How Often, How Long, How Much?

It’s natural to have questions like, How often should I study God’s Word? and How long should I study? 

Well, the Bible never tells us how long to study—it just says we’ll be extremely blessed as we regularly study and meditate on the Word (I’ll teach more about meditation on Day 8). But I think it’s helpful to compare studying the Bible—our “spiritual food”—to the way we provide our bodies with natural food. 

Just as our bodies absolutely require food to live, we also absolutely require God’s Word to grow, mature, enjoy our lives and follow God’s plan for our future. God loves us so much and studying His Word—His love letter to us—is a great way to get to know Him and everything He has for our lives.

Generally, I encourage others to set aside some time every day to read and study God’s Word. Again, this isn’t a rule, but it’s important to put “first things first” and get into a good routine. 

I personally spend most of my time with the Lord in the morning. This is when my mind is the clearest and I feel the freshest. For you, your best time may be right before you go to bed, or it may be at lunch. I think the important thing is to give God your best and set aside time when you know you’ll be awake and alert. 

As I mentioned in Day 2, I often tell people that if you’re not sure where to start, just choose John chapter 1 or Psalm 23 or Psalm 91 and take however much time you have to read and think about them. You can pray (talk to God) about them. If you have questions, just ask. The Holy Spirit, Who is your Teacher, can cause you to understand. 

It’s important to remember that studying or reading for a longer duration has nothing to do with how much God loves us or approves of us. When God helped me to finally understand that I was reading the Bible for me and not for Him, it brought tremendous freedom!

Pray: “God, I know the more I study Your Word, the more I will know You and experience positive changes in my life. Help me to set aside regular time for You and establish a routine that will work for my life and my schedule. In Jesus’ name, amen.”