Bored Reading the Bible?

Many Christians struggle to read the Bible and receive from it. If you struggle to understand the Bible, here are some ways that can help you to grow in your study of Scripture and your love for it.

Tips to Help You Better Understand Scripture

1. Understand That the Bible is About God, Not Just About Us

The Bible helps us to conquer sin (Psalm 119:11), defeat the devil (Ephesians 6:17), increase our faith (Romans 10:17), and even offers us wisdom (Psalm 1:2-3). However, even with all of this, the Bible is not about us, it’s about God. It’s a misconception to see ourselves as the focus of the biblical narrative. Instead, you’ll notice that the more you read it with the right perspective, the more you’ll fall in love with the Author.

The New Testament is Christ revealed. If you don’t see the main purpose of Scripture as a means to point you to Jesus, you’ll miss the point of reading it.

2. Read the Bible Regularly

Merely skimming through occasional verses is not enough to understand the Bible. Pulling a Bible promise verse every once in a while is fine if you also take the time to read the Bible more in depth. Just reading a verse once in a while doesn’t tell you enough of the story to really be helpful.

As Jesus indicated in various passages (Matthew 12:3, 19:4), we are expected to be in the Scripture regularly. Charles Spurgeon once said, “The Bible is meant to be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions.” We are mean to treat it as a continual source of spiritual nourishment.

3. Understand What You Read

Another common reason why people may struggle to receive from Scripture is the lack of understanding of what they are reading. Sometimes, the solution to this can be as simple as changing the translation of the Bible you choose to use.

Some good translations for devotionals are NIV and NLT. There are others that include the Passion Translation and The Message which are better for a more paraphrase translation.

4. Read With the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in helping us understand the Bible. Before you begin reading, invite the Holy Spirit to open your understanding of the Word and to bring greater clarify of what He meant as the Author.

5. Use The Right Bible Study Techniques

Proper Bible study goes much deeper than just casual reading. It requires ‘exegesis,’ drawing out the text’s intended meaning.

This means that the meaning of the text that you are reading is always determined by the Author and it has to be discovered by you. It’s like  gold that is hidden in the ground. You dig it out, you don’t decide where it’s laid. So there’s some practical things that you could do with to help you understand the Bible as you study.

Understanding the context is key – knowing the author’s intent, the audience, and the historical setting. Tools like study Bibles and commentaries can help, but our main desire is that the Scripture interprets Scripture (Acts 17:11).

6. Get Rid of the Spiritual Blockages

At times, the reason why you may not be understanding the Bible or receiving from it can go much deeper and required spiritual help. In cases like these, I would encourage you to talk to your pastor or mentor who know how to do deliverance and begin to resist spiritual attacks.

If you find yourself constantly yawning or distracted, I would advise you to make sure that the source is not just lack of sleep or the tv and track the root.

Conclusion

To truly benefit from the Bible, I want to encourage you to shift your focus from yourself to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow in love with the Lord as you read the Word and for your understanding to be opened as you engage in it.

I know following these tips will only enrich your spiritual life.

Read: The Living Power of the Bible