Tips for Creating a Daily Bible Reading & Prayer Routine

Spending time in God’s Word is of utmost importance as a Christian. If you’re struggling to be consistent, or even get motivated to be in His word, then this post should help.

The last year has been a journey for me – mostly a journey in grace. In resting. In trusting fully in the finished work of Christ.

Early last year we lost our baby, decided to move back across the country, lived with my in-loves for several months, bought a new house and moved again.

Then we felt a very clear call from the Lord to lay down everything that brought us earthly comfort (aka, my husband’s job again), and dive full-time into ministry. My husband committed to starting seminary at the next available term, and we launched Your Intentional Family.

Then, we found out we were expecting another bundle of love. A baby we didn’t know we could have and soon first trimester came and life turned on its head. As if it wasn’t already on its head, of course.

First trimester with our third little boy was the worst I’ve ever experienced. I couldn’t leave the couch. I couldn’t care for my other two little boys. I couldn’t write. I couldn’t read. I just lay there and moaned for most of the day or slept the other part. And prayed. A lot.

My husband picked up the slack and somehow we made it through the (in hindsight) very short season of survival mode. God provided in abundance and used that time to refine us and refine us again.

We came out on the other end …

• committed to investing deeply into our marriage to repair the damage of the last year,
• committed to working hard in the time we have before baby to get Your Intentional Family off the ground,
• committed to praying for our daily bread,
• and committed to seeking God daily through His word individually and as a family.

I went months without opening my Bible or writing in my journal, but during that time God never left me. He taught me what it meant to lean into His grace and trust Him in His finished work. I learned that the Christian life is less about doing and more about being.

Being loved.

Being forgiven.

Being free.

I learned that Jesus meets us in our messy moments when we pull out our kid’s juice box and snack-pack crackers and take communion alone in the corner of the kitchen collapsed on the floor in exhaustion.

Jesus is enough.

But even though He is enough, we are still called to pursue Him in His word.

I’ve been doing a topical Bible study lately on The Importance of Knowing God. You can get the free Bible reading plan here. My eyes have been opened (even more) to the importance of pursuing knowledge, insight, and wisdom in the Word of God.

Jeremiah 4:22 says, “For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’ – in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.”

The only place we can know God and know the works He has for us through prayer and Bible study. There is danger in neglecting God’s Word for long periods of time. Yes, there are genuine seasons when His word is not opened, but we must fight for our time, clawing if we must back to our Bible, back to our routine, back into His presence.

We must continually be growing in our knowledge of God so that we might through prayer gain insight and live a life of wisdom.

I believe the best way to be consistent in spending regular time with God is to create a Daily Bible Reading & Prayer Routine.

What I mean when I say a daily Bible reading and prayer routine is that when you sit down to meet with God, you walk through the same steps.

When you sit down with God doesn’t matter to me.

I’m a mom of young children. I’m not waking up early right now, and though we try to do daily room time for the kids so that I can get a few moments of quiet alone, it doesn’t always happen. My time with the Lord is sometimes squeezed between the inevitable potty accidents, milk spills, and sibling refereeing.

This means when I sit down with my Bible and prayer journal, I want to get right to business. I don’t want to be wondering what I’m supposed to be reading, if I’m doing this prayer thing right, or forgetting to praise Him instead of just offering my laundry list of wants up to Him.

I want my time with the Lord to be efficient, effective, and transformative. So, creating a Daily Bible Reading and Prayer Routine has helped me so much in this area!

Today I’m going to share with you my Daily Bible and Prayer Routine. Perhaps you’ll use the same one, or perhaps you will simply use it as a guide to creating your own unique bible and prayer routine. Either way works, but take time today to write out your own routine that you can refer to daily to make getting into God’s word more efficient, effective, and transformative for yourself!

1. Praise and Worship

I always start my time with praise and worship. This means I put my earbuds in and turn on some worship music. Some people like to sit in silence, but I’ve found silence to be a time of mind-wandering for me.

I intentionally choose music that turns my mind to Christ and invites the Holy Spirit come. The point of this time is to tune my heart to Him and away from myself, my needs, my worries, my troubles. I simply want to worship Him.

Right now, I only listen to one song before moving on. Remember: Small children in this house!

Some songs I enjoy during this time:

• Speak, O Lord by Keith & Kristyn Getty
• Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli
• Good, Good Father by Chris Tomlin
• Lord I Need You by Chris Tomlin
• Nothing But the Blood of Jesus
• Be Still My Soul by Kari Jobe

2. Expectant Prayer

After my time in worship, I move into expectant prayer. This isn’t when I start praying for everyone in my family or even my needs.

I’m simply asking the Lord to be present and draw near. I’m praying for the Holy Spirit to illuminate the scriptures and give me insight into His holy word.

I recorded a video a few years ago about positioning yourself to hear from God. I recommend watching it really quickly to learn more about this expectant prayer time. To save time, you can skip ahead to about the three minute mark where I get really specific about expectant prayer.

Click here to watch the video, or simply press play below.

3. Bible Study

Next, I move into Bible study. This is when a Bible reading plan comes in handy. There are a variety of options for this part of your Bible and Prayer Routine, but having a plan to follow will help keep you motivated and consistent with your time in the Word.

Again, I’m going to refer you to a resource. If you haven’t read Jen Wilkins book, Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Minds, then please read it.

In her book, she teaches you (in depth and practically) how to study with purpose, perspective, process, prayer, and patience. Reading this book truly transformed my time in the word of God.

Right now, I’m hosting a virtual book club with a couple of other ladies every Tuesday to talk about this book. Learn more about the Women of the Word Book Club here. I would love for you to join us!

Other posts that might help:

• 6 Simple Steps to Get Started Studying God’s Word
• How to Create Your Own Topical Bible Reading Plan
• 7 Steps to Get Back on Track with Daily Bible Reading

4. Prayers of Supplication

After I’ve spent time reading and studying God’s word, I move into prayers of supplication. I like to write my prayers, and I use my prayer journal pretty heavily during this time.

This is when I begin to pray in response to the text I’ve read as well as praying for my family members and friends. You can read all about my system of prayer here.

5. Gratitude & Praise

Finally, I move into gratitude and praise. Again, I enjoy writing my prayers of praise. This is simply a time rejoicing in His abundant mercy and grace.

Writing down the things I’m thankful for helps me to keep a record of His faithfulness as a reminder for the future. He is truly worthy of all our praise!

This simple Bible Reading and Prayer Routine has truly helped me to be not only more efficient with my quiet times but more effective as well. I know that when I sit down I’m meeting with God, and I look forward to this time because I know what to expect and transformation has flowed much more freely since getting intentional about my time in God’s Word.

What about you? Do you have a Daily Bible Reading and Prayer Routine? I’d love to hear it in the comments!

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