How to have a consistent Bible study

When I asked what your biggest problems are in your Bible study, the first answer was not knowing enough, but the next most common answer was ‘how to have a consistent Bible study.’ You want in on a little secret? Everyone struggles with how to have a consistent Bible study. You are not alone. I wrote a book on How to Study the Bible and I struggle at times.  Here are the tips I’ve learned for having a consistent Bible study.

Get accountability!

I have done the best at a consistent Bible study when I was in a Bible study with someone else.  Every year our church has a women’s Bible study, and when I sign up for that study, knowing I have homework to complete gets me studying.

That’s the most obvious way to get accountability.

Next style of accountability, sign up to teach. If you know that next week 15 kids will be waiting for you to tell them all about this topic, you will get that Bible study done. If for no other reason,  than having 15 kids with nothing to do means chaos. Some of my most intense times of Bible study came while I wrote my Sunday School curriculum and had to get it done or they’d just be staring at me.

Finally, and for me the least effective (it may work better for you), have someone ask you. This worked for me in high school, I knew every week when I got together with my small group they’d ask how often I was studying the Bible. It’s amazing how much knowing someone was going to ask changed what I was doing.

Set a consistent time

I’m going to approach this from two different ways. First, you as the parent.

Growing up I heard over and over again “Get up and read your Bible first thing in the morning.”

You know what the problem with this is?

I’m not a morning person. As a matter of fact, my children will attest that I stare at things for a good hour before my brain kicks in. I have been known to walk off without my glasses and then try to push my glasses up only to wonder where they are.

If I studied the Bible then I wouldn’t understand a single thing I’d read.

I have to read my Bible at night, it’s the only way it’ll work.

Find the time that works for you.

Because talking about setting a consistent time for your kids is going to be a whole other blog post, we’ll be back in a few weeks again with that topic. There’s just way too much for it to be a second part. I started writing this and realized I had another 500 words.