It’s hard to read and study the bible, what do I do?

It’s hard to read and study the bible, what do I do?

It’s first helpful to understand that studying the Bible is hard because there is a spiritual aspect to it. The enemy does not want you to study your Bible. Paul reminds us, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness” (Ephesians 6:12). That means there is resistance—sometimes subtle, sometimes fierce—whenever you open the Word. As strange as it sounds, that makes reading Scripture harder than reading any other book.

But do not be discouraged. God Himself wants you to know Him through His Word. He has promised that His Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), that it will not return empty (Isaiah 55:11), and that it is able to make you “wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). So give yourself grace, resist the enemy’s schemes, and hold fast to the truth that God grows His people by His Word.

Here are some practical ways to pursue that growth:

1. Get on a Reading Plan

Having a plan gives you direction. It removes the paralysis of wondering where to start and ensures that, over time, you take in the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). A plan like Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s reading calendar can serve as a helpful guide. You may not stick to every date, but you’ll always know what comes next. Remember: the point is not to check boxes, but to see Christ on every page.

2. Read in Small Chunks

Don’t measure your faithfulness by volume. One verse understood and applied is better than ten chapters skimmed. Scripture is food for the soul, and food is meant to be chewed. Jeremiah said, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). The delight comes not from racing through the text, but from savoring it.

3. Set a Specific Time

Discipline is not opposed to devotion—it’s the structure that allows it to flourish. Just as you don’t drift into physical health without exercise, you won’t drift into spiritual health without intentional time in the Word. Whether fifteen minutes or an hour, morning or evening, consistency matters more than length. Daniel, even in exile, prayed three times a day (Daniel 6:10). If he made space in Babylon, we can make space in our busy age.

4. Use Resources to Help You Understand

The Bible is clear in its central message of salvation, but that doesn’t mean every passage is easy. Peter himself admitted that some of Paul’s writings are “hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:16). That’s why God gives teachers to His church. A good study Bible (such as the ESV or NIV Study Bible), commentaries, and faithful preaching can open your eyes to connections you might miss. Don’t see these as crutches, but as gifts of grace.

5. Find an Accountability Partner

We are not meant to walk alone. The writer to the Hebrews commands, “Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13). Accountability is not just for avoiding sin; it’s also for cultivating faith. A friend who asks, “How is your time in the Word?” is a friend who is helping guard your soul.

6. Join a Local Church

Private study is essential, but it is not sufficient. The Word was given to God’s people, and God intends it to be heard, sung, prayed, and preached in the gathered church. Paul calls the church “the pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Under faithful preaching, the Word is explained and applied with power. In the community of believers, you learn not only what the text means, but how it shapes a people. Bible study without the church risks becoming individualistic; Bible study within the church becomes life-giving.