How Do I Start Reading the Bible?

There is a particular kind of quiet that settles over a person holding a closed Bible. Maybe yours is brand new, a gift, or something you bought last month because you could not shake the feeling that it was time. Maybe it has been on a shelf since childhood. Either way, you want to read it. You just do not know where to begin.

You are in good company. More people are opening Bibles right now than at any point in the last two decades, and nearly all of them hit the same wall in the first week. They start at page one, sail through the drama of Genesis, slow down in Exodus, and quietly give up somewhere in Leviticus. If that has ever been you, nothing is wrong with you. You started the way we start novels, and the Bible is not a novel.

It is a library of 66 books, written across centuries in different styles by different authors, telling one unified story about God and us. And like any library, there is a good door to walk in through.

Where should I start reading the Bible?

Start with a Gospel. The Gospels are the four accounts of the life of Jesus, and they sit at the beginning of the New Testament, a little past the middle of your Bible. If you take one thing from this guide, take this: begin with the book of John.

John was written for exactly the person who is new to all of this. The author says so himself near the end: "these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31 ESV). It is the Gospel most focused on who Jesus actually is, and it holds some of the most beloved sentences ever put on paper.

If you want something shorter, Mark moves at a run and takes about two hours to read in total. After you finish a Gospel, read Acts, which picks up the story right where the Gospels end. Then try one short letter, like Philippians or James. And somewhere in there, begin reading one psalm alongside whatever else you are in. The Psalms will teach you how to pray long before you feel like you know how.

Genesis and Exodus are wonderful, and you will get there. They simply make more sense once you know the Person the whole story is pointing to.

How much should I read each day?

Less than you think. One chapter is plenty. Ten to fifteen minutes on most days will do more for you than one long heroic session on a random Saturday ever could.

Attach your reading to something you already do. Coffee is the classic pairing for a reason. Same chair, same mug, Bible already waiting there from the night before. You are not building willpower. You are building a rhythm, and rhythms live in ordinary places.

And when you miss a day, and you will, simply open to where you left off. There is no penance reading, no doubling up. The Bible is not a streak to protect. It is a place where God meets you, and He is not keeping score the way your habit apps do. "They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:23 ESV). His mercies, that is. Every single morning, including the one after you forgot.

A simple way to actually read it

Here is a little method that has been passed around our community for years because it works. Three small steps.

Read. Go through the chapter once, unhurried. You are not studying yet. You are listening.

Notice. Go back and find one thing. A promise. A question. A sentence that feels like it was written with your week in mind. Underline it. Yes, you are allowed to write in your Bible. A Bible full of pen marks is a loved Bible.

Respond. One honest sentence of prayer about what you noticed is enough. If writing helps you, keep a notebook nearby and give that sentence a home. Some of the women in our community use the journal that arrives in each month's Women's Box for exactly this, though truly, any notebook beside an open Bible will do.

Read. Notice. Respond. That is the whole method. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105 ESV). Lamps were never meant to light the whole road. They light the next step, and the next step is enough.

Which Bible translation should I choose?

The best translation is the one you will actually read. If you want a place to start, we use the English Standard Version here at Love Jesus because it stays close to the original wording while still reading beautifully. The New Living Translation is warm and simple if formal English feels stiff to you. The New International Version sits comfortably in the middle. All three are trustworthy. Pick one and release the worry.

A note on paper versus phone. Apps are wonderful for reading plans and waiting rooms, but if you can, read from a physical Bible at home. Paper does not buzz. Something in us settles differently when the page cannot interrupt.

What if I do not understand something?

You will run into things that confuse you, possibly in the first ten minutes. That is normal, and it is not a sign you are doing it wrong. Even the apostle Peter admitted that some of Paul's letters are hard to understand. You are in ancient and excellent company.

Keep a running list of your questions instead of letting them stop you. Many will answer themselves as you keep going, because Scripture has a way of explaining Scripture when you give it time. For the ones that linger, ask someone a few steps ahead of you. If you do not have that person yet, our mentors would be honored to walk with you, and our New to Faith page moves through the basics at a gentle pace. And if the question underneath all the others is why Jesus matters at all, we wrote The Gospel in Plain Words with you in mind.

The goal was never to finish a book

Reading the Bible is not an assignment to complete. It is how you come to know Someone. The strange and sweet thing that happens to people who read a little every day is that, eventually, the book begins reading them. A verse surfaces in the middle of an ordinary Tuesday. A psalm hands you words for a grief you could not name. Jesus says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28 ESV), and one quiet morning you realize the invitation has your name on it.

So start small. Start in John. Start tomorrow, with coffee, one chapter, and a pen. He will meet you there.

With love,
Elise

A few questions people ask

Where should a complete beginner start reading the Bible?

Start with the Gospel of John, then Acts, then a short letter like Philippians or James, with a psalm alongside. Save Genesis for after your first Gospel, when the bigger story will make far more sense.

How much of the Bible should I read each day?

About one chapter, or ten to fifteen minutes. A small, steady rhythm matters far more than long sessions. If you miss a day, simply pick up where you left off.

Is it okay to write in my Bible?

Yes. Underline, circle, and date the verses that meet you. Marking what moves you helps you remember it, and it slowly turns your Bible into a record of your walk with God.

How long does it take to read the whole Bible?

Around 70 hours of total reading time, which is why so many popular plans stretch it across a year. But speed was never the point. Meeting God in the pages is.