A Little R & R

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Where to Start Reading in the Bible

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Have you ever opened your Bible and didn’t know where to start?

The Bible has thousands of pages….

66 books….

and the eternal question with new believers is “Where do I start reading the Bible?”

This is so practical. This list of places to start reading the Bible really helped me to get started again!

Actually, many seasoned believers ask the same question. After finishing one book, they often wonder where to move to next.

Many long-time Christians have gone through a season of not reading their Bible, or not reading consistently, and find it hard to know where to start reading again.

Perhaps you’re a Good Morning Girls partner and you’re stumped about where to read, since starting tomorrow we’ll be taking a long break until after the New Year.

Here are a few suggestions I have for Christians who are wondering where they should start reading their Bible.

(By the way, this is my very favorite Bible…the one I have sitting next to me right now!!)

Where to Start Reading the Bible

1. Psalms – I love the Psalms. In fact, there are seasons when I just read the Psalms, especially when I am going through a difficult season in life. Reading about David’s battles, and how he was able to praise God and worship through his many trials is such an encouragement to me and it gives me the strength to do the same. Besides, as I read the Psalms, I often run into lyrics of my favorite worship songs. I like to draw a music note next to those verses.

2. Proverbs – Did you know that there are 31 Proverbs – one for every day of the month? You can, and should read through the Proverbs every month. There is a saying, “A Proverb a day keeps the devil away”. In my post How To Study the Book of Proverbs, I show you my unique Bible study method for breaking down each Proverb into life-applicable nuggets of wisdom.

3. Luke – The book of Luke is one of the most descriptive accounts of Jesus’ life. I like to think it’s because he was a doctor and gave importance to every single detail. If you want to really get to know Jesus, read the book of Luke. Then, when you’re done, flip over two books and read the sequel that he wrote: Acts of the Apostles.

4. John – If you want to understand the depths of the love and sacrifice of Jesus, read the book of John. John really brings out the salvation of Jesus Christ. We see this in the most popular verse of the whole Bible – John 3:16. While not written chronologically like the book of Luke, you can see the careful and purposeful nature in which the book of John was written to bring out the salvation Jesus brought to the world.

5. Ephesians – Are you battling your past? Does guilt and condemnation plague you? Do you often feel like on of God’s “stepchildren”? Read the book of Ephesians. In this letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul packs each chapter with reminders of who we are in Christ, our rights we possess as His children, and the authority He grants to us, through His Spirit.

6. Philippians – If you’ve lost your joy, flip over to Philippians. Read it, study it, meditate on it, and let each verse sink deep down into your spirit.

These are some of my favorite books of the Bible.

Here is one of my favorite Bible study tools!

Here are some suggestions for reading the Bible if you’re just starting out.

Don’t start at Genesis and just read through from cover to cover, unless you’re a seasoned Christian who has been consistently reading the Bible for a while. What happens to many Christians who take this approach to Bible reading is they get bogged down in Leviticus and Numbers and out of discouragement, they quit.

Read a whole book. By reading entire books of the Bible, as opposed to picking out verses here and there, you get a feel for the whole context. Sometimes you’ll be surprised by how a familiar verse takes on a whole new meaning in the context of the whole story or whole thought.

Read until 3 things stand out. In my post, How To Read the Bible {and get the most out of it}, I share about why it is important to read only until 3 things stand out before moving on. Write them down and meditate on them throughout the day.

Keep a journal. Grab a simple spiral-bound notebook and start jotting down your thoughts from what you’ve read. Each day, write down a sentence or two about how the passage you’ve read applies to your life and then write out a simple prayer.

If you follow these 4 tips in reading one of the 6 books of the Bible I listed above, you’ll soon find yourself looking forward to your quiet time each and every morning.

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Comments

  2. Jacquelyn Schlageter says

    I have always started at Genesis but I am a bit different as I am a Messianic Jew. A Long time ago I divided the chapters in the Bible by 365 and i read that many chapters each day. Of course when there are really short chapters I will take more than a day’s number of chapters and usually end up in November or December with the Bible finished so I will start over and divide the books by the number of days left and read that many books until the end of December.
    Like I said I a bit different and the second reason for that was I had my Zeide who had been a Rabbinic student until he met my Bubbe, (who was not Jewish and he refused to force her to become Jewish), and could not graduate and he took his textbooks for 18 months and taught me from them. At the 9th month my Bubbie died and after 18 month his health started to go down. After 12 months without the Love of his life he died and and went to be with her and their Messiah.

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  3. Dominique says

    I think the very best place to start is John, the book right after Luke, reason being is because it is the starting point on being saved and a reborn Christian. My husband and I are actually reading through John, he finally decided to give his whole life to God and asked to be saved 2 weeks ago!

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  6. Lori says

    Loved this! It is very helpful as sometimes I get overwhelmed with trying to figure out where to start first. This is very similar to what my pastor preached on a few weeks ago. Thank you!

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  7. Wendy says

    This is great to pass onto new Christians as well as everyone! I do think Romans is another really good book since it shows we cannot save ourselves through works. I look forward to looking more thoroughly through your website. God Bless You!

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  9. Samantha Vinyard says

    I really needed this post. This was the first thing I clicked on and it hit right to my core. Simple, and straight forward. I have two very active, strong-willed boys whom I homeschool and I just get bogged down with momin’ at times. Now I want to explore the rest of your blog for more nuggets of wisdom and practical practices. Thanks for being you and pursuing the desire of your heart to love and encourage people like me. Muah!
    PS I’m also a PNW native!

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  10. Amar says

    Hi Rosilind. Can u share with me the list to read the rest of the bible beside the six books u have listed. I am having problem where to start & end. I am a new believer and pls also pray for me that i will have better understanding & wisdom by reading the word God. Tqvm & God Bless

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