Where to start, how to read it, and how to keep at it.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). That makes it pretty simple. If you want your faith to grow, read the Bible. John says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). Jesus is the Word. If we want to know Him, we have to know His Book.
Don’t just take a preacher’s word for what it says either, including mine. The Bereans in Acts 17:11 received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. God calls that noble. Read it for yourself.
Most people who try to read the Bible cover to cover stall out somewhere in Leviticus. Those books matter, and you’ll get there, but they aren’t where a new believer needs to start. Start with the Gospel of John. John tells you why he wrote it: these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (John 20:31).
Then read a short New Testament letter like Ephesians or Philippians to see what the Christian life looks like day to day. After that, read Acts and watch the early church live it out, mistakes and all.
Once those feel familiar, go back to the Old Testament. It makes a lot more sense once you already know how the story ends, and you’ll start seeing Christ all through it.
Read whole paragraphs, not one verse at a time. A single verse pulled out on its own can be made to say almost anything. The verses around it are what tell you what it means. Before you ask what a passage means for your life today, ask who wrote it, who they were writing to, and why. If you skip that step, you’ll usually get the application wrong too.
And don’t rush it. A few verses read slowly, actually paying attention, will do more for you than a chapter skimmed to check a box. Before you open it, ask God to show you what He wants you to see. David prayed, Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law (Psalm 119:18). The Holy Spirit is your teacher, so ask Him to teach you.
God told Joshua, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night (Joshua 1:8). Day and night. Pick a time and a place and make it part of your day, the same way you eat breakfast. Ten minutes every day will grow you more than two hours once a month.
And start memorizing it. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee (Psalm 119:11). Pick a verse that hit you, write it on a card, and carry it with you until you know it. When temptation comes, you won’t have your Bible open in front of you, but you’ll have what you put in your heart. That’s how Jesus answered satan in the wilderness. Every time, He said, It is written.
Want more structure than this? The Growing in Grace app is built for daily reading, and our upcoming How to Study video series goes deeper into method. Stuck on a specific passage? Ask.