We all know that God’s Word is powerful and can change our lives, but sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the morning shuffle and skip Bible reading altogether.
And while an inductive study of Scripture is immensely helpful in mining the riches of the Bible, that’s not the only way to benefit from God’s Word. For thousands of years, God’s people didn’t have their own personal copy of the Bible, yet they still found ways to learn it and live it.
Today, we have an abundance of resources and tech tools to help us carry God’s Word with us wherever we go, so it’s easier than ever to include Scripture in every part of our day.
So whether you struggle to get some time in the Bible or you want to infuse more of it into your day, connecting Scripture to your daily routine is a great way to immerse yourself and your family in the Word of God.
Here are 9 simple ideas to get you started:
As your eyes open each morning, begin the day with Scripture. One of the verses I’ve been starting off my day with is Psalm 59:16: “But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” What a great way to start the morning! Whatever verse you choose, wake up with praise on your lips and your heart will follow suit.
As a teenage missionary kid in Romania, I used to spend a lot of time traveling the city by tram. As I waited in the station for my next ride, I’d pull out my pack of colorful index cards and go over the verses that I was trying to learn. Sometimes I’d go over two cards; sometimes I’d cover all eight of them.
Regardless, it was a much better use of my time, and I still have those tattered cards years later. Nowadays I no longer travel by public transportation, but I still keep memory cards in my wallet, so whenever I’m at the store, God’s Word is right there with me. I like this set that includes both Scriptures for moms and a brief encouraging word.
Whether you’re in the grocery store, the bank, or carpool lines, opt for the Bible apps. Just a little time in Scripture can give us eternal Truths to think about that far outlast the latest news in our Facebook feeds. My favorite apps right now are YouVersion, Scripture Typer, and First 5. What are yours?
If you have young children, ask them what they learned in Sunday School that week. Go over the lesson several times that week, tying it to current events or life happenings. Feel free to keep a Bible on your dinner table for easy reference.
If you check your email compulsively, subscribe to a Verse of the Day service that will serve you God’s Word directly in your inbox. You can also save the verse art as a screensaver on your computer or smartphone. Here’s a list of 12 Bible Verse of the Day Resources I personally enjoy.
Washing dishes can be a mindless task; use that time wisely by reciting Bible verses while you scrub! Simply write down the verse you want to memorize on a sticky note and tape it above your sink. Even if you aren’t consciously rehearsing the verse, your eyes will rest on the words and you’ll find yourself remembering it more easily.
Decorate your home with beautiful displays of God’s Word. Hang a blessing (like Numbers 6:24-26) in your foyer; pin up a passage about inner beauty (like 1 Peter 3:3-4) in your closet; frame a reminder that God looks at the heart (like 1 Samuel 16:7) next to your bathroom mirror.
There are plenty of print shops to choose from, or you can make your own! What I have hanging up in my home right now is this Scripture Art calendar that includes Bible verses on prayer and room for me to jot down notes.
When my daughter was still a baby, I was up all hours of the night with her, either nursing her or rocking her to sleep. Those late nights would have been more difficult had it not been for the audio Bible I was listening to. YouVersion offers this functionality, but you can probably borrow CDs from your local library as well.
Now that my daughter is a toddler, we still listen to sections of the Bible on tape while doing housework or going for walks around the block. It’s an easy way for me to soak in the Word of God when I don’t get the chance to sit down and read it.
Because of my daughter’s age, we listen to a lot of songs right now. She enjoys silly ones that include lots of hand motions, but I try to include songs that come straight from Scripture, like Seeds Family Worship. When I was younger, my parents played Messianic songs for us that set the psalms to a musical score, and to this day those melodies play in my mind when I read certain psalms.
Hiding Scripture in our hearts is a wonderful gift to give ourselves and our children, one that will continue to bear fruit in our lives for years to come.
Rather than let guilt over a missed quiet time keep us away from God, we can find creative ways to include Bible verses in our day-to-day life. And even when we do have a quiet time in the morning, returning to those Truths during the day helps cement what we’ve learned and nudges us to apply it to our lives as well.