Okay, I hate saying this but sometimes I don’t feel like reading my Bible.

There. I said it.

Not because I don’t love the Lord. Not because I’m walking away from my faith. But because I’m tired. Burned out. Mentally tapped. Or emotionally overwhelmed like I was this past week when scrolling felt easier than sitting with Scripture.

And while I didn’t fully give in, I didn’t read it every day like I know I should have. So if you’ve ever been in that place, I want to talk about it today. Not with guilt. Not with “just make time” energy. But with honesty and some real-life strategies for how I gently turn the ship around when I’m in a spiritual slump.

First, You’re Not Alone

If this is your first time here, welcome. I’m Karleigh, and I run this full-time ministry because I love the Word and I want you to love it too. But even as the “read your Bible” girl, I’m telling you right now I haven’t been reading mine daily for months.

It’s been on-and-off. This year has been chaos. My son had surgery. I got sick for almost four weeks and I wasn’t opening the Word. I was watching YouTube and playing video games when I could.

Do I feel great about that? No. But I want to be honest about it because it happens and God didn’t leave me.

Let’s Be Clear: This Isn’t Rebellion

I wasn’t choosing rebellion. I was just trying to survive.

But I also don’t want that survival to become a pattern. It’s important that we don’t stay stuck, and that we also don’t let guilt become the reason we don’t come back.

So no, this isn’t your spiritual eviction notice. God isn’t clocking your quiet time like a performance review. And He isn’t looking to catch you slipping.

But let’s also acknowledge that we are in a spiritual battle and your Bible is your weapon. So of course the enemy is going to do everything he can to keep you from picking it up.

Why We Avoid the Word

Here are just a few of the reasons we resist Scripture, some external, some internal, some spiritual:

• You’re overwhelmed and mentally shut down
• You’re avoiding conviction because you know it’s going to hit
• You’re reading out of obligation, not relationship
• You’re spiritually dry and it feels like it’s not working
• You’re not avoiding God, you’re drowning

Any of those sound familiar? Me too.

Let’s talk about how to start turning things around.

Grace-Based Ways to Reconnect with the Word

This isn’t about building a new routine. It’s about remembering who you are and who God is and gently stepping back into His presence.

1. Start with Scripture-Adjacent Habits

Don’t pressure yourself to dive into Leviticus. Maybe start with listening. Put on a chapter of John or Philippians while you drive or do dishes. Let the Word be around you again. Let it breathe in your space.

2. Talk to God Honestly

Literally say: “God, I don’t feel like reading today. I want to want You, but I feel far away. Help me.”

That prayer is powerful. That honesty opens the door for God to move. He’s not looking for polished, He’s looking for presence.

3. Go to Something Familiar

For me, that’s John. Or Joshua. Sometimes even Genesis. I don’t crack open Judges when I’m in a spiritual funk. (Shoutout to VeggieTales for making Joshua and the Big Wall one of my go-tos, by the way.)

Familiar stories can lead to fresh perspective.

4. Start Small

You don’t need a full plan or a Bible-in-a-year checklist. Read one passage. One Psalm. One Proverb. One paragraph is enough. It’s not about how much you read, it’s about showing up.

5. Stop Waiting to “Feel It”

You won’t always feel inspired. You won’t always feel holy. But faithfulness doesn’t require feelings. Trust doesn’t always come with fire. Sometimes it looks like picking up your Bible because you know He’s worth it even when you don’t feel it yet.

Scriptures to Soak In

Here are a few verses that have carried me in dry seasons. Start here:

• Isaiah 55:10–11
  “…So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty…”
• Psalm 119:28
  “My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.”
• Romans 10:17
  “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

You don’t have to feel strong before you come to the Word. You come to get strong.

This Isn’t a Checklist. It’s an Invitation.

If you haven’t read your Bible in days or weeks, you’re not broken. You’re not too far gone. You don’t need to “reset.” You just need to reach.

One verse. One prayer. One moment with God.

That’s where it starts.

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Need Help Starting Again?

If you want to rebuild your habit of spending time with God, grab the free prayer journal. It’s five days of simple prompts to help you reconnect. No guilt. Just space to be with Him again.

And if this post spoke to you, would you share it with a friend? Someone who’s maybe avoiding their Bible like it’s judging them? Remind them it’s not. It’s the Word of a God who loves them enough to draw them back in.

You don’t have to fake it. You just have to keep coming back.

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