When During the Day Do you Read the Bible?
I know some read it during the morning and some at night.
For most of my life I read it at night. I still do.
But I notice those that read it during the morning have a benefit of a better perspective of life during the day.
So I started being a morning reader.
But I still read at night.
Largest benefit is that it leaves me at peace with God and I sleep like a baby. That is, we sin all day and ending with the Word means ending with the Gospel. And that’s the best place to end the day: Confession and prayer.
How about you?
Good morning brother. After my morning prayers, I read and study scripture. I usually continue several more times during the day. I usually wrap up the day with more. My writings reflect that cadence. I have the advantage, as a older American, of plenty of time on my hands. Plus, my work allows this level of time as well.
Blessings.
Any time is good, as long as you read it. I do best when I read a chapter in the morning and a chapter at night, along with study notes.
Amen! Thanks for sharing about your devotional lifestyle, that’s encouraging
Good question Jim. I am a bit like you in that I read it both morning and evening. In the morning I sit at the dining table with three things; my Bible, journal and coffee. In the evening I am back at the table with my Bible, E-Sword on Laptop and, more coffee!
Of those two moments is there one more intense in your study than the other?
Yes, the morning time is more devotional in scripture reading and prayer with some note writing. The evening time is more intense with deeper study and composition of writing. I have always been a late night person right up to as late as 2am the next morning.
Morning and the last thing before sleep just as you said.
Usually morning and often times during the day too. Prayers in morning and evening and often when I am walking all alone. Blessings Jim!
Thanks for sharing that. It’s encouraging. How long have you been doing this? I imagine years?
A few, double digits.
During the time when I followed an order of NT verses, I read before sleeping. Same case, when I read it straight. Now, it is anytime of the day especially when working on the graphics.
Thanks for sharing that. I appreciate your graphic of verses. Don’t know if you know that 😊
You already conveyed it several times; thank you too!
I read in the morning. I used to read more throughout the day. I used to read the non literal translation for my devotions and I confess since switching to ESV full time, I haven’t read as much as I once did. No worries, I didn’t use that translation for studies, only for devotions! What’s up for y’all this Friday? Would I be allowed to join tomorrow?
I do like ESV! Sometimes less literal paraphrase I admit I get curious how they would word things so I’m not one who bashes paraphrase (besides as a joke). Tomorrow one of the members will be teaching on abortion and yes you can join in! I’ll be trying to do sermon prep all day today besides making some Ministry calls, what does your Friday looks like?
Great, thank you about tomorrow! I am doing nothing. I got my second yesterday and don’t feel so good.
The leader of a small group posts Bible readings from four parts of the Bible. Our goal is to finish the Bible in a year. I read these parts as I see the posts which may be at various times during the day. The readings today came from 1 Samuel, John, Psalms and Proverbs. Morning and evening I say short, simple prayers such as the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6).
That’s encouraging to read! I hope your comment encourage others to read. I bet you have done this for years. What would you say to encourage someone who haven’t read in a while? I ask as I imagine some reading this would benefit from wise counsel from seasoned veteran saints
What I think would be better than what I’m doing now is to focus on a single book of the Bible reading it and hearing it read along with multiple commentaries. The commentaries would put the book in perspective. A commentary I like is David Pawson’s series of lectures called Unlocking the Bible. There are probably others out there, but I don’t know them.
On my walk this morning after reading your post I realized that another thing might be important. By joining that group reading the Bible every day I had publicly committed to the group activity. I don’t want to let the others down, so I keep participating.
Furthermore, I realized I could start my own Bible reading plan. I’m not a pastor, but just by making the plan a few others will see it and maybe feel encouraged to start their own plans. I hope to start this, God willing, this weekend in a small group on MeWe that I belong to. I’ll write a very short summary of one of Pawson’s lectures, post the link to the lecture, and a link to an audio reading of Genesis. I could go through each book of the Bible paced by those lectures over the period of a year, if it lasts that long.
I am grateful to your post for this motivation. Reading the Bible is important.
I read the Bible in the morning since I work early in the morning 6 AM
Wow that is early! Are you naturally an early bird??
I am not an early bird. It is ver hard for me to get up at 5 AM. I have been working at my church for the past 3 years and used to have the night shift which was better for me. I don’t get a choice in the hours. Please read my newest post today about my story of unlearning hate
Good question regarding our Bible reading “routine.” My wife and I usually do our devotion time around 10AM before we get into the chores, errands, and grind and then I’ll do some reading on my own in the afternoon using the ESV app with audio. I really enjoy reading along with the audio.
