How to Enjoy the Bible

Do you enjoy reading the Bible? I do, but it wasn’t always like that. At one time I found it rather hard going and I read it because I knew I ought to, rather than because I enjoyed it.

One day a friend shared with me something that had helped him. He had been finding his Bible reading quite dry for a long time and had recently started a new habit. Before reading his Bible, he would ask for the Holy Spirit to be with him as he read, to open his eyes to what God wanted to say to him, to show him new things and to help him understand the Bible from God’s point of view.

He discovered that whenever he prayed like that before starting, he would get new insights and he started to really enjoy reading his Bible. He would see things in the passage that he had never seen before. It wasn’t long before the Bible was feeding his spirit, and every time it was full of life and interest. Sometimes he forgot to pray like this and on those occasions, his devotions went back to being a bit boring and not much fun, so he knew the prayer was making a difference. He was very excited by this new discovery.

I thought I would give it a try too and I was amazed at how much difference it made! I saw something new in the passage I was reading and it came to life for me! It sounds so obvious and simple to pray for the Holy Spirit’s help; you would think everyone must be doing it already. But even though we had been Christians a long time, neither my friend nor I had actually been praying before we started to read. So I have made that prayer a habit too, and it has completely changed my devotions.

Also, if I come across something in my Bible reading that I don’t understand, I ask the Lord to explain it to me. It can be very exciting when He does – it may be at that time or it may be on another day, but the Holy Spirit loves to explain God’s Word to us. We just need to pray, trusting that He will answer, however long He might take to do it.

I noticed an immediate difference after I started to pray this prayer, and what’s more, as I have continued over a number of years, it has just got better and better. Last year I greatly enjoyed reading some Old Testament books which years ago would have bordered on torture for me! That must be the work of God, don’t you think?

God loves you and wants to help you to enjoy His Word. Amazingly He can do it for you too, if you ask Him. Why not give it a try today?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you so much for sending the Holy Spirit to help me. I would really like to enjoy reading the Bible. Please would you remind me to pray each time, before I start reading, that your Holy Spirit would teach me and show me beautiful things in your Word. Thank you so much for this wonderful gift. Amen.