Tips To Help You Focus On Your Bible Reading

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Whenever I sit down to read my Bible, I have the best of intentions. I open up to my prescribed Bible reading passage and take in the words before me….for a few minutes. Then, as I let my eyes continue to scan the page, my mind decides to wonder along to other topics. Topics like how much laundry do I need to finish today, where did I leave my lesson planner yesterday, what do I need to thaw for supper tonight, that meme I saw yesterday was funny, and even thoughts about the TV show I am currently wanting to binge watch.

Suddenly, I realize I have zero focus on the Bible reading that my eyes are still doing. In fact, if pressed, I would not even be able to tell you what I had read about for the last several minutes. Then I get embarrassed and frustrated with myself which usually leads to me giving up Bible reading altogether for a few days. You know, until I focus better.

My brain constantly feels like it is going in a thousand different directions which poses a problem, especially in the area of studying my Bible. Please say you have experienced this too. Reassure me that I am not alone in wondering how a person can focus on your Bible reading when there are so much on your mind.

The answer is, you can’t focus on your Bible reading. I can’t either. In fact the term “Bible study” implies focus and concentration. It suggests that we are mentally blocking out other areas to zoom in on one specific area. No wonder we find ourselves facing time of frustration when it comes to the study of God’s Word.

If you are like me and find that when you sit down to study your Bible, your brain suddenly takes a vacation to everywhere else, then hopefully these tips will help you focus on your Bible reading.

 

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Tips To Help You Focus On Your Bible Reading

I willingly admit that I am still a work in progress myself. These are the tips that have worked the best to help me build up the skill of focusing on God’s Word during my Bible study time. My hope is that you can find some help from these ideas as well!

Put Away Electronics

Let’s just start with the single most obvious issue we all face. Electronics. We are connected all day long in some fashion or another. Between our phone, laptop, iPad, iPod, and the TV, it is possibly to live life without every being disconnected from electronics. 

Electronics can be great tools to aid in Bible study…at times. From time to time, I still do use my phone to access an online Bible when we travel for the day. Other times, I enjoy playing audio Bibles while I fold laundry as it keeps my mind dwelling on Scripture. But I am slowly learning to not rely on electronics for my Bible study time. When we are surrounded by so many options of things to click through and check, it makes focusing on our Bible reading a huge task.

So for now, tuck your phone and other gadgets away. Turn off the television or move to another room where you can’t hear it at least. Pick up your Bible. Feel the pages in your hands. Write in the margins. Take notes. Highlight key passages. Follow a plan that works for you to read through and deeply study the Bible itself. Take a break from being constantly connected to your devices. It will take some getting used to but you will find your mind so much more focused as you study Scriptures!

 

Pray Before You Begin

Before you attempt any of these other tips to help you focus on your Bible reading, stop and pray. Seek help from the One who made your mind. He wants to help you hear His word. 

Spend a few moments in prayer surrendering your mind, your thoughts, and your time to God. Ask Him to help you know Him through the pages of His Word. Remember that Bible study is not all about us. It is all about God. God wants us to learn from Him and about Him. We can’t know God better if we are only worried about our own takeaway points from a daily Bible passage.

Pray that you will learn more about God through this time so you can be closer to Him. Then, if there are practical points from the Bible reading that you need to apply, pray that your heart will be willing to make those changes too.

 

Write It Out

Did you know that people have different learning styles? Some people really need to see and recreate something to help them learn it. I am one of those people. If I write a grocery list and leave it at home, I will still remember what I wrote on that list. If I don’t write a list, I am lost. Period. I need the act of writing and seeing it visually in front of me to remember. Perhaps you are that way too. 

If you are, then let me recommend writing out the Bible. Grab a clean spiral bound notebook. I like to stock up on cheap ones around the beginning of school each year but you can use whatever kind of notebook strikes your fancy. Pick a (shorter) book of the Bible and write out a verse or two each day. 

