Daily Study Habits to Learn the Bible

If you want to truly know God’s word, you must dedicate yourself to daily study. Here are some of our best tips to help you along your spiritual path.

1. Study a bit at a time. When you study a little bit every day, your retention will improve faster. It’s proven that short periods of intense study (15-30 minutes) are more effective than very long study sessions (longer than 30 minutes at a time). Make it your goal to study for 15-30 minutes every day, and watch your understanding of God’s Word grow.
2. Plan your study time. Plan your studies for specific days of the week at a specific time; write it down or put it into your digital calendar. When you make a plan, it’s easier to stick to it. If you just say to yourself that you’d like to study more, or that you’re thinking about studying, but you don’t actually write down a concrete plan, you probably won’t end up studying at all.
3. Consistency is the key to long-term results. Study at the same time each day, this will help you create an unbreakable good habit. It will become routine for you to study, and you will become more productive during your study time because you will be in a ‘rhythm’.
4. Have a specific goal for each session. Will you be studying Psalms today, or Proverbs? Make it your goal to study something specific. How many will you read? Do you have a study plan to guide you through a passage? Will you be writing and reflecting on a specific verse? Have a goal, and you will achieve better results from your sessions.
5. Study without distraction. Wherever you decide to study, whether in your room, your yard, in a park or at the library, make sure you’re not distracted by technology, other people or even your other life responsibilities. Make your study time just that – study time.
6. This one flies in the face of our last tip, but, use study groups effectively. Two heads can be better than one, as long as the two heads are united in purpose. Studying the Bible with a group of friends can be rewarding in that you can discuss your thoughts and gain new insights that you may not have been able to see on your own. Make sure you structure your group – see tip four for more on this.
7. Take notes, and review them often.  Each week, review your notes from the days previous. It will refresh your memory and perhaps provide you with insight on what you read while you were studying the Bible that you didn’t have at the time of your reading.

Apply these tips and you’re sure to grow by leaps and bounds in God’s word. If you have any tips that work well for you, share them with us! Happy studying!