We all need a foundational story.
We crave to be part of something that lasts longer than just us.
Where are we from, where are we going, and how do we live today?
For followers of Jesus, the bible is our founding document. In the scriptures, we find the foundational story.
The Reveal Survey is the largest Christian spiritual maturity data set ever done. With thousands of participants, over many different continents, it found that a daily habit of reading and reflecting on scripture was the number one most helpful spiritual practice.
Here are 5 tips to kickstarting a daily scripture reading habit.
1. Same time and place every day.
Consistency is key. If you are trying to build a daily habit, then you must have a time and space that works every day. I find a lot of people get tripped up because they find a time and space that works on a weekday but doesn’t work on a weekend. When the new week rolls around you have to kickstart the habit again!
What is a consistent time and place that would work every day?
2. Habit stack
The science of habit formation tells us that the best way to form a new habit is to stack on a pre-existing one. I’ve stacked my daily bible reading habit on top of my morning ritual of a pour-over coffee. Every morning my brain automatically pulls up my bible app when I’ve got a coffee in my hand.
What is a habit you do every day that you could stack on top of?
3. Do it with others
A few years ok I started reading bible plans on the Youversion app with friends. You can see when each other has read the plan for the day, and read each other’s comments about the passage. I find this helpful, firstly because there is the social pressure of others seeing if you’ve read your bible or not. Secondly, you can see how the Spirit has been speaking to others. Thirdly, it gives you a space to ask questions and wrestle over ideas you find in scripture.
Who are some people you could read the bible with?
4. Try a new way of reading.
If you’ve been around church for a while, sometimes it is hard to see the beauty in the bible because the turns of phrase become second nature and can lose their meaning. If you have always read the bible, try listening to it read. If you’ve always read the same translation, try a new one. Doing the same thing in a new way can breathe fresh life.
What new way of reading scripture can you try?
5. Write one thing down.
Reading scripture and putting it into action can be two very different things. One way to go beyond just consuming more content is to write one thing down every day. Try writing a take-away on the Youversion comments section, in a journal, or in your notes app. You might be surprised by the difference this makes. The goal is not just to read another verse, it’s for your life to be transformed.