Research has shown that the most impactful habit/discipline on a person’s spiritual growth is regularly reading the Bible. This should come as no surprise to us since we know that what we read greatly influences our thinking.
The benefits of reading the Bible are many, but here are three:
- The Bible shows us God’s character and reveals to us God’s will.
- The Bible equips us for good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17) by turning our hearts away from sin and towards holiness.
- The Bible reorients our thinking so that we can grow in maturity (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:14-16).
If you have the goal of reading your Bible more in 2023, here are three resources that will help you:
- Bible reading plans for 2023
- Devotional podcasts for women and for men
- Alameda’s Heartholds
Here’s three things to remember:
- Don’t read the Bible to simply check a list – read with the intent of dwelling in God’s Word.
- Ask questions as you read the text: (a) What do I learn about God, Jesus, Holy Spirit in this text?; (b) What do I learn about people (in general) and myself (in particular) from this text?; (c) What, from this text, can I apply to my life?; (d) Who do I know who needs to hear this Word from God?
- Invite others to read the Bible along with you so that you can be inspired by and inspire others. You can do this by starting a Discovery Bible Study with 3-4 of your friends. Learn about how to start a DBS by watching this series of brief videos.
Happy reading!
rusty tugman 