--- title: 4 Tips for Better Bible Reading description: Want to get more from Scripture? Discover four simple ways to understand the Bible more using memorization, frameworks and more. image: https://blog.iamsecond.com/hubfs/IAS-26-3000%2010_15%204%20tips%20for%20getting%20more%20out%20of%20Bible%20reading%20Blog.webp --- - Shop - [Media Store](https://iamsecond.vhx.tv/) - [I Am Second Store](https://store.iamsecond.com/) - [Our Story](https://www.iamsecond.com/our-story/) - [Donate](https://www.iamsecond.com/donate/) [Log In](https://www.iamsecond.com/join/) [![](https://www.iamsecond.com/wp-content/themes/blackhawk/assets/img/i-am-second-logo-black.svg)](https://www.iamsecond.com/) - [Stories](https://www.iamsecond.com/film/) - [Articles](https://blog.iamsecond.com) - [Live Second](https://www.iamsecond.com/live-second/) [![](https://www.iamsecond.com/wp-content/themes/blackhawk/assets/img/i-am-second-logo-black.svg)](https://www.iamsecond.com/join/) [![](https://www.iamsecond.com/wp-content/themes/blackhawk/assets/img/i-am-second-logo.svg)](https://www.iamsecond.com/join/) [Log In](https://www.iamsecond.com/join/) - [Stories](https://www.iamsecond.com/film) - [Articles](https://blog.iamsecond.com) - [Live Second](https://www.iamsecond.com/live-second/) - Shop - [Media Store](https://iamsecond.vhx.tv/) - [I Am Second Store](https://store.iamsecond.com/) - [Our Story](https://www.iamsecond.com/our-story/) - [Donate](https://www.iamsecond.com/donate/) [Hot Topics](https://blog.iamsecond.com/tag/hot-topics) # 4 Tips for Better Bible Reading K.R. Ledbetter October 09, 2026 | 5 minute read [mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20blog%20from%20I%20Am%20Second&body=https://blog.iamsecond.com/4-tips-for-better-bible-reading](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20blog%20from%20I%20Am%20Second&body=https://blog.iamsecond.com/4-tips-for-better-bible-reading) ![](https://blog.iamsecond.com/hubfs/IAS-26-3000%2010_15%204%20tips%20for%20getting%20more%20out%20of%20Bible%20reading%20Blog.webp) [![Back](https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/5261881/New%20Site/Images/backFilled.svg) Back to All Posts](https://blog.iamsecond.com/) After my husband’s grandmother passed away, my mother-in-law gave me one of her Bibles. It’s a New King James Version study Bible in red leather with two red ribbon bookmarks built into the spine. The gilt-edged pages are pristine without any writing or marking, except for Granny’s name handwritten below “This Bible Belongs To.” Granny always treated me like a granddaughter, not like a person who merely happened to marry her grandson. For as long as I knew her, she read the Bible as faithfully as she attended church. A remarkable woman, an inspiring life. She embraced the role of unofficial adoptive grandmother to one of her late friends’ grandchildren. She volunteered at a hospital, made an art out of hospitality, and used her time to point others to Jesus. Her legacy of faith made a material difference in my life. I do wish she’d marked a few favorite passages in the red leather Bible, though. As for me, I’m an indiscriminate underliner, a highlighter, a writer-in-the-margins. I draw circles and arrows and make note of cross-references and alternate wording. Honestly, it’s rare that I open the Bible for very long without reaching for a pen. Since I’ve made a habit of reading the Bible throughout adulthood, I’ve left a lot of markings behind me. Some of them have smeared or bled through the page or not made much sense later. Along the way, I’ve learned a few helpful techniques for getting the most out of my Bible reading. If you’re looking to get more out of your Bible reading, I encourage you to try some and notice how they deepen the way you read the Bible. **Tip #1: Memorize Bible Verses** Memorization will help you read the Bible better. When we memorize Bible verses, we learn to read the Bible and see our own lives through the lens of that verse. For example, [Psalm 119](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20119&version=NIV), the longest chapter in the Bible, is a poem about how wonderful the Word of God is. Specifically, verse 105 is a great one to memorize. Similar verses I’ve come across in my reading are [John 1:1-14](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201%3A1-14&version=NIV) and [Matthew 5:14-16](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205%3A14-16&version=NIV). So as I memorize Psalm 119:105, I recall those other verses that I’ve already learned, and it helps me make connections in God’s Word. I might also remember instances when God’s Word illuminated something in my life or the lives of those around me. I could lean on this verse during prayer. I’d even expect God to lead me into a moment when recalling this verse would guide my behavior or influence a decision. Yet even after all of that, I would have barely skimmed the surface of this verse. **Tip #2: Use a Bible Reading Framework** Using a framework for reading the Bible will also help you read the Bible better. A framework is a structured system to guide your thinking about a Bible passage. Frameworks invite us to see below the surface of the words. They teach us to respond to Scripture by investigating what it says, interpreting what it means and applying it to our lives. Many excellent frameworks can help you dig deeper into the Scripture. Here are a few that come to mind. (If you notice that they resemble each other somewhat, that’s because they are tried and true!) - H.E.A.R. - Highlight, explain, apply and respond. - The 4 Rs - Read, record, reflect and respond. - Inductive Method - Ask who, what, when, where, why and how. - SWORD Method - Ask what you can learn about God, people and your life. Let’s take the SWORD method as an example. The name refers to [Hebrews 4:12](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%204%3A12&version=NIV), which says that God’s word is sharper than a two-edged sword. A sword has three major parts: the blade, the handle where your hands grip and the guard, the horizontal bar that protects the hand. These parts correspond to questions to contemplate. 1. **The Blade** points up toward God, and as the first step, we should consider if the passage teaches us anything about the nature and character of God. 2. **The Handle** points toward the earth, and we should ask what we can learn about the nature and character of people. 