow it. Very likely they will be happy to share. (If we ever meet in person, you can have one of mine!)

You can also access a number of digital Bibles online and in app form. These digital resources are often free and can include audio Bibles and reading plans, too.

My approach is to read the Bible in print, on screen and in audio. My current print Bible, a gift from my spouse, has a wide margin for taking notes and an elastic closure where I can hook a pen. I use it when I want to do closer, slower reading and when I attend church. I also use a Bible app that reads aloud — handy for listening while driving or walking my dog.

If you’re brand new to Bible reading, we recommend trying a variety of formats! Perhaps like me, you will find that context affects what you reach for.

To those who are returning to Bible reading or looking for a fresh approach, consider switching from print to digital or eyes to ears and noticing how it changes your walk.

2. Read the Bible

Once you have access to the Bible in your preferred format, aim to read at least a little bit every single day.

There are many excellent approaches to reading the Bible. Here are a few we recommend trying out.

• A chapter a day. Read one chapter at minimum, but don’t feel as though you must stop at the end. Allow yourself the curiosity to read another chapter or related passages.
• Topical. Read by theme, focusing on the promises of God, the expansion of the early Church or the fruits of the Spirit. Sometimes using an external study guide at the same time can help reveal connections to parts of the Bible you haven’t studied yet.
• Memorization. Read a shorter section repeatedly until you commit it to memory. John 3:16-17, Romans 10:9-10 and Ephesians 2:8-10 are some of my favorites.
• Book by book. Read a longer section repeatedly until it becomes familiar. I once spent a season reading Psalm 145 every single day, and I know I still haven’t plumbed all of its depths.
• Timed reading. Read for 10 minutes and see how far you get. The next day, resume where you left off and keep going from there.
• Bible in a year. Read using a guided annual plan that covers all 66 books of the Bible in 365 days. Some plans start at the beginning and proceed consecutively to the end, while others arrange to read different sections simultaneously.
• Reading together. Read along with a group of people in person or online. I have learned so much from the knowledge and wisdom of other believers, and that education (thankfully!) isn’t over yet. I have also shared some of my learnings to encourage others.

My favorite type of Bible reading is ... all of them. For me, how I read changes season by season. Right now, I’m repeating the Gospel of John in audio. I think I’m on my third read-through of John this month.

The Bible can be challenging to understand at times. But Jesus wants us to seek him and intends for us to find him. The Holy Spirit reminds me about two verses when I don’t understand something in the Bible at first: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13)” and “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7).” Intentionally seeking Jesus will result in getting to know him better. This encourages me to persist in reading.

The more consistently I read the Bible, the better I learn to discern what parts I should read next. My reading in John has highlighted many references and allusions to Isaiah and Psalms. I think I should compare the Old Testament and New Testament passages and consider what those connections might reveal.

3. Share the Bible

One of my friends from college, Kerri, was studying science and Spanish with the career plan to practice medicine in Central America. The textbooks that she carried from her environmental biology class to her organic chemistry class were so large that they did not all fit in her backpack. But there was one book Kerri always had space for.

She never went anywhere without the Bible. Her conversations were so full of Jesus that she would often open the Bible to share verses with others. She once said that she wanted to keep the Bible nearby so she wouldn’t have to rely only on her memory — which is excellent, by the way — in case a question came up that God’s Word could answer. Her excitement about sharing the Bible inspired me to evaluate my own approach. I keep a Bible in my car and on my smartphone now.

At some point in your Bible reading, you will reach Matthew 28:18-20. Commonly called the Great Commission, these verses instruct believers to share Jesus’s story with others:

Then Jesus came to them [his followers] and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Sharing the Bible might mean publicly declaring your faith in Jesus.

It might mean changing your daily routine to prioritize reading the Bible with your family.

Or going on a trip to serve, baptize or teach others.

Committing parts of the Bible to memory and reciting them for your community.

Acquiring more than one Bible with the intention to give away the extras.

Telling a child the parable of the lost sheep.

After telling my daughter a Bible story one time, I didn’t expect her to learn it perfectly. That would be an impossible standard for an adult, let alone an elementary school-aged child. I expected to retell the parable of the lost sheep many times throughout her life.

We shouldn’t expect to share the Bible just once in our lives, just as we shouldn’t expect to read it just once. We read and share, seek and find, day by day, again and again.

Jesus is first. I am second. Let’s sit at his feet and listen to his words.