As an apostolic leader in the church, one thing that really bothers me about too many Christians – at least the part of the church that I know – is that it seems there is such a low value for reading the Bible and making regular study a priority. Now, of course, no one says they don’t value the Bible. Yet in practice, a majority of professing Christians do not read it daily, and many do not read it at all. Something has to change. In a previous post, I have shared a simple method for Bible study. Today, I want to present another idea to you, to help you grow in the word. I want to show you how to keep a scripture journal to keep a record of your Bible reading over time.

In this first of two posts, I am simply going to talk about the logistics of disciplining yourself in Bible study and prayer, and then in part two, I will show you how to format your scripture journal.

Getting a Journal.

Although needing a journal is obvious to this post, the type of journal you will use is something to consider. Are you the type of person who is fine with a plain spiral notebook? Great! Maybe you are a bit more trendy and would be more comfortable with a nice leather, or decorative journal. Or maybe a classic style is better and you would prefer a moleskin for this purpose. Obviously you have almost infinite possibilities to choose from, but the journal itself needs to be something you are comfortable with.

If you are more high tech, you may just keep a file on your computer to act as your journal, or even utilize an online journaling system like Day One (no affiliation). If you do go online, though, I wouldn’t make it a public one. Your time with God needs to be personal, and you might not be willing to put everything in there if you don’t control who will see it.

Getting a Bible Reading Plan.

Before you mind runs to a “through the bible in a year” program, let me say that it doesn’t have to be so formal. It might be. However, for beginners, sometimes simpler is better.

Although it doesn’t matter which plan you use, the point is, you do need a plan. You may plan to read through one book of the Bible at a time. I think that is a great idea. In fact, for new believers I disciple, I recommend beginning with the Gospel of John, then the book of Acts. The shorter epistles, such as Philippians, Galatians, and Ephesians are awesome to get you started, too! (I wouldn’t recommend Leviticus or Revelation until you are firmly in the habit of Bible study, but that’s just me.)

Another option is to find a simple reading plan online, or in the appendix of you Bible. Those are great, too! Websites like ESVOnline and BibleGateway are full or free reading plans. It is up to you, but do have a plan. Otherwise, you end up flipping through pages of the Bible reading random passages, and will usually end up getting nowhere.

My usual plan is simply to select a book and read 1-3 chapters each morning, depending on the day. This has worked for me for a long while, and I continue to get new insights every day. Right now, however, I have been reading using the “Read Scripture” app concurrently with my 9 year old daughter. It can be used to go through the Bible in a year, and has great embedded videos to teach you the themes of each book and passage.

Whatever your plan is, make sure it is attainable. Don’t over do yourself. That will lead to discouragement and giving up. This needs to be a time to relax and commune with God. Not a time to stress because it is too much to handle.

Scheduling a Time.

Before you can say it, let me say it for you. You are way too busy today to spend time reading the Bible and praying. (BTW, if you haven’t already, check out my blog series on dealing with busyness: part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.)

The fact is, we are all busy. But busyness is not an excuse to not spend time with God. In fact, just the opposite is true. The busier you are, the more time you need to spend with God if you want to maintain spiritual sanity. 

What I cannot tell you is when, in your busy schedule, you should put this. In reality, it may mean waking up a half hour earlier, or going to bed an hour later. It may mean spending your lunch break at work alone in silence with the Lord, instead of mingling with co-workers. The truth is, though, we all find time to surf the web, tweet to our friends, and check our facebook feed. I mean, you have found the time to read this, right now. If it is something we want to do, we will find the time to do it.

When I was single and didn’t have kids, and worked a second job, my best Bible time was right before bed. I would spend the mornings being very task-oriented for ministry before going to work until 9pm. The easiest thing for me was to get home from work. Watch a little T.V. or something to wind down, take a hot shower, then grab my Bible and journal and climb into bed for some relaxed time with the Lord.

Now that I am married and have children, that is impossible. My evenings are even more hectic than my days. Instead, I discipline myself to wake up every morning before my kids do, make my coffee, and get into my quiet place with the Lord.

My reading usually takes about 20 minutes, including looking up a few key words or something in a study tool, then I will spend another 20-30 minutes in prayer to ask the Holy Spirit to apply the truth of what I’m reading, and to guide me through the day. 

Finding a Place.

The last question I will offer in this post is, “Where?” Again, this is a question I cannot answer for you. It looks different for everyone.

When I was a single guy, with no kids of my own to deal with, I could shut myself in my room and not have to worry about other people distracting me. I would never have dreamed of meeting with God in an office at a desk.

Now, I have a wife and three kids, netflix and pets. I am glad to have an office and a desk! It is where I can go, and shut the door, and meet with the Lord privately. At times, though, my office is as big of a distraction as my kids. Especially when there are piles of work waiting for me. Fortunately, my house also has a great balcony, overlooking Mount Wanale in Uganda. If the weather is nice, I can take my bible and coffee there and enjoy a sunrise with the Lord, in the sounds of nature.

My point is, you need to find a place that you can be alone with the Lord, and free from distraction. Now, this may be a quiet room at home, or it may be at your local coffee shop with the headphones in. No matter where it is, though, it needs to be a place you can train your mind to know that, “this is where I go to meet with God.”

Think about it. When you walk into the office, you mind knows it’s time to work. When you walk into the kitchen, you mind knows it’s time to cook and/or eat. We train our minds spatially. This needs to be a space that your mind will know that it is time to meet with God. For you, a bedroom may be a great place for intimacy with the Lord. It may also be a place your mind is trained to only go to for sleep. That would make it the worst option for you. You may need to try a few different places to find a good fit, but just like scheduling this in, finding a place to do it will help discipline yourself to do this.

So get a journal. Ask the Lord “what” you should read. Decide “when” and “where,” and then check out part 2, where I will give you the practical side of keeping a scripture journal.

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(This post was originally published January 21, 2010. It has been revised and edited for reposting.)

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash