Discover the Simple Way to Get More From Your Bible Time Today!

You can get more from your Bible time, even without getting up before the sun. Here’s the simple way I get more from my Bible Time.

I always thought the people who really spend time in God’s Word have to get up before the sun, sit in a special chair and read the Word for at least an hour.

But here’s the thing: I don’t like getting up early, I don’t have a special Bible reading chair, and I am unlikely to spend a full hour reading the Word in one sitting. I could make these things happen, but right now, that’s not my reality.

Instead, I’m finding what works for me. I mean, what really works for me. Not the thing that works for everyone on Instagram or the thing I think all the “good” Christians do. This relationship is between me and God. That’s special and unique, so it should look special and unique. Just like yours should look special and unique.

To help you, I’m sharing some of my favorite things and what I’m learning right now. Try them and see what works for you!

Shift Your Mindset

This was what I had to start with. Looking at my time with God as unique to me and as something I can explore has given me great freedom.

Recently, I read Abby McDonald’s book, Shift: Changing our Focus to See the Presence of God. Her stories and encouragement reminded me that I had to actively shift my mindset in order for things to change. I needed to seek Him more than have the perfect answers or system.

Start Simple & Go Deep

Making things simple is the best way for me to stick to something. There have been times I’ve felt what I was doing was too simple. Is a verse of the day really enough? Can I really just open to a page in the Bible and get something meaningful?

First of all, yes and yes. Every minute I spend in God’s Word has the ability to draw me closer to knowing Him and His heart. One verse read simply, humbly and honestly with God has endless potential in us. Why? Because the Word is living and active, it’s part of who God is.

Simple doesn’t, however, mean a quick skim and move on. That’s where we need to go deep.

• Ask God to reveal something new to you in that verse.

• Read it multiple times.

• Write it down.

• Be quiet and think about the words.

There are so many ways you can go deep, even with a single verse.

Every minute I spend in God's Word has the ability to draw me closer to knowing Him and His heart. Click To Tweet

Try Something New

Sometimes we just get stuck in a rut. We get bored with the way we’re doing things, but don’t quite know what to change.

God’s Word doesn’t change, but the way I connect with and interact with it can grow and change over time.

Something new I’m trying is Verse Mapping. The new NIV Verse Mapping Bible developed by Kristy Cambron is an easy for me to explore the Word in a way I am comfortable with, while stretching me to do something new.

The basic idea of verse mapping involves taking a verse and going deeper with it in these five steps:

1. Verse: Choose a verse and write it down.
2. Design: Record the verse in other translations & notice key words.
3. Develop: Look for the Hebrew or Greek meanings to those key words.
4. Actions: Ask questions, imagine being there, explore before and after the verse.
5. Outcome: How does the verse impact your life? Is God revealing something to you?

These five steps are new to me, but the Verse Mapping Bible has some that are partially done and other aids to make it easier for you started. You can find out more here.

Last year, I did something new by following The Bible Recap and discovering The Bible Project, two incredible resources that made the Bible easier for me to understand.

No matter what you are doing today, you can interact with God’s Word on a deeper level. Start by shifting your mindset to find what works for you, keep it simple, go deep and try something new.

Pin the image below to come back to these ideas and share them with others!

Connecting with great writers at the following linkups: Hello Monday, Inspire Me Monday, The Happy Now Blog Linkup, Tell His Story, Recharge Wednesday, InstaEncouragements, Tune In Thursday, Heart Encouragement, Friendship Friday, Grace & Truth, Grace at Home, Anything Goes.