Thanks for sharing this!! 10-11 Am is usually my daily time teaching the kids the Bible among other subjects before and after. I imagine you have been doing family devotions for a few years now?
I word-searched my blog and I see we started our daily devotional together back in January 2015. It’s a blessing to our marriage beyond description.
Every day I read a passage of Scripture as part of a devotional, and then in my prayer time I pray Scripture. I listen to Bible teachings during the day, and read blogs about different parts of Scripture. At church, Sunday school, worship services, devotionals at our prayer meetings, and “service review” all center around the Word of God. I’m blessed to have God’s Word saturate my day. One of the advantages of retirement. 😉
Sister this is so encouraging to hear of your day being saturated with God’s Word all day! How long have you been in the word regularly like this?
I’ve had seasons, ever since high school. Most of my life I have had a system where where I would read through the Bible. I would read a few chapters, or just “read until the Lord speaks,” then meditate on what He’s saying to me. Then when I get to the end of Revelation, I would start over. There was a season of a few years where I would spend time every day memorizing favorite passages, chapters, and eventually whole (short) books. Once our pastor challenged us to read through the Bible in six weeks! I don’t think I will try that again. It was like eating a seven-course meal in five minutes!
Hi Jim. I let the Bible study me first thing in the morning. 🙂 I will study the Bible later in the day.
Love how you said that: the Bible studying you; how long have you had continuous reading of the Bible?
What I do first thing in the morning is let the Living Word search my heart (Heb.4:12). I journal the exchange I have with Him. I’ve been doing that for 20 years now.
When ever I watch my pastors on line or True Believers. I watch several daily and check my KJV and compare with their version.
Praise God! I’m going to be praying for you guys and the people affected with the flooding; there’s not much national news about it. Are you staying with family or others at this time??
No. MY apartment is safe as of now. Many have again lost their homes.:(
I read in the morning before anyone else is awake in the house. Prayer and journaling can usually happen the 2nd hour. I retired early to help my wife care for a severely physically disabled daughter 24/7 so 5am-8am are the least interruptive times. My sporadic posting has to do with taking a back seat to home care and getting away for an adventure. God meets us no matter what is happening and his Word truly is a light to our winding path.
Nighttime usually. I’m not a morning person, failing “What did you just read?” tests in the morning. 😉
I usually read first thing in the morning. I’m retired now, but that’s what I did when I was working. I do that simply because if I don’t, the day crowds in, things happen, and I end up doing it when I’m way too tired – or not at all.
Many years ago a friend said ‘whenever your best time is, give God some of that.’ I’m usually up by 6:30 when it’s nice and quiet. It’s a beautiful time of day. It’s quite ironic really, because I’m not naturally a morning person. But I am now.
I did a post on Bible reading.
Thanks for sharing that! It seems many commenting do most of the Bible reading in the morning. Do you have a direct link to the post so others reading the comment can also have the opportunity to read it?
Here you go….
https://www.xercised.com/index.php/bible-reading-benefits-and-warnings/
I do my reading and prayer time in the morning. I have a Spurgeon “Morning and Evening” devotional that I read in the morning before I do anything else and right before I go to bed at night. I also pray with a friend 3 or 4 nights a week over the phone. Since I am retired and live alone, my time is my own for the most part, so I pray, worship and read the word from whenever I get up (often around 9:00) until early to mid-afternoon. The bulk of that time is prayer.
Wow God bless you. I’m convinced many good things happen in ministry because of people like you who pray!! What an example! Have you read Spurgeon’s work for years now or it it more recently you started Morning and Evening?
I received a copy of the book for Christmas and have never used this particular book before. I do have a copy of Spurgeon works published in 1896, but even that I haven’t looked at in several years. By the way, I have always been a night owl too, but praying late tends to wake me up and I don’t sleep as well, so I try to confine my times of telephone prayer to end an hour or 2 before bedtime.
Night time for me. I like the peace and quiet the night brings.
Awesome! I too am an owl reader by nature though the last few years I try to discipline myself to be a morning guy too! Hope you had a blessed Lord’s Day?
I did, Thank you.
My morning routine is regularly filled with reading and studying the Bible. This seems to go with starting my day with the Lord before I tackle any of my writing.
[…] Jim Lee asked his readers when during the day we read the Bible? I could say I was following a yearly Bible reading plan with a small group and read the verses of the day when the notice arrived. […]