Habit #3: Engage the Bible

Out of all the habits you can develop, engaging the Bible is perhaps the most important. Donald Whitney, a leading teacher on spiritual disciples, writes, “No spiritual discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word. Nothing can substitute for it. There simply is no healthy Christian life apart from a diet of the milk and meat of Scripture.”

We want to provide you with some resources to help.

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Big Idea
Engage the Bible by reading or listening to Scripture daily. Engaging the Bible is essential to the Christian life.

Choose Your Actions

Choose one or more of the following:

Choose a format that works for you: paper, electronic, or audio.
Investigate Bible reading plans, and choose one that interests you and fits your schedule.
Find friends who want to read the Bible regularly, and form a group for discussion and mutual support.

Suggested Resources

Bibles

Paper Bibles

Here are a few of my favorite Study Bibles:

Another option is a Reader’s Bible. A Reader’s Bible allow you to read the Bible without verse numbers, section headings, and translation footnotes, more like a regular book. For instance, check out the ESV Reader’s Bible.

If you like to write in your Bibles, then a journaling Bible is a great option. I also like the ESV Scripture Journals. They provide separate volumes for each book of the Bible, with lightly lined blank pages next to each page of Bible text.

Electronic Bibles

YouVersion is one of the most-used Bible apps.
The ESV Bible App offers Bible text, audio, and optional study Bibles.
The Bible in One Year offers an app (IOS and Android) and website.

Audio Bibles

I love the Dwell app. There’s a subscription fee, but it’s worth it.
Another interesting audio Bible is called her.bible, featuring female narrators.
Audible.com sells a good selection of audio Bibles, such as the audio version of the One Year Bible.
Some of the apps mentioned in the Electronic Bible section also feature audio Bibles.

Bible Reading Plans

Generate your own Bible reading plan with Bible Reading Plan Generator. Choose your time frame, format, and the books of the Bible you want to read, then print it out.
Some Bibles are formatted to help you read the Bible in one year, along with supporting notes. For instance, the CSB Chronological Study Bible includes a reading plan with daily notes from Dr. George Guthrie.
The Bible in 52 Weeks for Men, along with the small group workbook, is a great resource for men. There's also a version of the Bible for women.
If you’re looking for a challenge, try reading the Bible in 90 days.
The Five Day Bible Reading Plan helps you to read the entire Bible or just the New Testament in one year.
In How to Eat Your Bible, Nate Pickowicz suggests a seven-year Bible reading plan that allows you to read each section repeatedly before moving on to the next one.

Other Resources

George Guthrie's book A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better is an accessible handbook to help you better read God’s Word, whether you are new to the Bible or have been reading it faithfully for decades. Highly recommended.
I love the videos at Bible Project for understanding the books and themes of the Bible.
She Reads Truth, He Reads Truth, and Kids Read Truth put out some really helpful material. I’m constantly impressed by their resources.
We also recommend The Essential Bible Companion, which provides a two-page overview of every book of the Bible.
The NIV Compact Bible Commentary is an inexpensive one-volume commentary on the entire Bible.
If you want to dig deeper, check out How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth or Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew About the Bible.
Twelve is a free app for IOS and Android designed to keep each other accountable to read the Word of God every day. “Our simple app allows you to share a picture of what you read each day and have a conversation about it with everyone in your small group.”

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