After you have written out the verses for that day. Then read and re-read them. Write down your observations on the passage. Something that God has revealed about Himself through these verses. A practical application it would have for your life. Finally, close with a prayer that you will continue to focus and remember this reading throughout the day.

In fact, you could consider writing a few sentences at the end of your day sharing how God used those verses to grow you in your relationship with Him that day.

 

Read Out Loud

For the auditory learners out there, consider reading your Bible out loud. This one has actually become one of my favorite Bible focus tips of this year. Before I even climb out of bed, I sit up and read my daily Bible reading with my kids out loud. They get to hear the Bible being read which helps their little minds and gives them a quick intro. I get to notice lots of new things.

Consider slowing yourself down and speaking the words as you think about the words. Read and re-read and let your mind hear the Scriptures rather than just see them.

Talk About It

Hearing the Bible reading out loud can help but sometimes we have to take that a step further. Consider asking your spouse, your child, or Bible study girl friend to read the same verses each day too. You can keep each other accountable to reading the Bible each day plus it will help you focus on your Bible reading knowing that you will talk about it more later.

Think of questions you have about the passage and ask each other. Take time to learn answers and talk about those answers. Your Bible reading time can then be an added time of Christian fellowship with another believer either in your family or from your church.

Teach It After You Read It

If you have young kids, this step could be easy. They tend to usually stand nearby and ask you what you are doing non-stop anyway. Once you have read your daily Bible passage, use it as a teaching passage for your family. Hold a devotional time after supper and teach about what you read that morning. You will focus and study much harder knowing that you will be sharing it with others later!

If you don’t have kids or want to try another avenue of teaching in addition to teaching your family, consider turning to your social media accounts now. Write an Instagram post about what you read. Offer encouragement and Biblical teaching to your friends. It will help you share your faith more boldly and it could serve to build up other Christians around the world.

 

Pick Your Peak Focus Time

Everyone has a peak time of day. We also have a crash point in our day. My Grandma Sharon used to share that her most productive time of day was after 9:00 at night. She would be energized and ready to do everything. Her mind was focused and she was able to do her best work. My Grandpa Keith, however, had a different peak time. His peak time was about 4:30 in the morning. They both told stories of how they learned to work with their extremely different peak schedules. 🙂

Decide when you peak time of day is. Normally this might be the time when you rush to get all your day’s work done. Set aside a little of your peak time for Bible study.  You will be able to focus on your Bible reading so much better when you are physically at your best point in the day. 

Pinpoint when you are most alert and set aside some of that time to focus on Scriptures.

 

Start Easier

Don’t pick Leviticus or Isaiah to start your Bible study reading habit. We don’t start our kids out by reading them Shakespeare in the crib. Rather, we give them colorful picture books with delightful tales that will teach them the wonders of reading. Then we move them along to other more challenging reads.

Don’t let hard books of the Bible derail your focus on Bible reading. Start in easier and shorter books of the Bible while you build good habits like focusing on your Bible reading. Once you have good habits built, then you can stretch yourself to dive into the more challenging passages of Scripture.

Watch A Video Beforehand

Okay, I know this seems like a contradiction to my first rule…please hear me out. 🙂 Before you tuck away your devices, take a few minutes and watch a video.

The Bible Project has done a great job of giving you a quick over view to help you understand the big picture of each book of the Bible. My husband found these videos when he first started reading through the Bible and they have helped us both so much!

Check out these videos and see if they help you understand your Bible reading better.

Invite Interruptions From Your Family

If you are a mom like me, you will most likely never find a distraction free time to read. When my kids pop in on me while I am reading, I just keep going. It certainly doesn’t hurt for them to see us studying the Bible. 

Let them join you rather than distract you.

 

Final Thoughts

We live in a world where it is easy to become distracted from Bible study. If we take some practical steps to eliminate certain distractions, it can help us to focus on the Bible and understand it better.

Your Turn

What have you found to be hardest part when it comes to focusing on your Bible reading?

If you have any tips that have helped you, be sure to share them below in the comments!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

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