The Importance of Daily Bible Reading

Multiple times in the Old Testament, the Scriptures were lost, leading the people into confusion and sin. Thankfully, they were found later, and the people were able to serve God again. Now, we are nearly all literate (you certainly are!), have unprecedented access to the Bible, and yet choose to ignore it.

Private, daily reading of the Bible, for no less than 15 minutes, is critical to a Christian's walk with the Lord. At the very least, one should read a chapter of the New Testament every day.

It's good to have a right mindset and understanding of what the Bible is when reading it. Check Our Beliefs for more information about what we believe the Bible is. It's the clearest way that God communicates to man now.

Daily reading helps you to memorize Scripture. Even if you don't memorize it word for word, it will help you be able to find what book, chapter, and maybe even verse, a passage is in, so that you can quickly find it later. We are commanded and admonished to know God's Word.¹ Hearing a sermon once a week (if you're even paying attention) is not a substitute for personal reading; especially given the abundance of false teachers in the pulpits of America today.

If you only have one time a day to read your Bible, it's best to make it the first thing in the morning. Your mind is fresh and not already distracted with the tasks and events of the day. I've found that reading after waking up also makes getting out of bed easier: as I have something to look forward to right away.

Going in order from the beginning to the end isn't necessary. The books aren't organized in a strictly chronological order (although they are close to it). Pick any book and read it start to finish: commit to finishing the book you choose to read. I am not a fan of "read-through-in-a-year" plans. These rush through the Bible and make it so that you are just checking a box. That's a very impersonal way to read the Bible. Don't ignore a book because you think it's "boring." Don't avoid Revelation, but don't become obsessed with it.

In addition to reading a chapter of a book a day, you may also consider reading a Psalm or a few verses of a Proverb. I know many recommend reading a whole Proverb a day, but the Proverbs are not meant to be read that way. The chapter divisions were added by man for the purposes of organizing and better locating passages. They're a handy tool, but don't let them make your daily reading suffer by skimming just to say you "read" the Bible. For most, reading a few verses from Proverbs is enough. I personally prefer to read about eight verses, and often read those verses multiple times in one sitting. Before going to the next verses, I repeat this three separate times. If you only read once a day, this would be three days of reading the same verses from Proverbs. I find this helps me remember them more easily than if I read a whole chapter in a day.

Audio Bibles are cool, but should supplement reading. The main issue with an audio Bible is that, since we usually listen to audio while doing something else, like chores or driving, there's a tendency to lose attention and not go back. When reading, you can take your time and read at a slow pace, which forces you to focus. If you don't understand something (or if your eyes only went over the letters without actually reading the text), it's easy to go back and re-read.

Don't use a Bible app on your smartphone for this reading (better yet, get rid of the whole device). Instead, get a good old-fashioned paper Bible, or a pocket New Testament if you prefer to have it on you when you go out. Paper is the way to go: it won't crash, lose signal, or distract you with fancy colors, animations, and audio-visual intrusions.

Lastly, make sure you're reading the King James.