When Reading The Bible Becomes A Chore

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6, ESV.

There was a time I read the Bible more of a task to check off rather than reading it with a sincere heart.

I wanted to be a Christ follower and show my christianity but instead of me allowing it to change me from the inside out, I was trying to work the opposite, outward in. And let me tell you sis’, this never works.

Maybe you came across a time where you felt you needed to read the Bible because, well, it was written down on your planner and the checkbox is empty.

Maybe you found yourself attending to your bible, with an attitude of, “I better read this so I can hurry and get my day started.” Or “I have too much to do I don’t have time to read, but I guess I better pull out my bible.”

Maybe you struggle with this to sister. Please know, there is no condemnation in this post. I went through this for a season and it is the very reason I felt led to share with you, so you can know, you are not alone.

I have struggled opening my bible. I struggled finding the authenticity and the attitude of wanting to love the word. I’d fall asleep. I’d get bored. I’d get lost from other distractions. I’d catch my mind wandering off thinking about other things not really letting what I read sink deep into my soul, my heart, my mind.

Here are a few tips for
When Reading The Bible Feels Like A Chore

1. Repent. “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,” Acts 3:19, ESV.
We must repent for having an attitude of not wanting to read His Word. His Word is our daily bread, our nourishment, our soul filling that gets our cups filled. Let’s say for example you are a big breakfast eater, but you skip it today because you are in a rush to get to work or school or elsewhere. Later you find yourself starving, you find yourself thirsty, you find yourself craving any kind of food that will just help your stomach stop growling so loud while you are in the conference room. Imagine if you were to have eaten before heading out the door? You’d be filled, ready to go. This is how our reading is, when we read the bible. We must not walk out our door empty handed, empty in our minds and hearts. We must get filled first before we can have gas for the whole day.
2. Ask Him to be your first love again. “You shall have no other Gods before me.” Exodus 20:3.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind.” Matthew 22:37.
He needs to be first one in your life. If he isn’t, you will go and find things to seek other than seeking him.
3. Remove all distractions. Whether its your phone, TV, mail scattered around, whatever it is you find your mind wandering off in, remove it.
4. Find a place you feel comfortable being in. Some enjoy their bed with a lap table helping them hold their bible and pens. It could be a side chair that is your favorite. Maybe even your couch or dining table. Find a space that is quiet and comfortable.
5. Pray before you open the Bible. “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105.
We can’t understand what we read without God’s wisdom and knowledge. We must ask Him to come in our hearts and minds, clear any thought patterns that seem to route its way in and help us understand what it is we are about to read.
6. Find what works for your schedule. If waking up at 5am is not your thang, sister I hear you! Ask Him to reveal a time, for you and him, to meet and how it looks. He is more than willing to show you.
7. Get Delighted! “but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Psalm 1:2-3, ESV.
Delighting yourself in the law (the Word), not only is a blessing for our lives, but it directs our lives and we begin to see the fruit bear in its time.

Friend, this isn’t about having the perfect Pinterest, watercoloring, artistic look kind of time. This is about seeking our true love and meeting him in the midst of our day, morning, and night.

Look to Jesus as your personal friend and savior rather than reading the word taking it as a chore. After all, it isn’t a chore, but rather a weapon that is used against the enemy. A weapon that forms and shapes our very own life.

  • What can you do today, to remake your area to fit your meeting with Jesus?
  • Is there something he is asking you to remove of so you can have more of Him?
  • What distracts you during your time with him?
  • How can you stay encouraged today sister?

Let’s be sisters who looks for Jesus first, reading His Word that replenishes our soul, fills our cup up, gives us the spiritual energy we need and the refreshment He loves to give.

For more on how to cultivate a quiet time in the Word, click here to be taken to the resource.