My Bible Habit
Verse of the Day
Christianity is not so much a religion as it is a relationship with the one living and true God:
[6] And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” [7] So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4:6-7). 1
Like any other relationship, it takes work to build. There are a number of ways we can do this, such as through prayer and church participation, but one of the best is by reading God’s Word:
[16] All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16–17). 2
The Bible is not so much an instruction book as it is a letter to His children about whom He is and whom we are to Him. Creating a scripture habit is like making a commitment to build an intentional relationship with another person. The difference in this relationship is with the creator and king of the universe.
So every morning when I get up, I start the coffee, let out the dog, eat a little breakfast, and then grab my phone to start my study. Has it made me a Bible expert? Heck no. Has it brought me closer to God, set a positive tone for my day, and taught me things about myself and the world that I would otherwise not have known? You betcha.
So I thought I would share a bit about what tools I use and how I use them. Of course, this is not the only way to read and study the Bible, but I find it works great for me and fits easily into a busy schedule.
What I Use
There are two elements to my daily reading, which are where I read and what I read. Where I read is Youversion, which is also known as The Bible App. Youversion is free and has all the standard features that most Bible apps have, such as a choice of translations, bookmarking, highlighting, and note-taking. What sets Youversion apart is its social and study components. You can find your friends on the app, which allows you to see what they are highlighting and commenting on. Youversion also has thousands of Bible reading plans that cover all kinds of topics from various points of view. The plans range from three days to a whole year to complete.
So my daily habit starts with Youversion’s Verse of the Day, which is set up like a social media reel or story including a video from a pastor, evangelist, or Christian celebrity reading the verse and what it means to them, a short commentary article on the verse, and images that you can share.
Next is Youversion’s guided prayer. This is also designed like a social media story, opening with an invitation to take some breaths and shut out the rest of the world. The next couple panels have a scripture and an invitation to offer God your praise, then to bring your requests and concerns to him. Finally, if you use Youversion’s prayer list feature, which allows you to create a list of prayer concerns and optionally share them with your friends, it will surface three random prayers from that list.
The final part of my habit is to read from one of Youversion’s aforementioned reading plans. Currently, I am going through The Bible Recap with Terra-Leigh Cobble. This is a one-year, chronological Bible plan. A chronological plan directs the reader through scripture in the order that events actually occurred, rather than simply in the order they appear in the Bible. So, for example, when reading about King David, you will read parts of 1 Kings and 1 Chronicles at the same time because they cover the same time period from different perspectives. You will also be reading early psalms because many of them were written by David. Each of the day’s readings features a recap video by Cobble that summarizes and explains the day’s reading, which can be very helpful (she also has a good sense of humor). As I am going through this plan, I am connecting more with God’s Word and seeing things I haven’t before.
So, if you are a believer looking to spend more time in God’s word, or a seeker looking for answers about the world and everything in it, I recommend you download Youversion, create a free account, pick a plan and start reading. They have general topics about things like emotions, topics to answer specific Bible questions like what is the meaning of the Armor of God, and new plans are constantly being added.
Do you read or study the Scriptures? What tools and techniques do you use? Please let us know in the comments.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.↩︎
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.↩︎