For years, since my childhood, I had the same goal: read the Bible from beginning to end. Genesis to Revelation, cover to cover. Every year, I would start strong. Genesis felt exciting, Exodus was powerful. But somewhere, I would quietly stop.
At first, I thought the problem was me. Maybe I was not disciplined enough. Maybe my faith was not strong enough. Maybe I just lacked consistency.
After failing again, I finally realized something important. My desire to read the Bible was real. My approach just was not working.
What did not work for me?
Treating the Bible Like a Regular Book
I tried to read the Bible the way I would read any other book, start at the beginning and move forward page by page. But the Bible is not one book. It is a collection of writings like history, law, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, letters etc.
Reading it straight through without context often left me confused and disconnected. Instead of drawing me closer, it made me feel overwhelmed.
Reading Without Context or Guidance
Many passages felt distant or difficult, and I did not always know how to process them. Without understanding who the passage was written for or why, I often felt stuck.
Depending on Motivation Alone
Some days I felt inspired to read. Other days I did not. When motivation faded, so did my consistency. I needed something more sustainable than willpower.
What Finally Started to Change
The biggest shift happened when I stopped asking, “How do I finish the Bible?” and started asking, “How do I engage with Scripture in a way that fits real life?”
Letting go of the cover-to-cover pressure
I gave myself permission to read smaller portions, out of order, and at a slower pace. Psalms on heavy days, Gospels when I wanted to focus on Jesus, Proverbs when I needed wisdom.
Ironically, once the pressure disappeared, I became more consistent.
Reading Less, Reflecting More
Instead of rushing through chapters, I began sitting with a few verses at a time. I asked simple questions:
- What stands out?
- What does this say about God?
- How does this connect to my life right now?
Scripture started to feel personal again.
Where I still felt a gap
Even with these changes, I noticed something missing.
Reading silently often kept everything in my head. My thoughts, prayers, questions stayed internal. When life felt busy or overwhelming, it was still easy to drift away.
I realized that faith for me is deeply relational and relationships grow through conversation not silence.
I did not just need to read scripture, I needed to respond to it out loud.
Why I Believe Voice Matters
There is something powerful about speaking prayers instead of only thinking them. Saying words out loud slows you down. It makes reflection more honest. It turns reading into a dialogue instead of a task.
What I have learned from failing
Failing to read the Bible cover to cover taught me something valuable. There is no single right way to engage with scripture. What matters is finding a rhythm that keeps you connected. For me, that meant letting go of perfection, reading smaller portions, allowing space for reflection and recognizing the power of voice in prayer.
A Better Way Forward
I am still not someone who reads the Bible perfectly or consistently, and I do not think I ever will be. There are weeks when I show up with intention and weeks when I do not show up at all. What has changed is that I no longer see that as failure. I am learning that staying connected to Scripture is less about finishing something and more about returning, again and again, even after drifting.
ThyWord comes out of that place , not from having it all figured out, but from wanting a way to stay present, to respond out loud, and to keep the relationship alive when life gets busy.
