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How to Read the Bible for Beginners
Christian Resources

How to Read the Bible for Beginners

January 19, 2023

The Bible is made up of 66 books, with 39 in The Old Testament, and 27 in The New Testament. The Bible is the most read book of all time, so if your goal for the new year is to read and understand the Bible, then that’s an amazing thing to strive for. But, it can feel overwhelming when you’re first starting out. Check out these tips for how to read the Bible for beginners, so you can get started on your spiritual journey today.

How to Read and Understand the Bible for Beginners


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Even though I’ve been a Christian for as long as I can remember, reading the Bible is still something that.. if I let it, overwhelms me just a little bit.

There are so many messages and opportunities to learn, that I’m afraid I’ll miss an important theme. Also, it’s complicated.

There are a lot of hard-to-pronounce names, and sometimes, the stories can feel a little boring (Lord, please forgive me). Anyone who has made it through the Book of Numbers may understand this feeling.

But that shouldn’t be a reason to hold back from studying the word on a daily basis. In fact, I’ve made it my personal goal this year that I will read the Bible in a year. Even if it’s difficult to understand, and even if I can’t pronounce all the names, or my eyes go a little cross-eyed when reading through descendants lists.

So whether you want to read the entire Bible in a year, or you just want to start slowly immersing yourself more in the word, this is a great starting point for learning how to read the Bible.

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how to read and understand the bible for beginners

Pray About It

Just like in anything you do, starting with prayer should be step number one. Ask God to help you understand His message, and ask for it to further develop your relationship with Christ.

You can pray that God will help you understand, help you stay focused, and even help you know where to begin.

Spending time with God daily is the ultimate goal, and what better way to do that than by talking to God and reading His word?

Select an Easy to Read Bible Translation

The more difficult something is to do, or to understand, the harder it’s going to be for us to stick to it. By selecting a Bible translation that’s easy to understand, you can help eliminate this problem from the start.

While the King James Version (KJV) is one of the most widely recognized and earliest translations, it’s often the most difficult to understand. Why? Because it’s the translation that stemmed from the original works in Greek and Hebrew.

Today, we have a wide variety of various translations.

Some of my favorites for beginners include the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), New International Version (NIV), English Standard Version (ESV), and New Living Translation (NLT).

Start with a Bible Study

Some people may choose to begin their Bible reading journey at the beginning… with Genesis. Others may choose to start with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

If you’re feeling lost and don’t know which book to begin with, consider pairing your reading plan with a Bible study. This can be booked focused (like our free James Bible Study), or by choosing a topic that will include various books and scriptures (like studies on anxiety, prayer, gratitude, etc).

The Daily Grace Co. is a great resource for inexpensive (and beautiful) Bible Studies to help get you started.

Take Notes

Keep a notebook next to you and keep notes on what you’re reading and learning. This can include scriptures you want to remember, questions you have about what you’re reading, points you want to remember or revisit, or even prayers.

There’s no right or wrong way to keep a prayer journal or Bible study notebook. I personally use this Ask, Seek, Knock journal for my Bible studying.

Read the Bible Daily

Get into the habit of making reading the Bible part of your daily routine. Even if you can only set aside a few minutes each day, dedicate that time to prayer, and focusing on your reading plan.

The more often you do something, the quicker it will become one of your habits. So committing to even just a few minutes daily can have a big impact on your reading plan long-term.

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Natasha Funderburk

Natasha Funderburk is a wife, #boymom, NASM-CPT, Nutrition Coach, Behavior Change Specialist, and freelance writer. Her articles have been featured on sites such as Her View From Home, The Huffington Post, and The Today Show Parenting Team. Fueled by Jesus, coffee, and carbs, Natasha spends most of her time watching her son play baseball, writing her feelings, and searching for snacks.

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  • Sandy
    January 19, 2023

    What a great reminder for all of us! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

Grab your coffee and stay awhile

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  1. Sandy on How to Read the Bible for BeginnersJanuary 19, 2023

    What a great reminder for all of us! Thank you for sharing.

  2. Michelle on Love Never EndsJanuary 17, 2023

    Just beautiful!

  3. Sherry on Love Never EndsJanuary 17, 2023

    Beautiful Sweet love is Thanks for that Sandy

  4. Rick Schuman on The Prayer Room: Surrendering to God Through Every SeasonJanuary 1, 2023

    Well said. Trials do have a way of filtering out things so truth will allow us to move along.

  5. Joe Cann on The Prayer Room: Surrendering to God Through Every SeasonDecember 30, 2022

    Beautifully written you are much like your mother I didn’t know your dad but I’m sure you’re like him as…

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Perspective 🙌🏻🙏🏻 @shejourneyswithhim Perspective 🙌🏻🙏🏻

@shejourneyswithhim
Seventy times seven. It’s not always easy.. but Seventy times seven. It’s not always easy.. but it’s essential. Walking around with anger and resentment will only hurt you. Forgive.. always. Love.. always. Even when it’s tough to do. 

@alexandravhoover
@allyyarid dropping some much needed truth 💣 Ar @allyyarid dropping some much needed truth 💣 Are you guilty of falling into an online persona that doesn’t reflect the person you want to be? 

Pray about your social media habits. The accounts you follow, the conversations you participate in, and who/what you allow to influence you. 

If the online version of you isn’t someone God would be proud of.. it’s time to make some changes.
Yes! 🙏🏻 Yes! 🙏🏻
“It’s nice to have inner peace when all is wel “It’s nice to have inner peace when all is well with the world; we feel in control, and our homes are neat and clutter-free.

But if our peace is based on external calm, we will quickly lose our inner peace when the unexpected happens. (Yes, even as simple as spilt milk – I was there, just the other day.)

But if our source of peace is internal; indeed, if Christ is in us if we are Christians, then, like Christ, we can be undisturbed by the storms. Rage as they may.”

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