Start small, and start with Jesus.
The Bible can feel huge — 66 books, written over many centuries. You don’t have to start on page one, and you don’t have to understand it all at once.
Where to start: the Gospel of John. It was written “that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). After that, try Mark or Luke, then Acts, then the Psalms.
A simple way to read, a little each day:
- Pray first. “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Psalm 119:18).
- Read a short section — a chapter or less is plenty.
- Ask three questions: What does this show me about God? What does it show me about people? What should I do?
- Keep one verse with you for the day.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105).
A lamp shows the next step, not the whole road, and that’s enough.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
Read verses in their setting — the verses around them help you understand what they mean. Use a translation you can understand easily. And read with others when you can; a church Bible class is a great place to ask questions.
Want a guided start? Walk through Who is Jesus?, then explore teaching we trust.
Starting to read? We will pray for you by name as you begin.
More questions? See them all · Find hope for your burden · Know Jesus