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Elyssa Nalani

Elyssa Nalani

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5 Ways to Engage with the Bible

August 31, 2022 · In: FAITH

So you know you should be getting into your Bible, yeah? But if the idea of that sounds boring or daunting, don’t worry because I have 5 different ways you can engage with your Bible today. Getting into the word of God doesn’t mean you do the same old thing every time you pick it up (although doing the same thing everyday can be a rich experience too!). You can mix and match activities to form your own rituals (which I’ll talk about in part 8) and daily practice. 

So whether you’re new to the Bible or you just need some motivation, here are 5 ways to engage with your Bible!

(this post contains affiliate links. see disclosure here)

1. Read it

I know, this may sound boring, but stay with me.

The Bible is just like most books we might have on our shelves in that it’s meant to be read. However, unlike many of the books we may have on our shelves, the thought of reading it can be daunting. I mean, it’s a big book! However, if you don’t already have a habit of just reading the Bible on a regular basis, you absolutely should!

Keep in mind, though, that you shouldn’t just read the familiar or easy parts, the parts that make sense, or the parts that make you feel good. The Bible is meant to be read in its entirety because all the different parts fit together to tell one story about God and His desire to redeem humanity.

If you want to learn more about how to read and understand the Bible, The Bible Project has a fantastic, easy to follow series on this – I HIGHLY recommend it!

If you have never read the Bible all the way through, I also highly encourage you to do so. Having a broad view of the story of scripture is crucial to understanding the depth of scripture. While I’ve read a lot of the Bible, I still haven’t completed it, so I’m currently working through a chronological plan on YouVersion for my adventure through the text in 2022. There are many different plans you can use for reading through the Bible! Here are a few resources you may consider for your own adventure –

  • Reading God’s Story – One Year Chronological Plan
  • One Year Bible Online
  • The Bible Project 1 Year Reading Plan
  • A Year in the Bible with the Daily Grace Co.

2. Study it

If reading the Bible gives us a broad view of Scripture, then study gives a deep view. My parents instilled in me the fact there is a difference between reading and studying. They’re both important but totally different activities. Study involves searching for meaning, asking questions, and learning how to correctly apply what you’ve read. If you’re looking for some good Bible studies to get you started in digging deep into the scripture, check out these resources:

  • Story of Redemption Bible Study Bundle
  • Attributes of God Bible Study
  • Preaching the Gospel to Yourself
  • Growing in Grace – Spiritual Disciplines Bible Study
  • Give Me Jesus Bible Study Journal

3. Memorize it

Psalm 119:11 that says –

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Memorizing scripture is an important way to engage with the Bible because it gives us a leg up when we face challenges and temptations in our lives. The best example of this is the story of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. You can find it in Matthew 4:1-11  Three times, Satan tries to get Jesus to obey him and every time, Jesus thwarts his scheme by quoting scripture. One of the greatest gifts that God gives us for victory in our lives is His Word and one of the strongest ways we can use that gift is by storing it up in our minds so that can use it when we need it!

Check out these links to help you start memorizing scripture – 

  • 50 Bible Verses Every Christian Should Memorize
  • 10 Bible Verses Every Christian Should Know By Heart
  • Scripture Memory Journal
  • DWELL SCRIPTURE MEMORY JOURNAL | GROWING IN GRACE
  • DWELL SCRIPTURE MEMORY JOURNAL | GOSPEL PASSAGES
  • DWELL SCRIPTURE MEMORY JOURNAL | PSALMS
  • DWELL SCRIPTURE MEMORY JOURNAL | WALKING BY FAITH
  • DWELL SCRIPTURE MEMORY JOURNAL | BELOVED BIBLE PASSAGES
4. Write it

Scripture writing is a great way to engage with the scriptures. There’s an actual scientific evidence that writing things down by hand, the old fashioned way, is linked to stronger neural encoding and memory retrieval. In other words, writing things down helps us to remember that information better! If you’re really trying to remember more of the Bible, one way to help that process is to write it down. 

CLUB 119, my Bible study community, used to be a scripture writing community and there are several monthly scripture writing plans you can use to get you started with this activity. You can check them all out here. They’re absolutely free and you can start them at any time!

One of my other favorite scripture writing resources are the Write the Word Journals from Cultivate What Matters. They are beautiful, easy to use journals that combine scripture writing with journaling and/or light study! You can check them out here. 

5. Pray through it

Praying scripture is simply taking a passage and using it to inform and shape our own prayers to God. This is an especially good thing to do when you’re not quite sure what to say or ask when you’re in a challenging season. 

