Years ago, one of my friends shared her strategy for fitting Bible study into her busy life.
Melissa started each day with the intention of getting up before her children woke and spending some time in the Word. But no matter how early she got up or how quietly she tiptoed down the hall, one of her three little ones would wake up and demand her attention.
Since a dedicated quiet time didn’t work in her current family situation, Melissa came up with a plan. She left her Bible on a small table on the stair landing between the first and second floor of her house. Every time she went up or down the stairs, she grabbed the Bible, opened it to her current reading spot and read a few verses. She tried to think about that passage while she continued with changing the baby, mopping the floors, or dusting the furniture.
Her grab-and-go method of Bible study wasn’t ideal and it wasn’t exactly what she wanted, but it was what worked for her. God still met her in the Word. The Holy Spirit still spoke to her heart.
7 Strategies to Fit Bible Study Into Your Busy Days
Maybe your life is a lot like Melissa’s right now. You want a dedicated time to read the Bible, journal your prayers, and meditate on all the Holy Spirit is teaching you. But it simply isn’t possible.
If you find yourself in a busy season, here are 7 ways that might work for you to fit Bible study into your days:
- Start with prayer. Too often I read my Bible like any other book–forgetting that through it the Almighty Creator is speaking to me. If I remember to start with a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to teach me, I am more likely to hear God’s voice and discern just what I need to hear that day.
- Leave your Bible in a strategic place. Like Melissa, place your Bible somewhere you pass often. Maybe you can also use the stair landing. Or set your Bible on the kitchen counter. Or place it next to the chair where you nurse the baby. Or carry a small copy in your purse to read while waiting in line.
- Display Scripture around your home. You can use pretty Scripture art and printed Bible quotes. But you can also scribble out your current favorite verses and tape them to your mirror so you can read while brushing your teeth. You can attach a passage to your computer to meditate on while the computer boots up. One of the ladies who used to attend my Bible study said she put the verses she most needed on sticky notes and stuck them to all of her kitchen cabinet doors. Every time she fixed lunch or cooked dinner she would reread God’s words of encouragement to her.
- Use a devotional. Reading a short devotion is a wonderful way to start the day. Having one verse and a short meditation to read each morning can center your thoughts and align your heart to God. Some favorites: Jesus Calling, Heaven Calling, and Portals of Prayer.
- Break up your Bible reading time during the day. Perhaps you can’t block out a thirty-minute time slot for reading the Bible, but you can squeeze in a few minutes here and there throughout the day. Read a five-minute devotional in the morning. Reread the Bible verse from the devotion at lunch. End the day by writing a prayer of gratitude to the Father.
- Use a visual to help you stay on track. One simple way to do this is to find a calendar for the current month with squares large enough to write in. Every day record one highlight from your Bible reading or one prayer request. If time allows, color in the square. Use the coloring time to pray or meditate on the lesson learned. The ladies at Visual Faith Ministries have wonderful ideas and resources for this!
- Memorize Scripture. This activity doesn’t require a great deal of dedicated time. Write the verse you want to commit to memory on a 3 X 5 card and carry it in your purse. When you are waiting for an appointment or standing in line at the grocery store, read and reread the card. In a week or two, you will know the verse by heart and the Holy Spirit can use it to encourage you whenever and wherever you are. For more ideas for Scripture memory click here.
God’s Promise
It’s easy to get discouraged in a busy season. All the more reason to dip into God’s well of encouragement–His Word–whenever we can.
Even if it isn’t as much or as often as we would like, God promises that whenever we interact with His Word it will make a difference in our lives. Isaiah 55:11 says:
It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
God promises that whenever He sends out His Word it will produce fruit, it will accomplish what He wants. In just a few verses at a time, He can speak to our hearts. In just a few minutes each hour, the Holy Spirit can remind us of God’s love and grace and give us the strength to keep going.
Next step: Choose one of the strategies for fitting Bible study into your busy days. Whatever plan you use, ask the Holy Spirit to teach you God’s truth through His Word.