Spruce Up Your Bible Reading

Routines can become boring, especially when it comes to reading your Bible.  Sure, the one-year reading plan is a great idea but after 10 years it might be time for a change.  So if you are looking for new ways to spruce up your time in the Word then try some of these ideas.

How about a new translation?  While you may feel comfortable with the one you have always used it is interesting to try other translations.  Just about every year I have tried a new translation.  Through that I discovered new ways of reading through the Bible. 

The Message translation has probably been one of the most enjoyable ones I have tried.  It’s written in a way that almost anyone can understand.  I may always remain a die hard fan of the NIV, but changing up the translations has definitely spruced up my Bible reading.

The direction you go with reading can also be spruced up.  You can read from the beginning to the end.  Or you can read one book from the Old Testament and one book from the New Testament, continuing to rotate.  There are a number of ways that you can change the direction of your reading plan.

Another idea is to incorporate some studying into your reading time.  Instead of just reading the Word, study it.  Have a concordance handy to look up words.  Keep some highlighters on hand and highlight Scripture verses which speak to you. 

Write in your Bible.  Yes, I know that for some this seems sacrilegious.  If you have a special Bible that you want to keep intact then pick up a second one where you can write down your thoughts. 

Study a character in the Bible.  Study a subject in the Bible.  Study a character issue in the Bible.  Pick out Scripture verses that you can rewrite as prayers.  Pick one word and take note of how many times it is mentioned.  With some creativity you can come up with a number of ways to study the Bible.

Don’t let your Bible reading time become mundane and feel more like a chore.  Incorporate some of these ideas and you will spruce up your Bible reading.