3. **The Guard** acts as protection, so lastly, we ask whether there is a command to obey, sin to avoid, example to follow or promise to claim. For me, reading in this structured way uncovers insights that I would definitely miss without a framework to shape my thinking. **Tip #3: Write in Your Bible** Writing in your Bible helps you read the Bible better because it serves as a record of when you read which verses and what you learned about them. God’s Word is sacred, but the paper it is printed on is not. I don’t really have a method, just the propensity to think on paper with whatever writing utensil is on hand. These are the types of things I write in my Bible: - One year when I followed a particular reading plan, I highlighted the chapter numeral of the chapters I read. - I tend to circle the tiny verse numerals of any passage I have heard a sermon about. Or I might underline the whole verse. - I’ll copy out any verses I especially love in the margin. Or I might highlight them. - I sometimes note some of the pastor’s main points where they relate to specific verses. Otherwise, I’ll take sermon notes on a different piece of paper. - When using a framework, I might mark my questions, answers and responses. - If I notice a repeated word or idea, I will circle connected words and note the theme in the margin (e.g., “redemption cycle”). - Occasionally I highlight every appearance of a word or phrase, such as under the sun in Ecclesiastes or joy/rejoice in Philippians. - If the Bible refers to itself, such as when John the Baptist quotes [Isaiah 40:3](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2040%3A3&version=NIV) in [John 1:23](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%201%3A23&version=NIV), I’ll write the cross reference near each verse. - If I learn that a word can be translated in more than one way, I’ll make a note of the equivalent word or secondary meaning (e.g., love in [John 21:15-19](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2021%3A15-19&version=NIV)). - During the early years of my walk, I noted the date that I first read a verse or chapter. It's insightful to look back on my progress. My mother reads the Bible on her phone so she can adjust the font size and use the highlighting feature. My daughter likes to use bookmarks, paper handouts, index cards, sticky notes and gel pens in her Bible. My husband uses a digital Bible and takes notes on his tablet. My father will sometimes lightly mark verses he has read but mainly uses an app with a daily verse. The Bible I like to use has a wide, lined margin for writing. Granny didn’t write much at all in her Bibles. All these ways of taking notes are individual preferences, none better or worse than another. Another great reason to write in your Bible is so you can [look back](https://blog.iamsecond.com/writing-worshiping) and see how God has answered prayers and moved in your life. Explore different methods and see what you find helpful. **Tip #4: Read the Bible with Others** You learn so much more about the Bible when you read it with other people. A couple years ago, my Sunday school class was studying the life of Elijah. When we reached [1 Kings 19](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2019&version=NIV), we discussed why Elijah might have felt such severe despair. To be honest, I didn’t know. Hadn’t Elijah just persuaded the people of Israel to follow God and then helped end a three-year drought? Seriously, what was the matter with him? But then a believer, Chris, who served in the military, pointed out that Elijah witnessed and participated in significant violence at Mount Carmel. Based on his life experience, Chris theorized that Elijah was experiencing traumatic stress. Learning from other believers is such a gift. Without Chris’s perspective, I would never have come to see Elijah with compassion instead of criticism. Now I understand why God first tended to Elijah’s physical and emotional needs before continuing their conversation. Elijah was likely in stress shock and needed first aid! In that context, Elijah’s behavior makes perfect sense. So does God’s. As I reflect on this insight, the Holy Spirit reminds me of my weaknesses. He reminds me that Jesus will [deal gently](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%205%3A2&version=NIV) with me as he did with Elijah. He reminds me that when I bring to him my stress, pain, failures and shortcomings, he will give me limitless [grace](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%2012%3A9-10&version=NIV). And when I don’t understand the Bible and fail to see others the way God sees them, he brings people into my life to teach me otherwise. To read the Bible better, don’t read it alone. You’ll need a family of believers like Granny and Chris who are seeking God alongside you. Don’t forget to use a framework to help you stay organized and focused! And make note of what the Holy Spirit shows you — in your Bible, if you want to — and learn God’s word by heart. It’s a lamp for our feet and a light on our path.     ![K.R. Ledbetter](https://blog.iamsecond.com/hubfs/Kelly%20Ledbetter_2026_Square.png) ### K.R. Ledbetter K.R. Ledbetter lives in North Texas with her teacher husband, teenage daughter, and rescue dog. A lifelong lover of literature, she can usually be found with a book in hand but also enjoys traveling, quilting, and playing board games. One of her favorite Bible verses is Psalm 145:8-9. [More from K.R. Ledbetter](https://blog.iamsecond.com/author/k-r-ledbetter) [Leave a Comment](https://blog.iamsecond.com/4-tips-for-better-bible-reading#comments-listing) ## Related Content ### Search for what you’d like to read about [Learn To Live Second](https://www.iamsecond.com/live-second/) [View The Community](https://www.iamsecond.com/do-more/) ![](https://www.iamsecond.com/wp-content/themes/blackhawk/assets/img/footer-line.svg) - [Film](https://www.iamsecond.com/film/) - [Subscribe](https://www.iamsecond.com/#modal-subscribe) - [International](https://support.iamsecond.com/international) - [Contact & Help](https://support.iamsecond.com/) - [Our Story](https://www.iamsecond.com/our-story/) - [Donate](https://www.iamsecond.com/donate/) Get all the latest updates from I Am Second by signing up for the monthly newsletter! 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