3 Helpful Tips to Read the Bible for Beginners

If you’re a new Christian or a woman looking for a way to grow your faith, reading the Bible is the best thing you can do! But looking at the whole Bible can be overwhelming. Don’t stress! It’s not as hard as you think to read the Bible for beginners and grow closer to God.

The Bible is such a beautiful and awe-inspiring book. If you’re feeling a nudge to start reading more of it, that’s the Holy Spirit calling you to spend more time with Him and strengthen your faith.

Knowing that you should read the Bible more, wanting to read the Bible more, and actually reading the Bible more are different things. It’s hard to know where to start reading the Bible for beginners because it is a large book.

In case you don’t know, the Bible is made up of 66 different books, and written by about 40 different men over a period of about four thousand years. Amazingly, there is not a single contradictory verse anywhere in the whole Bible!

When you want to read the Bible, you might think that starting in Genesis chapter one and reading all the way through is the best way. It is important as a Christian that you do become familiar with the whole Bible, and you certainly should read the whole thing!

But when you’re just starting, reading from beginning to end might be confusing and you might get overwhelmed. The best way to read the Bible is to read it so that you are learning and growing with each verse and chapter.

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In This Post

Why is Reading the Bible Important?

The Bible is more than just a book. It is God’s Words to man.

In the Old Testament, the only way to hear from God was to go to the temple with an offering. The high priest would take the offering into the holy place and offer it.

A regular person like you and me was not able to talk to God directly. However, after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, there was no longer anything to separate us from God!

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 4:15

Jesus became our High Priest. Not only can we speak directly to Him, but He also wants us to. In return, He speaks to our hearts through the Holy Spirit and through His Word.

Since we cannot actually speak to God face-to-face, the only way to know Him is to read what He says in the Bible.

Many things in the world are changeable, but God’s Word stands forever.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 1:23-25–Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

There are many people who will tell you what God says or doesn’t say. But the only way to truly know for yourself is to read the Bible. Read it often and learn what it says.

Bibles and Bible study books laid out on a white background

Where to Start Reading the Bible

The entire Bible is the inspired Word of God. That means that He literally spoke the words of the Bible to holy men, who then wrote them down.

Many Bibles have the words of Jesus written in red, which is a wonderful way to understand exactly what Jesus spoke. But the whole Bible is God’s message of love to His people. No part is more important than another part, although they each serve different purposes in our lives.

For instance, many new Christians learn and grow by reading Paul’s epistles. Because they are letters written to the early churches, they are full of God’s commandments for obeying the Scriptures, living a life that pleases the Lord, and dealing with sin.

If you want to glean practical wisdom, Proverbs is a book filled with bite-sized tidbits of wisdom for daily life. Psalms is a book that often brings us comfort and courage when we’re in hard times.

Want to know all about the life of Jesus? Read the Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. If you love history, dig into the books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) or the books of history (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah).

See? Knowing where to start reading the Bible to get closer to God can be overwhelming!

But it doesn’t have to be. The Bible is written specifically for us to read. It’s not complicated or impossible to understand–although some passages are more difficult to understand than others.

The best way to read the Bible for better understanding is to have a Bible reading plan with a specific goal in mind. Don’t read just to mark it off a list every day. Read to know God’s heart and learn how you can serve Him better.

How to Start Reading the Bible

The truth is, where to start doesn’t matter so much as knowing how to read the Bible effectively. Even though the Bible covers a wide variety of topics and a long span of time, it all works together to help us know God’s will.

God wants to speak to us, and He gave us His Word to do that. When you are reading the Bible, you might not feel like you’re really learning or growing.

But God has promised that His Word will accomplish what He sends it to do.

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Isaiah 55:1

If there is a particular part of your life where you want to grow stronger, develop a spiritual muscle, or learn to act more like Jesus, Bible study can help you do that.

God speaks through Scripture, and we have to read it to hear His voice. Spend time every day reading your Bible, and you will see your life start to change.

Start reading the Bible by taking a look at your life and praying about what you want God to do for you.

Are you a new believer who wants to know how to live for Christ?
Are you struggling with discouragement, doubt, or fear?
Do you want to understand more about Jesus and His ministry on earth?

No matter what your Bible reading goal is, God’s Word is powerful enough to work His will in your life.

How to Read the Bible for Beginners

Did you know that the desire to read your Bible comes from God? The Bible says a new Christian is like a newborn baby. As moms, we all know that a newborn baby wants one thing–milk!

Scripture tells us that we should desire the Word of God in the same way that a newborn baby wants milk–in fact, they can’t grow without it.

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
1 Peter 2:2

If you want to grow your faith, knowing how to begin reading the Bible is vital. Here are 3 helpful tips to get you started, plus a free Bible reading plan for beginners!

Bible Reading Tip #1: Get the right Bible.

When you’re ready to buy a Bible, you’ll quickly discover that there are literally thousands to choose from. Does it really matter which one you get?

The short answer is, yes, it does. The King James Version is the best and truest Bible in English. Every other version of the Bible has been altered at least slightly (and sometimes altered majorly) from that version. With any other version, you know that you are not getting the true Word of God.

The King James Bible is beautifully written. Some people believe that it is more difficult to understand because of the “thees” and “thous.” But the King James Bible is written at a sixth-grade level. I promise that you can read and understand it!

Even after you narrow your choice down to only the King James Bible, there are still at least hundreds of choices! Having a Bible that you love is an important part of consistent Bible reading.

Thankfully, there are plenty of options out there so you can find something you love. My current Bible is this notetaking Bible that is perfect for daily reading, but also for church and Bible study.

More KJV Bible to Consider:

Bible Reading Tip #2: Start slow.

When you hold your new, beautiful Bible in your hand, the first thing you want to do is read every single page. And that’s great! It’s always great to read the Bible.

But when it comes to being consistent, you need a reasonable and doable goal. Especially if this is your first time reading the Bible.

Don’t start out with the goal of reading 10 chapters a day. While that’s a wonderful goal, it may not last long-term. If you want to read the Bible effectively and truly understand it, quality is more important than quantity. (All of the Bible is quality, but there are times you need certain parts more than others!)

If you speed-read 10 chapters just to check it off your list, that’s not effective. But setting aside just 10-15 minutes to read can be powerful, even in you only read a chapter or two, or even a few verses.

The important part of reading the Bible as a beginner or a young Christian is taking the time to learn and understand what it means.

Bible Reading Tip #3: Pray about what you read.

Taking time to have daily quiet time with God is a vital part of Christian living. Reading the Bible and praying are both important aspects of your life.

If you really want to understand what you’re reading, and if you want to grow in your faith, take time to pray and ask God for wisdom about what you’re reading.

James 1:5 says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

God has all wisdom, and He isn’t selfish. If you need to know the truth, if you don’t understand what you’re reading, or if you aren’t sure about a situation in your life, you can ask Him. He promised that He will show you.

The Bible is powerful. When you read the Bible, you are allowing God to speak to you and change you from the inside.

The Best Order to Read the Bible for the First Time

Is there one way to read the Bible that’s better than others? Not at all. You can start reading the Bible with any book, chapter, or verse.

But if you want an intentional Bible reading plan that will set you up for Bible reading success, try one of these:

All of these plans will help you build a solid foundation for your faith that will last a lifetime!

3 Helpful Tips to Read the Bible for Beginners (+free printable plans)