Good Morning Gorgeous!

It’s a brand NEW day! A fresh new start and ALL things can be made New in the Presence of the Lord.

One turn back to the Father and everything changes.

One decision to leave the world’s ways and choose His ways instead.

One decision to trust Christ for yourself even though you don’t fully understand yet.

One yes is the most important yes of your life. The yes to Jesus. This yes ushers you into a brand new born again status where you are in covenant with the Lord and Jesus Christ is your Savior, Healer, Deliverer, Intercessior, and much More!

And then to get to know this precious Jesus, there is the Word. The Word is revealed in John 1 as Jesus Himself. And the Word is revealed to be alive and active, food for our bodies, a weapon against the enemy, healing, cleansing, and protection.

No wonder the enemy wants to keep you OUT of your Bible by keeping you too busy to read it, making you sleepy when you open it, and sowing seeds of doubt as you try to read it.

There is a battle in the spiritual realm to keep you out of the Word and you must lean into Jesus and fight to get in the Word.

Here are some tips and tricks to get you in the Bible, staying in the Bible, Understanding the Bible, and Receiving the Bible in your Spirit!

What if I don’t have time?

Commit yourself to reading the Bible and Taking it so seriously this time around. Think through your day and ask the Lord to reveal small pockets of time that could be used for His glory. Think Lunch Hour, waiting spaces like car lines or for appointments, pray about waking up earlier or going to bed later. Don’t get hung up on having to read a large chunk all at once. Start and just purpose to not quit! ****Play the audio version of the Bible in the youversion bible app while you drive, walk, exercise****

What if I’ve tried before and always quit?

If you’ve started and stopped several times, pray before you even start that this time will not be like last time. This could be a sign of a spiritual attack against your Bible reading time or a weakness in your flesh. Both can be overcome by prayer, fasting, and or deliverance if needed.

Lord, I desire to be in the Word. I have tried again and again. Make this time different. Let this time be the beginning of a new season of finishing. I break the curse of not finishing what I start in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ. I will start reading the Bible and He who started a good work in me shall carry it all the way to completion! JESUS, Empower me by way of the Holy Spirit to get into the Bible, develop a daily reading habit, and feed my spirit with the Word everyday of my life. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

What if I don’t enjoy reading the Bible?

Pray for hunger and thirst and to fall in Love with Your Father’s Voice. Remember all Scripture is God Breathed! And so as you read you are learning to recognize the very voice of the Lord!

Heavenly Father, Come and change my very appetite! Make me crave the Word of God even more than I crave physical food and drink. May I hunger to dine on the Word of God. May I thirst for You and Your ways. May I read the Words in the Bible and grow in intimacy with You Lord. May my ears become more attuned to the sound of Your voice. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

What if I don’t understand the Bible?

Ask for understanding like Solomon. You can go to the throneroom of grace and ask for what you need today. When you pray for the understanding of God’s Word, you will not be denied your request!

And as you read, I encourage you to grapple with the hard parts and continue to trust. When you read a challenging part of the scriptures, don’t discount it as irrelevant to your life and don’t quit reading the Bible when you come to difficult passage. Instead, tell God that you don’t understand what you are reading. Tell Him the questions you have and ask Holy Spirit to teach you. Keep reading and tell God that you will remain trusting that He is a good God, His character is good, and that the Word must have something for me because all Scripture is God Breathed and good for me.

Dear Heavenly Father, Give me wisdom to understand Your Word. Help me to remain in trust throughout the entire Bible believing that You are good, You know best, You divinely inspired the writing of every single Word in the Bible, and the Word is good for my teaching and growing up in the things of the Spirit. May my eyes of understanding be opened. My ears be opened, and the dots connect for me as I read. May I make Holy connections and receive fresh revelation of what YOU desire to show me Lord. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

What order should I read it?

This is just a suggestion for those who are new to Bible Reading or want to read it a new way:

1. Start with John- This gospel account is different from the others and it begins with Creation! It shows how Jesus was there at Creation and everything was created by Him

2. Then, read the other 3 gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke pay close attention to the Red letter words. These are the very Words spoken by Jesus!

3. Finish the NEW Testament 

4. Finally, go back and read the Old Testament and ask Jesus to show you Himself in all of the books of the Bible. You will make SO many NEW connections as you read!

What version should I read?

Get a version you understand and will read. The best version is the one you will actually read!  I read a new version every year.

What if I don’t have a Bible or I forget to bring it places?

Download the youversion bible app!

This app has just about EVERY version. You can do side by side comparisons of the different versions. It will read aloud to you! You can read devotionals based on topic OR even sign up for a reading plan that will take you through the whole Bible!

I encourage you to treat your Bible like the most precious item you own. Take it with you places so you have it to read when you can. AND RUN TO IT as your FIRST responder to trouble! Instead of using your normal coping stragies like calling friends, worrying yourself ill, over eating, under eating, or trying to fix everything, and instead RUN to the Lord and open the Word. Allow Him to calm you, cleanse you, guide you, direct you, and speak to you. You will come away stronger, filled, and ready to battle as Jesus calls you.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your Precious Word. Thank You for every promise fulfilled. Thank You that You are a covenant keeping God. Thank You that You have given us Your Word to stand on.

In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Blessings and sweet time in the Word!

Vanessa Lynn

If you want to view the video teaching for this topic, it’s here in my Facebook community. https://m.facebook.com/groups/goodmorninggorgeousgirl/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT