3 Reasons to Read Your Bible
Want to break a habit? Maybe you’d like to change your negative thought life? Need peace and clarity in your day? What about confidence in yourself to know and fulfill the reason you even exist? The challenge seems complicated and layered, but when you read your Bible daily, the revelation, truth, wisdom, and discernment you receive will bring healing to all the different layers that make us unique.
Since we’re made of body, soul, and spirit, I like to think of it like this: The body is the battleground where the soul and the spirit go to war. And the prize? Your heart!
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit gives us direct access to various revelations, promises, healing, and so much more. He fully equips us to be an overcomer in all areas of our lives as we bring the desires of our souls into alignment with our spirits. Yet many times we leave the most effective tool in the drawer, on the bedside table untouched, or in the car to make sure we have it for Sunday morning.
We will never know how extensive the power of His indwelling is until we make the Word of God a necessary tool for everyday living.
As believers, we get the beauty of experiencing heaven right here on earth. Our souls have been awakened by the Holy Spirit, and we can immediately know the heart of God for us.
We don’t have to wait to draw our last breath and then cash in on our inheritance. This life isn’t heaven, but we can get a taste of it as we learn to trust God and let Him lead the way. So, here are three reasons why we should read the Bible:
- Releases Revelation: The Word says that the truth will set you free. As believers we have direct access to God because of what Christ did on the cross. The Word gives us a deep understanding of the promises God has given us, the tools we need to use in order to take down evil, how to abide in His presence and receive His peace, etc. God’s Word helps us understand Heaven’s value system and what it means to be a daughter and a co-heir with Christ. Reading God’s Word will provide continual renewing of our minds to excel in every area of our lives.
- Strengthens Identity: Identity is everything. It determines your choices, your thought life, your success or failure, your spouse, your job, etc. The Bible gives us example after example of God’s character and nature. The more you learn about who God is, the more you understand who you are because you are made in His image. Your spirit (wo)man is how you look just like your Heavenly Daddy. The more your spirit identifies with your Father’s Spirit, the more you walk and talk like Him, and nothing will hold you back. You’re full of the goodness of God and ready to walk into every situation with courage and wisdom.
- Live by the Spirit: As mentioned above, in this life the battle within is between your spirit and your soul, and your heart is the prize. God’s Word feeds your spirit, and you gain wisdom and understanding that helps you walk through every day with clarity and purpose. When Jesus overwhelmed the grave with His love and rose victorious, He was giving us an example of what happens when we allow Him to overwhelm us with His love. Our soul and all that the flesh desires die off, and we progressively become more and more like our Heavenly Father.
This life can be difficult and confusing, but God’s Word gives us clarity and in that we find His peace. We come to understand that the burden of life falls on His shoulders and that He’s capable of carrying that weight. We need only to learn how to trust Him and stay in a continual posture of leaning in to Him. Discovering who He is for us is the single most powerful thing we could ever do while on this side of eternity.
If you’ve read Scripture for years and sing all the worship songs, but you’re still missing the personal connection with God, you may be stuck in religion versus a personal relationship. And remember, religion killed Jesus.
Dig into God’s Word on a daily basis, and you will be amazed by the shifting in your spirit and how you begin to look at life through the lens of God’s heart for you. Knowing God’s Word gives us a framework with which to question God, to lean in and listen for Him to answer, to transform our thought lives and dissolve our negative talk. To be an overcomer in every situation we experience.
Ask, seek, and find because the Holy Spirit reveals the deep things of God to us. The Word is powerful because it is God-breathed. The Word and the Holy Spirit—two of the most powerful tools you have to connect with God and discover all He has for your spirit to know, experience, and enjoy. Here. Now.
Live Loved and Thrive!
Found this website (I do not know the woman personally nor do I receive any referral fees) that is a great resource for busy Christian women. She cuts through the fluff and equips you in a simple way to read your bible. Scroll down about 1/3 of her page and you’ll see the article (How to Read the Bible). Her book looks good too but I have not read it: https://equippinggodlywomen.com/faith/how-to-read-the-bible/
Self-reflection
These questions are in no way a substitute for healthcare professionals or any level of professional counseling. I’m an advocate for taking care of oneself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. These questions reflect my heart, NOT my profession.
This questionnaire is an opportunity to journal your thoughts and feelings. It can serve as a launching pad on which to evaluate your heart condition as you understand it. My hope is that you will take the truths you discover about yourself and hold them up to the Light to evaluate them against who God says you are.
- How often do you read the Word?
- If not daily, what is stopping you? Take time to talk with God about the reason.
- Have you experienced the power of the Word in your life? Write out an example.
- How does God speak to you or reveal Himself to you?
- What is a revelation the Word gave you?
- What are some of the tools or practices you use to study God’s Word?
- How do you go deeper in the Word?
- How did that revelation set you free or add value to your life?
Take Action
Use God’s Word to take control over the traumas in your life. Whenever you feel terrorized by your thoughts take them captive by replacing them with the truth of God’s promises in His Word.
Here is a scripture for you to print, cut and carry with you and/or post in places where you will see it often. Ground yourself in God’s truths not Satan’s attacks. Encourage your heart and mind every time you are reminded of His great love for YOU!
Here is what God’s Word says about His unfailing, relentless, unending love for you:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 1 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)
Translation: Everything about God’s Word is beneficial to us today. It opens up a dialog between you and God and creates opportunities for you to experience Him. It will help you discover the beauty of His promises and to know His heart of love for you.
