How to Read Your Bible When You Don't Feel Like It

Let's be honest: there are seasons when opening the Bible feels like a chore. The words bounce off. The stories feel familiar to the point of boring. The commands feel heavy. We've all been there — even the pastors.

Here are six small habits that have helped us keep showing up to God's Word when we don't feel like it. None of them are magic. All of them are gentle.

If you're in a dry season, drop the expectation of a chapter-a-day plan. Read one verse. Read it slowly. Read it twice. Ask: "What does this tell me about God? About myself?" That's enough. God's Word doesn't have a minimum word count to be effective.

Even if you don't write anything. Just holding a pen changes how you read. It tells your brain: "I'm paying attention here." Underline a word. Draw a star. Jot a question mark. The act of engaging your hand helps engage your heart.

This sounds silly — until you try it. Reading aloud forces you to slow down. It engages more of your senses. And there's something about hearing the Word spoken in your own voice that hits differently. The Bible was written to be heard, not just read.

A spouse, a friend, a small group. Text each other one verse a day. Read the same passage and share one observation. You'll be amazed how someone else sees something you completely missed.

It's easy to read the Bible looking for ammunition — for an argument, a sermon illustration, a tweet. But that turns the Bible into a tool. Try reading it as a love letter. What is God saying to you, today, here? That posture changes everything.

Sometimes you'll read and feel nothing. That's okay. The Word is still doing its work — quietly, underground, in places you can't see. Keep showing up. Faithfulness in the dry seasons is what makes the fruit in the fruitful seasons possible.

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." (Isaiah 40:8) — even on the days it feels like grass.