TIPS TO HELP WITH BIBLE READING

Following are some suggestions to help you concentrate upon the Word of God:

(1) A QUIET, PRIVATE PLACE IS REQUIRED. I have seen Christians trying to study the Bible in a room where other people are talking and a radio is blaring, etc. That is not wise, and it is not honoring to the Lord, who deserves our undivided attention. The Bible is the very Word of God. Would it be proper to invite God over for a visit and then have many other things going on at the same time as He was talking to us? On some occasions when I have visited people in their homes to talk to them about spiritual matters, they have kept the television on and have continued watching it even while I was trying to talk with them about the Word of God. That was very disrespectful to me personally and, more importantly, to the message that I was bringing. There have been occasions, especially while traveling, when I have gotten into my car and driven out to a country road or, if in a city, to the backside of the parking lot of a large shopping area in order to have a quiet and private place for my Bible study time.

(2) ASK THE LORD TO HELP YOU KEEP YOUR MIND ON HIS WORD. If you find your mind frequently wandering during Bible study, lay the matter before the Lord. Tell Him that you desire to grow in knowledge of Him and His Word, explain your problem to Him, and beseech Him to help you concentrate.

(3) IF YOU ARE PARTICULARLY WORRIED ABOUT SOME MATTER, CAST IT UPON THE LORD (1 Pet. 5:7) and trust Him to take care of it for you; then turn your full attention to His Word.

(4) HAVE PEN IN HAND AS YOU READ. Just the action of picking up one’s pen and being ready to write things down or to mark in one’s Bible causes the mind to focus more on the reading.

(5) REMOVE THINGS FROM YOUR BIBLE STUDY AREA THAT ARE DISTRACTING. I know a pastor who removed all of the bright colored covers from the books in his office, because they distracted him when he was trying to study the Bible.

(6) BE CAREFUL ABOUT USING A COMPUTER DURING BIBLE READING TIME. I use my computer to study the Bible, because it is so efficient, but I do not use my computer when I have my daily devotion time in the Scriptures and when I am just reading the Scriptures. It is too easy to get distracted with other things on the computer.

(7) BE CAREFUL ABOUT EXTRANEOUS THOUGHTS. When you are studying the Bible, it will often happen that thoughts about other things will rush in and you will be tempted to leave the study of the Bible and to rush off and take care of those things. For this reason, it is a good idea to have pen and paper handy and to jot down thoughts so that you can take care of them later. This way, you can put them out of your mind for the time being and proceed with your study. If you get in the habit of allowing yourself to rush off and take care of other things, you will be crippled in your ability to study the Bible fruitfully.

(8) GO BACK AND READ THE PASSAGE AGAIN. When you find that your mind has wandered during the reading of the Scripture, it is important to go back and read that passage again until you understand what you are reading, even if it takes several readings. It is better to read one verse with clear understanding than to read an entire chapter with the mind drifting to other things.

(9) TRY NOT TO READ THE BIBLE WHEN YOU ARE TIRED. Sometimes this cannot be avoided, and it is better to read the Bible when you are tired than not at all. But the wise Bible student will arrange his schedule in such a way that he can study the Scriptures when he is alert.

(10) IF YOU FIND YOUR MIND WANDERING, IT MIGHT HELP TO PUT THE BIBLE READING FIRST BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE IN THE DAY. I have found that if I start reading and studying other things first, it is much more difficult to concentrate on the Bible later.

(11) SOMETIMES IT IS HELPFUL TO READ THE BIBLE ALOUD IF YOU FIND YOUR MIND WANDERING. This can help you maintain your concentration.

(12) A LARGER PRINT BIBLE can also help with concentration because it is easier to read and the pages of the Bible are not as cluttered with type.

(13) BE PERSISTENT. Don’t let the devil defeat you in your Bible reading. If you find yourself unable to concentrate for a period, don’t quit. Just go back at it the next day and the next and the next. There are ups and downs in Bible study as there are in everything else in life. The best tip for effective Bible study is to just keep on keeping on!