{"id":2140,"date":"2013-01-18T14:40:43","date_gmt":"2013-01-18T12:40:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/?p=2140"},"modified":"2019-10-16T10:44:57","modified_gmt":"2019-10-16T07:44:57","slug":"7-tips-to-strengthen-your-bible-reading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/7-tips-to-strengthen-your-bible-reading\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips to Strengthen Your Bible Reading"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you start the year off with a rock solid commitment to sticking to your Bible reading plan? If you did then it’s possible that you are already struggling to keep up. \u00a0\u00a0You might be experiencing some\u00a0false guilt<\/a><\/span>\u00a0and in your effort to get your chapters read you may also be loosing out on what God is really saying to you.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Not long ago I gave you some tips on how to make sure you applying God’s Word to your life. <\/a><\/span>\u00a0The tips below will help to strengthen your Bible reading and make sure you are understanding what God is telling you in his Word!<\/p>\n

Read the introductions<\/h4>\n

What I’m talking about is the 2 or 3 page introductions to each book of the Bible that you might find in the NIV Study Bible<\/a><\/span>\"\"\u00a0or The MacArthur Study Bible<\/a><\/span>\"\". \u00a0Obviously these aren’t inspired but they do help us understand things like the history,\u00a0cultural\u00a0setting, main themes and author of each book.<\/p>\n

Read longer sections<\/h4>\n

Most reading plans have you reading 3-5 chapters each day. That’s great, however, most books of the Bible weren’t really meant to be read that way. \u00a0Consider this, the Book of Acts has about 18,000 words in most English translations. The average adult reads about 250 words a minute. That means you could read through the entire book of Acts in less time than it takes you to watch a movie!<\/p>\n

Read outloud or listen<\/h4>\n

I can’t overstate how much I love to listen to the Bible! Even Paul says that “faith comes by hearing”<\/a><\/span>! You can even listen to\u00a0dramatized audio Bibles for free!<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Listen while you’re doing something else<\/h4>\n

This may sound odd but it works. \u00a0Don’t think that you have to sit in a chair with your Bible in your lap while listening to your audio Bible! (although you can if you want to.) There is scientific evidence that says our brains are able to\u00a0assimilate\u00a0information better when our bodies are busy doing something else. \u00a0I like to listen while I’m doing the dishes, vacuuming, walking or even working out!<\/p>\n

Read in a different translation<\/h4>\n

Sometimes you just need to change things up again. \u00a0You may believe that the NASB or KJV best represent the original meaning, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t try other versions, even a paraphrase! Putting God’s Word into contemporary languages helps us \u00a0better understand how the text relates to us.<\/p>\n

Ask the right questions<\/h4>\n

If you don’t ask questions while reading then you’re really not engaging your mind! Here are few good questions to start with:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Who is the main character?<\/li>\n
  • What main problem is this text addressing?<\/li>\n
  • Who was this written to?<\/li>\n
  • What does this teach me about God’s character?<\/li>\n
  • What principles can I apply to my life?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Those should get you started be feel free to add more, a lot more!<\/p>\n

    Re-read<\/h4>\n

    Sometimes we need to forget about our Bible reading plan and stop and re-read, once, twice, as many times as we need. \u00a0I often re-read a text dozens of times every day in preparation for preaching. \u00a0It gives the mind time to process and the results can be amazing!<\/p>\n

    Question: What other tips can you share that will strengthen our Bible reading?<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Did you start the year off with a rock solid commitment to sticking to your Bible reading plan? If you did then it’s possible that you are already struggling to keep up. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2141,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[31],"tags":[262],"class_list":["post-2140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writing","tag-bible-reading"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/DSC02624.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3izZc-yw","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8877,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/11-ways-to-boost-your-bible-reading\/","url_meta":{"origin":2140,"position":0},"title":"11 Ways to Boost Your Bible Reading in The New Year","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"January 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"You may have had a few failed goes at your Bible reading last year and this year you really want to give it your best. 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In the New Year many people start with good intentions of following a Bible reading plan. Somewhere along the way they get behind. 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