Feeling burned out on your Bible study? Losing a little zest? Here are nine approaches I’ve tried that have helped me bust Bible study boredom.
You can learn something new every time you read the Bible, even if you’re reading the same passage over and over. Absolutely.
But… doing the same thing over and over again can get boring.
Let’s change gears. Have you ever been bored with your wardrobe? You’re getting ready for the day and just feeling “bleh” about what you have to wear. You take a step back and try a new outfit combination using what you already have. Voila! You feel excited about dressing yourself and enjoying your wardrobe again.
This concept applies to your Bible study time. Changing up how you approach it can totally reinvigorate your study and growth.
You can live intentionally with passion and purpose as God’s beloved.
Let’s dive in!
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If you use the Bible app on your phone, you may already know what an amazing resource it is.
Whatever translation of the Bible you tend to use (New International Version, American Standard, King James Version, etc.), try reading Scripture with a different translation. A bonus of using the Bible app is that you can find countless translations there! It’s a fantastic way to revive your Bible study!
I’ve been able to absorb Scripture with a greater understanding by rotating through different translations. You may be able to better understand confusing passages by reading different translations. A few go-to translations I rotate through:
You can also bust your Bible study boredom by changing what “chunks of the Bible you read. A simple way to break this down is by reading Scripture a few verses at a time, in sections, in chapters and/or an entire book.
Or are you curious about a bigger picture view of a book? Try approaching the book somewhat like a novel (rather than a manual) and read a book straight-through. With this approach, you’re focusing on the story and what’s being said. What are some recurring themes? What are some core issues? Who are key individuals? What’s the message?
It can be easy to forget that the Bible is full of real stories that real people lived through. It’s not just a bunch of interesting stories and long-winded letters.
You’re probably already aware of this approach!
Typically, Christians are encouraged to read at least a chapter of the Bible a day. This can be a great way to read more of the Bible and focus in on one part of the story.
Do you typically read a chapter a day? Try focusing on sections within the chapter – it can help you do a deeper dive into the content. What details are mentioned? How does this information impact the people involved – the writer, the recipients, and those living the story?
Still find your mind straying during your study time? Try reading a book one verse (or verses) at a time.
As slow as this may seem, it’s a fantastic way to really focus on Scripture and absorb that part of the story. I went through John this way, and, boy, it was powerful!
This is where your spiritual community comes in. You can pursue your study with a Bible study group or one-on-one with a friend or your spouse.
You need to commit to doing this together. Decide when, where, and how you’re going to connect and discuss your readings. You’ll want to talk about what you’re reading and how it might apply to your life now.
I’m super blessed to have a husband who is committed to doing this with me each day. It’s been a great way to grow our faith individually and together!
After reading Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life by Lara Casey, I was inspired to start “Writing the Word” in my journal.
As the Cultivate team writes,
Writing things in our own handwriting helps us better absorb information, multiple studies have shown.
Writing things in our own handwriting helps us memorize and recall information.
The fewer barriers between us and a goal, the more likely we are to achieve it.
Cultivate What Matters Web Site
This is so true! Writing the Word was a game-changer during my months of little sleep with a preemie newborn.
You can start with a simple notebook, your Bible and go!
At other times, you want to dive deeper into a topic and don’t know where to start. Or you’re just overwhelmed with life and would like a handy guide for studying Scripture.
Devotional books can help fill the gap between wanting to study Scripture and not being sure where to start. Often, they’ve helped me expand my understanding of Biblical history and context.
They can be a handy tool to assist your study – just stay tuned to if information doesn’t align with who God is.
Not sure where to start with devotional books? Here’s a few to get you started:
Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When God Speaks by Priscilla Shirer
He Is My All: Living in the Truth of God’s Love for Me by Debbie Alsdorf
David C Cook offers weekly free Christian eBooks. What?! How ridiculously exciting is that?! Check it out!
At other times, simply changing up where you study Scripture can be refreshing. If you have a default go-to for where you study, try a new space for a time. It might help you see Scripture in a new way with different lighting (literally!).
I know – many of these options may not seem that adventurous. You can access most of these places at any time (except for COVID-19 season!). But.. have you actually tried these different spaces?
I’m guilty of this.
For years, I would think, “It’d be awesome to do some yoga with my Bible study!”
Did I do this? No, because I thought I never had the time or I was waiting for the “perfect time.”
Seriously?! It takes less than a minute to unroll my yoga mat and just get on it.
I finally realized that I needed to just do it and stop overthinking it. Now that I started doing it, it’s been way more fun and easy to come back to it again and again.
Your Bible study time is so important for growing your relationship with God. Scripture is God’s love letter for us, so it is anything but boring.
We can all get desensitized to reading the same passages over and over again. Tweaking your approach to your study time can bust the boredom, re-energize you and deepen your relationship with your Creator!
As we discussed, you could:
I hope these simple easy tactics to revive your Bible study have inspired you to make one small change to refresh your study! Most of these approaches are crazy easy to start doing. But you gotta do it.
You can live intentionally with passion and purpose as God’s beloved.
What tactic will you try? How have you refreshed your Bible study?
P.S. Want some crazy simple steps to start living intentionally? Grab the Embrace Your Potential Playbook. It’ll help you zoom in on your God-gifted personality and give you practical tips to be more intentional, passionate, and purposeful as God’s beloved so you can become the best version of yourself.
Cortney is a Christian life coach and recovering over-achiever who is passionate about helping Christian women embrace who God created them to be so they can confidently step into any season of life with passion, purpose, and peace. She’s also an ENFJ, MBTI® coach, M. Ed in College Student Development, Pilates and Yoga teacher, wife, mama, and entrepreneur. In her pre-kid life, she coordinated programs for, coached, funded, and provided leadership training for more than 60+ student organizations and 100s of university students for 7+ years. (Helping people highlight their inner awesomeness and reach their goals is her jam!)
More importantly, she’s God’s beloved.
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