I wanted to really emphasize with you the importance of reading God’s Word. On a more practical note, I wanted to give you 5 tips that have really helped me to remember how important it is to be reading Scripture and spending time with Him. You can go to church, you can go to all the Bible studies but if you truly do not know Scripture, if you are not reading God’s Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through you, I find that it would be really hard to walk the Christian walk, if you don’t know what it is. We hear and tell ourselves so many excuses and allow them to keep us from God.  If we are under the illusion that we are too busy, that we don’t have enough time to get into God’s word, that it’s just not our season etc. – how on Earth could we possibly think that we want to spend eternity with Christ, if we won’t even spend 5 minutes with Him a day?? It is all baloney and straight from the enemy.

Sister, my prayer is that these 5 tips will convict you and encourage you to remember how important it is, to be spending time with God and getting into the Word!

TIP 1: GET 2 BIBLES

The Bible I have been using for years is my Hosana Revival Bible (milenaciciotti will get you 10%off) . It is quite large and it has lines on the sides of each page for notetaking. However, as our family has grown, and I carry around more items for us when we leave the house, I find that it is harder to bring this particular Bible with me. So, what I have done is gotten another Bible that is smaller, almost the size of a phone that I bring with me wherever I go. If we go to the park, I pull out this Bible and read. If we go to Home Goods, I make sure to bring it in. I used to just use my phone if I was out in a store but I have found there is so much power in pulling out the tangible Word of God in a public setting- like Home Goods! If you didn’t know, the Salvation Army provides free Bibles! This is a perfect place to stop if you are looking to get an additional Bible!

TIP 2: GET HIGHLIGHTERS SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR BIBLE

As I read, I use lines, squiggles and circles to highlight certain things in the Bible that are really important or specific things that I want to remember. I do this when I read a new book- I highlight who is writing the specific letter/book as well as who it is being addressed to. I find that highlighting helps me engage with the text and helps me to really hone in on certain truths that I may have missed if I didn’t take the time to underline.

I have found that Mr. Pen offers some of the best products such as highlighters and pens at an affordable price. Plus their products were created with the Bible in mind! They offer a variety of colors so your marks can really stand out all while not bleeding through to the next page. Here are some of their highlighters along with some other great accessories you can use for your Bible!

TIP 3:  DO YOU HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT?

Do you have the Holy Spirit in you? If yes, then you have a living breathing Teacher that can lead you and guide you in all things!

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 

John 14:26-27

I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

1 John 2:26-27

I always get asked, “ what teachings do you watch?”, “ what do you Google” – it is the Holy Spirit! There are things you will read 20 times but that 21st time, the Spirit may reveal something to you. Maybe you went through a trial and through that, the Holy Spirit revealed to you what that one passage you’ve read means. This is what the Bible means when it says… 

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

 I find that we don’t have enough reverence for God and His Word! The Bible is not a fairytale!

TIP 4: FIND A PLAN AND STICK TO A PLAN

Someone once told me that one of the most foolish things we can do is just open up our Bible and I think that is true. We have to sit and pray, ask the Holy Spirit “ what do you want me to read today?” ( if you are not already following a plan). If we just open up to a random page and land, let’s say, in the Old Testament, you may find yourself in the middle of a story and not understanding any of the context. Here are some of my personal recommendations of plans you can commit yourself to

If you are looking to study a particular book in the Bible I’d recommend 

• Galatians
• Colossians
• 1 + 2 Thessalonians
• 1 + 2 Timothy
• John ( or any of the Gospels)
• Genesis

New Testament in 90 Days – this is on the You Version Bible App and there is nothing to it besides telling you what to read each day. This particular plan is from Streetlights so it gives you the option to read or listen to the Bible. In the morning, I would read it in my physical Bible and then throughout the day I would play streetlights. I would find that this would really help me hone in on certain things or catch something I may have missed when reading.

TIP 5: FIND A BIBLE BELIEVING CHURCH (THAT READS THE WORD OF GOD)

My reading life changed drastically when we changed churches and I saw from the pulpit how a pastor reads the Bible. As a church we have gone through entire books of the Bible! Our pastor will just walk us through passages and I am able to see first hand what and how he extracts certain things which has impacted the way I read when I am spending time with God

I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

1 John 2:26-27

Again, we do have the Holy Spirit. So, if you are not currently plugged into this type of church, please do not be discouraged. Seek God and ask Him to bring you a church that believes the Bible and that reveres the Word of God. It is such a beautiful gift to be in fellowship with the body and to have headship over us to direct us. I pray you are able to find a church that walks with you through the Bible and not a TedTalk. I pray this church would leave you feeling equipped with the Sword of the Spirit through their teachings!

BONUS TIP: MOMS, LET YOUR HOUSE GET DUSTY BEFORE YOUR BIBLE

This is an extra tip for all my mamas out there- please let your house get dusty before your Bible ever does! Let your children see you being saturated in God’s Word. Train and teach your children the importance of reading Scripture! I have had to diligently train my kids and say “ if you see mama with her Bible, let her read her Bible”. There was a point where it was constant interrupting and rough housing while I was trying to read. However, with consistency, they now know they are welcome to be in the room with me or even to sit with me but they need to let mama read her Bible. It’s ok to say to our children “ in order to be the best mom, I need to read the Bible”- what a gift this is to give to them! Don’t let your children be an excuse, let them be the reason!

Sister, I pray this encourages you! There is nothing more important than God’s Word! Remember, if your Bible is dusty… then your life is probably dusty too.