Something I see over and over again is the idea that if you don’t immediately love reading the Bible, something must be wrong with you. Maybe you’ve even told yourself that if you were a better Christian, if you loved Jesus more, or if you were truly committed to your faith, you’d feel excited to pick up your Bible every day. And because you don’t, you feel like a failure.

But that’s a lie.

If opening your Bible feels hard, if it feels like a struggle, there’s a reason for that. It’s not a reflection of your love for God. It’s not proof that you’re spiritually weak. And it’s definitely not something that means you’re any less worthy of Him.

The truth? The enemy does not want you in the Word.

The Enemy Wants to Keep You Out of the Bible

We need to recognize that the resistance we feel toward reading Scripture is by design. It is an intentional attack from the enemy. The Bible calls the Word of God the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), it is our weapon against the lies of the enemy. And the last thing Satan wants is for you to know how to wield that sword.

That’s why you feel distracted every time you try to read. That’s why you suddenly feel tired, busy, overwhelmed, or uninterested. That’s why thoughts creep in like I don’t understand this or I don’t even know where to start. It’s not random. It’s a strategy designed to keep you from growing in your relationship with God.

Because here’s the reality: If you knew how to use your Bible, you’d be dangerous to the enemy.

If you could recognize his lies and fight back with truth, he wouldn’t be able to keep you stuck in fear, doubt, or insecurity. If you could take hold of God’s promises, you wouldn’t be shaken every time life got hard. If you knew how to cut through deception with the Word of God, the enemy’s attacks wouldn’t land like they used to.

And he hates that.

You Don’t Have to Love It Right Away But You Do Need to Start

One of the biggest lies we’ve been told is that we need to feel like reading the Bible in order to do it. That if we’re not getting some emotional, deeply fulfilling experience every time we open it, we must be doing it wrong. But that’s not how any relationship works.

Think about your closest friendships. Did you love those people instantly? Or did your connection grow as you spent more time together?

Your relationship with God deepens as you spend time with Him, and a huge part of that is being in His Word. You don’t have to love it at first. You don’t even have to feel like doing it. But you do need to make a choice to open your Bible anyway.

When I first started, I didn’t enjoy it at all. I treated it like a checklist, something I did just to say I did it. But then one day, something in Scripture caught my attention. And then something else. And before I knew it, I was curious.

I started asking questions. I started digging deeper. I started noticing things I’d never been taught in church.

And slowly, my heart started to change.

How to Make Bible Reading a Habit (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It)

If you’re struggling to stay consistent, here’s what I recommend:

1️⃣ Make it part of your routine. You don’t have to read for hours, but set aside some time each day, even if it’s just 5-10 minutes. Treat it like brushing your teeth or making coffee. It’s just something you do.

2️⃣ Pray before you start. Ask God to give you understanding. Ask Him to open your heart to His Word. You don’t have to do this on your own, He wants to help you.

3️⃣ Stop overcomplicating it. You don’t need a perfect study plan. Just start reading. Pick a book (John is a great place to start), read a few verses, and reflect on what it says about God.

4️⃣ Use a study Bible or commentary if you need help. If you feel lost, get resources that break things down. I recommend verse-by-verse commentaries like BibleRef or using a study Bible with explanations.

5️⃣ Commit to showing up. The enemy is going to try to stop you. Distractions will come. Doubts will creep in. Do it anyway. The more consistent you are, the more natural it will become.

You’re Not a Bad Christian for Struggling With This

If reading the Bible has been hard for you, you’re not alone. And you’re not failing. You’re just being targeted by an enemy who knows how powerful you’ll be once you truly understand God’s Word.

So pick up your Bible. Push past the resistance. Stop letting the enemy keep you from knowing what God has already given you.

Because once you get in the Word, really get in it, you’ll never be the same.

Need help getting started?

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