How Often Should Christians Study The Bible?

 

Wondering if it’s biblical to read the Bible every day? You are not alone! As a new believer or Bible student, you will definitely come across lots of puzzling questions. The Bible is unlike any other book you have ever read but the good news is that it holds the answers to every question you have. You just have to dig deep. One way to get these answers is to study the Bible. Bible study is an irreplaceable step in your spiritual growth. But how do you tell how much time is enough?

My answer

To answer this question, you must understand that while I prefer to study the Bible every day, no verse in the Bible that clearly states a stipulated amount of time for Bible study because it is all about quality, not quantity. This is a personal relationship between you and God. Therefore, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to reaching your goal.

Instead of worrying about the minimum duration and frequency of Bible study, it is best to focus on the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you. Someone who reads the Bible every day for 5 hours is not, by definition, closer to God than someone who reads the Bible for an hour 5 times a week. It is all about how you go about the study, what you gain from it, and how well you apply it.

From the Bible

• Study day and night: In His commission to Joshua, God commanded Joshua to meditate on the Word day and night. He said; “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then will you make your way prosperous, and then you have good success.” (Joshua 1:8 NKJV). David also emphasized this in Psalm 1:2 (NIV) “…but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night.
• Study till I come: The Bible encourages Christians to keep studying. It doesn’t matter how many times you have read the Bible from cover to cover, you ought to keep studying. “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of the Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” (1 Timothy 4:13 ESV).

The verdict

Having gone through both answers, you can see that there is no direct number. Instead, the Bible emphasizes the importance of Bible study and encourages us to study “continuously”. This means that Bible study should be repeated as often as possible. This could be daily or multiple times weekly. The vital takeaway is that Bible study is not a one-off event or something you do once in a while. It has to be regular and continuous. Therefore, it is up to you to decide how often is possible for you to study the Bible. Multiple times a day? Once a day? 6 times a week? What is it going to be?