For a long time I didn’t read my Bible as much. I knew the core message and I thought the rest is just not that important. Lately I have been reading it regularly and spending more time. And the interesting thing is that the more I look into it, the more I find.

If you also struggle with reading the Bible, here are some things that helped me get into it.

In short

Write a list of topics on the last blank page of your Bible and give them a color. Whenever you read a verse that belongs to one of these topics, color it in the same color.

On one hand it makes reading the Bible more fun, because you have your eyes open to finding one of these topics. And on the other hand it helps to find the scriptures you’re looking for when you need them.

Choosing topics

When choosing topics, keep in mind that the best topics are the ones you might search for when you’re going through something and you’re looking to God and the Bible for help. Like when you have trouble in a relationship, or when you feel depressed, or insecure.
That way, you can just flip through the pages looking for a certain color and find what you need :)

Tools

I use colored pencils because they don’t press too much into the next page. Choose high quality colored pencils for the best results. The cheap ones will barely give off color and scratch the page.

The book of Psalms is a good way to start.

Here is the list of categories I use

• Living a Godly life / The Good Fight of Faith
  These are all the practical things one should do in daily life as a follower of Christ (This color I use a lot.)
• Encouragement in Trouble / Fear / Sickness / Pain
  What I was talking about in the video. I use this color a lot as well. Scriptures on how God is always with us, that we should not fear etc.
• Prayer
  Either the scripture is a prayer or teaches about praying
• Who God is / God’s Character
  God often says “I am .. or I do ..” Very beautiful to give them a color and be reminded of who God really is instead of relying on the image you made in your head
• Who God says I am / The New Me
  You have an old life and a new life. These are the scriptures about who I am with Christ.
• Worship
  All the scriptures that praise God.
• What Not To Do
  I use the color black for this one. Because these are all the scriptures on ‘the wicked’ and tell me what not to do.
• Trust & Faith
• Grace
• Love, Relationships & Forgiveness
• Joy, Peace & Hope

In short

Before you start to read the Bible ask God to open you eyes to what He has to say. And then trust that He will. Don’t stop until you know what it is.

My perspective

I know this one might be a bit more challenging. But it really helps to really keep looking and searching and to be open to what God has to say. Because He is always speaking. Always.

And it’s so good to learn to hear Him more and more. It’s amazing how much you can grow spiritually by doing this.

What to expect

It doesn’t mean that there’s always something groundbreaking that God speaks to you. Usually He will show you something that you can practically work on in your life. Too often we read the Bible and walk away without taking anything out of it – let’s stop that.

Start easy

If this sounds a bit too difficult, then ask yourself before you end your Bible study: What out of what I just read can I take with me into the rest of the day? It will make a big difference.

The app I use

I’ve been using the free Blue Letter Bible app (Android/Apple) to do this. You can find the scripture there, look into the root words and you can see in what other scriptures that word is used. There are also many Bible commentaries available in the app.

Prepare

Take a little time to get to know the app. Look into what all the options are, so that you know how to use it during a Bible study.

Be curious

This app really makes it much more exciting to read the Bible because it feels like doing a treasure hunt.