Here are some resources to help you get started – 

  • How to Prayer the Scriptures: 4 Things to Get You Started
  • Praying Scriptures Back to God
  • How to Pray the Bible

What are some of your favorite ways to engage with the Bible? Can’t wait to read your comments!

By: Elyssa Nalani · In: FAITH · Tagged: bible, bible study, bible study project, reading, scripture writing

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My name is Elyssa! I’m a Jesus-loving planner babe & book girl and I inspire and equip women of faith to live well and stay focused on what matters most.

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We can all agree that the OT genealogies are great We can all agree that the OT genealogies are great reading matter for insomnia.

Then there are the purity laws.
And the land assignments.
And the censuses. 
You get it. 

It’s not a sin to say that parts of the Bible are boring, confusing, or hard to follow & understand. It just means you have Bible-reading muscles to stretch out and exercise. There are things you have to get used to and it can take time. But in the meantime, here’s one thing to keep in mind when in a less than exciting or inspiring passage of scripture - 

God cares about details. He’s not careless or haphazard. He’s interested in establishing track records because He knows the only way to make His case of love & justice is to offer evidence of His faithfulness in spite of the unfaithfulness of humanity. Nothing is an accident and even when humans don’t listen and jack stuff up, He never loses control over the situation. 

It’s okay if it’s boring for awhile. Stick with it until you see its beauty. It’s worth the effort!
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#humor #comedy #biblereading #biblestudy #thebible #bible #biblegram #theoldtestament #readyourbible #worthit #godisincontrol #reading
“What does this have to do with me?” “How d “What does this have to do with me?”

“How does this speak into what I’m going through today?”

“How does change my life?”

These aren’t bad questions, in fact, they’re good questions and we should ask them. We just shouldn’t ask them FIRST. If we’re primarily concerned with what the Bible has to do with US, we’re probably going to pass up the parts that legit will tell us nothing about life as modern humans (genealogies and law codes anyone?). Instead, we have to change our presuppositions - 

1. The Bible isn’t about me. The Bible is about God and His redemptive work in the world.
2. I need to let God’s story tell me about about Himself
3. Knowing who God is, what His intentions are for humans & how He operates in the world makes up the framework I need to understand myself, my value, & my purpose on this planet. 

Don’t get me wrong. the Bible will tell you a whole lot about yourself. But first let it tell you about God. Start looking for glimpses of Jesus & the Gospel. In some places He may be harder to spot than others but He’s there, His plan is there, His love is there. Always ❤️
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Reading the Bible early morning is a fantastic asp Reading the Bible early morning is a fantastic aspiration and I can’t wait to get there buuuuuuut it’s not required. If you wait for perfect, you’ll be waiting for the rest of your life. Just do it. Make the time and do it. Life is constantly changing and you’ll always have to make adjustments, navigate interruptions, and balance priorities. If this matters to you, you’ll make it happen. ❤️
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#bible #biblereading #biblereadingplan #livewellfaithfully #readyourbible #littlebylittle
There’s a lot in the Bible that troubles our mod There’s a lot in the Bible that troubles our modern sensibilities, world views, & feelings, etc.. But you would be foolish to judge an entire movie after only seeing one scene, a show after a plot twist in S3 E5, or a novel by one conversation toward the end of the book. We know not to do it with anything else but the Bible is judged by isolated verses & stories. It doesn’t work like that. While the Bible is holy, it works just like any other story - it should be read in its entirety. 

• Yes it’s hard
• Yes, it takes discipline
• Yes there may be a learning curve
• Yes there are some parts that are really boring at first

But it’s good and glorious and God’s gift to humanity. If you care at all about Jesus, take the time to read His story. Take the time to figure it out, to ask questions, to be frustrated, to not be good at it. All of those things are okay.  God can handle it all - I promise. Just show up. He’ll meet you there. 
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#bible #biblereading #biblereadingplan #livewellfaithfully #readyourbible #littlebylittle
• If you’ve fallen off your Bible-reading-in-a • If you’ve fallen off your Bible-reading-in-a-year plan, you can still pick it back up. 

• If you didn’t start on January 1st, you can still start now. 

• If you get bored easily, it’s okay, you can learn ways to stay focused. 

• If you don’t have time, make it. It really is that simple. Even if it’s just 15 minutes. 

• If you needed a reminder to get in the word today, here it is 😊
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#readyourbible #bible #biblereading #littlebylittle #livewellfaithfully #keepgoing
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