How Reading the Bible Every Day Changes Everything

I admit it. I was jealous of the older women in my church.

I envied their faith, their powerful prayers, and their peace. I watched several of them go through really hard times, yet they didn’t come unglued. They came to Bible study each week and shared how God spoke to them. And how He’d answered their prayers in personal and specific ways. 

When one of us was struggling, they’d always know what to say to encourage us. They shared just the right verse or prayed the perfect prayer to ease our heaviness. 

Yet despite being practically perfect, they were still somehow real. They never made me feel judged or embarrassed by the frayed edges of my life.

I wanted what they had, so I went on a covert mission to discover their secret.

I’d hoped it was the brand of coffee they drank. Or the Bible translation they carried to church. Maybe their spiritual vitality came from reading certain authors or attending a particular Bible study. As I learned more about them, however, I discovered their preferences were as unique as they were.

After several years of information gathering, I was no closer to finding out their secret, so I gave up. I’d have to muddle through on my own.

I joined a group that encouraged me to read the Bible for fifteen minutes a day. The leader used The One Year Bible, which divides the Bible into 365 daily readings, each containing a passage from the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Psalms, and the Proverbs. 

“If you read a selection every day,” she said, “you’ll read through the whole Bible in a year.”

I’d never done that before. It seemed like a good spiritual goal, so I began reading. Some weeks I got behind and I’d have to read extra on weekends to catch up, but I was determined to finish.

But then October came, and I was so far behind I knew I’d never finish by the end of the year. I was ready to quit until the voice of reason (or the Holy Spirit) whispered in my soul, So what if it takes you fifteen months instead of twelve to finish reading your Bible? You’ll still have read the whole Bible!

It did, indeed, take me fifteen months to finish, but I finished. I did something most Christians will never do. I read the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. 

In the process, I discovered something unexpected—the key to a dynamic Christian life. Little by little, as I read through my Bible, amazing things began to happen. Some of them were so subtle I didn’t notice them at first. Others took years to fully manifest, but they transformed my life.

Here are eight reasons to read through the Bible this year.

1. To gain a greater understanding of God.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it surprised me how much I learned about God by reading through the whole Bible, not just the familiar parts. I began a list of God’s attributes. Whenever I’d discover a new one, I’d write it down. 

Patient. Faithful. Wise. Loving. Creative. Sacrificial. Nurturing. On and on it went until my list covered several pages. It became a stellar testimony of God’s character. The more I read about Him, the more I fell in love with Him. And I discovered how much He loved me. This is reason enough to read all of God’s Word, but there are so many more.

2. To grow your faith.

The more I read of God’s faithfulness to His children over thousands of years, the more I grew to trust Him. I saw how He protected Noah and his family, called and guided Abraham, shepherded David, grafted Rahab and Ruth into the line of Christ, preserved a godly remnant during times of spiritual unfaithfulness—and ultimately sent Jesus. When I read how He stopped the mouths of lions, rescued believers from fiery furnaces, and unlocked prison doors, I knew I could trust Him with the details and circumstances of my life.

3. To hear God speak.

For years I depended on others’ insight into the Scripture for guidance. I’d glean tidbits of God’s Word from my pastor’s sermons, the advice of others, and books and audio messages. Friends would share what they learned in their devotional times, and I’d soak it up like a chamois cloth at a car wash. 

When I began to read the Bible every day, God began to speak to me through His Word. I’d be struggling with something, and the passage for the day would provide just the guidance I needed. I’d read a promise that spoke specifically into a circumstance in my life. I’d delve into an Old Testament or New Testament story and realize I could apply the principle to a situation I was facing. The Bible became intimate and personal. 

4. To develop a powerful prayer life.

Other than memorizing the Lord’s Prayer, I never learned how to pray. My communication to God was limited to blessing the food before we ate and whispering prayers for health and safety over my children as they slept. As I read my Bible every day, however, I found myself eavesdropping on mighty men and women of God as they prayed. 

I learned to stand on God’s promises as I read about Abraham. Moses taught me it is okay to ask God to reveal Himself to me. David showed me how to bring my broken heart to Him. Elijah proved God would have my back when I took a stand. As I read the prayers of mighty men and women, I learned to imitate their faith and stand on their spiritual shoulders.

5. To gain wisdom to share with others.

I admit it. I began reading through the Bible in a year for purely selfish reasons. I quickly realized, however, that when God spreads a spiritual feast before you on the pages of His Word, He provides enough to feed you plus your friends, your coworkers, the people who sit next to you on the Metro, and even strangers. 

I’d read a passage of Scripture, think about it for a while, then tuck it away in my mind. Later that day, someone would share a prayer need or a struggle. Maybe they’d ask for advice about a certain situation or mention something they were wrestling with. Oftentimes the section of Scripture I’d read that day would be just the answer they were looking for. God would use me as a channel to speak His truth into someone else’s life.

6. To understand how the Old and New Testaments fit together.

For decades, I thought of the Old Testament in terms of: that was then, this is now. I knew the Old Testament was useful for historical purposes but assumed it had gone out of style when the New Testament came on the scene—like replacing an old coat with a new one.

But boy, was I wrong. Like the Rosetta Stone, the Old Testament unlocked the richest meanings and fullest extent of the New Testament. Because the One Year Bible pairs an Old Testament passage with a New Testament reading, I’d often read an Old Testament promise or prophecy and its New Testament fulfillment. This showed me how God has been working His plan of redemption from Genesis through Revelation.

7. To experience greater peace.

“Abundant peace belongs to those who love your instruction; nothing makes them stumble,” Psalm 119:165 reminds us, and it’s true. When I read how God protected the children of Israel from the murderous Egyptian army, I know I can trust Him to protect me. The account of how God multiplied the widow’s supply of flour and oil during lean times reminds me He will also provide for me. When I read Jesus’ words of comfort to Mary and Martha when their brother died, my heart rests securely in His resurrection promises. Like He did on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus rebukes the fearsome waves that threaten my life and ushers in a supernatural peace.

8. To become more spiritually mature.

God’s Word is alive, active, and sharper than a two-edged sword. It shines a spotlight on sin, moves us to confession and repentance, and spurs us on to love and good works. Powerful and effective, it fills us with courage, motivates us to share our faith, and gives us the desire to stand for right even when it costs us. The truths contained in the Bible transform our hearts and guide our lives. They protect us from sin and Satan.

We can’t interact with the God-breathed words of Scripture and come away unchanged. Day by day, week by week, year by year God uses the spiritual sandpaper of the Bible to conform us to His image and transform us into who He created us to be. It always accomplishes the purpose for which He sent it out. “He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus,” He promises in Philippians 1:6.

I Discovered the Secret

When I finished reading through the Bible that first year (plus three months), I realized I had found what I’d been searching for—the key to a dynamic faith life. It isn’t coffee, a certain method of study, or a particular version of the Bible. It’s not a ritual, a prayer, or a formula. 

It’s a commitment—a simple decision to spend time every day reading a love letter from the Lover of our souls.

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)

Twenty years have passed since I read through the Bible for the first time. Now I’m the “older woman” seeking to help younger women. If I could encourage every believer to do one thing to grow their spiritual lives, I’d tell them to read the Bible every year.

It’s simple. Doable. Life-giving—in fifteen minutes a day. 

As I’ve done it, I’ve discovered that reading the Bible changes everything.

Are you ready to be changed?

Life pulls at you from every direction—but your heart longs for more than hurry.