Bible Reading February 2007

David Copeland February 3, 2007 5:08 am

I was sent this via e-mail and thought it would be a great encouragement to everyone who may be struggling with their Bible reading time. Great encouragement!

It's February! How's Your Bible Reading?

Practical Tips to Help You Get on Track and Stay on Track

Gurnee, IL – One month into the New Year . . . How's your Bible reading? Are you still going strong or have you fallen off the wagon?

If your time with God could use a boost, here are some simple tips for getting back on track . . . OR for getting on track for the first time!

1. REALIZE that the wagon doesn't come by just once a year. If you've fallen off, dust yourself off and get back on! The truth of the matter is you can start reading your Bible any month, any week, any day of the year, not just January 1. It's true!

2. PRAY that God will put you back on the wagon and help keep you there. ASK Him to give you a passionate desire for His Word.

3. START NOW. If you're driving, start as close to "NOW" as possible. Don't put off your reading until tomorrow. START today.

4. CONSIDER investing in a compact Bible that you can carry with you throughout the day to help you make the most of even spare minutes in your schedule.

5. THINK BOOK BY BOOK . . . NOT FRONT TO BACK. Don't worry about starting in Genesis. Start with an easy book like 1 Samuel or the Gospel of John and mark your progress in the Table of Contents as you go.

6. Try some CHUNK reading to give you a jump-start. What's CHUNK reading? It's clearing an hour or two to read and then diving in. Skeptical? Try it and be prepared to have God amaze you through His Word!

7. Do a SEARCH and REPLACE on the time-wasters in your day. Substitute spending time in God's Word for some of the time you spend watching television, reading the newspaper or magazines, reading other material, or playing video games. Video games? Remember, many of today's adults are the Atari generation.

8. EXPERIMENT and find out what works best for you. Not everyone is a morning person . . . and not everyone is going to be a morning reader.

9. START a small group for accountability. Face it . . . if you know someone is going to ask if you've been reading, chances are you're going to read. If not, who knows? Is this a crutch? Maybe, but it's one of the best crutches out there!

10. Always APPLY what you learn and let God transform you from the inside out!

Author grants permission to forward, reprint, or broadcast this list along with the byline listed below.

"Pam Gillaspie is the author of Ablaze: Igniting Spiritual Passion for Life through Reading God's Word. Ablaze is endorsed by Kay Arthur, Jan Silvious, Becky Pippert, and Liz Curtis Higgs. Download more practical Bible-reading tips at www.deepandwide.org."