how to fight distraction in your Bible time
I wish I could sit here and tell you that I am never distracted during my Bible reading time. I wish I could tell you that I am always focused and my mind never wanders.
Buuuttt… that’s just not the case. My guess is that we all have this in common: We all want to read our Bible, dig deep into it and keep our focus so we can grow in our relationship with God.
However, there is a laundry list of distractions in our lives. They might look a little different, but the truth remains: We are distracted people. So how can we fight this enemy and truly hone into what God wants to teach us during our Bible time?
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is found in Luke 10. One night, Jesus and some of his friends were reclining at dinner. One of his dear friends, Mary, was eagerly sitting at His feet — fully focused and soaking in every word He said. But Mary’s sister, Martha, was busy serving, bussing the table and cleaning up. She got upset and asked Jesus why Mary didn’t care to help her.
Jesus’ response was simple.
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion which will not be taken from her. (Luke 10:41-42)
Although Martha had good intentions by serving, she was ultimately distracted. She was being pulled in so many directions. And when faced with the choice between sitting at Jesus’ feet and worshipping Him, she chose to worry about the household chores — which could have waited a few hours.
Raise your hand if you can relate to Martha! Jesus lovingly convicted Martha, telling her that her sister had chosen the greatest possession: close fellowship with Him. In saying all of this, He gently tugged at her heart — in a way, asking her to examine her heart… her motivations.
Now, I’d love to share some some helpful ways to fight distraction during your Bible time — so you can ready grow in intimate fellowship with your Creator. But what we all need to start with is a heart check with God. Spend some time in prayer and ask God to reveal your biggest distractions, sins and barriers. Let Him reveal them, bulldoze them and make way for undistracted time with Him. IT’S WORTH IT.
A Few Helpful Ways to Fight Distraction
Pray before you start.
Prayer is our way of communicating and relating to God in an intimate way. It’s a way to hear His voice, make our requests known and reveal any sin. It’s POWERFUL.
So if it’s the most powerful thing, then shouldn't we do it to help battle our distractions?! Simply ask the Lord to help you stay focused and keep your mind stayed on Him. Your Father doesn’t want you to be distracted — He wants to spend uninterrupted time with you in His Word.
So pray. Every time you open your Bible. PRAY!
Find a routine / rhythm.
Plain and simple: Get into a routine. Start practicing a rhythm in your life. Whether or not you’re a big “routine gal” or not, this is crucial. Like most things in life, this time has to be practiced and prioritized. Sit down and think about a time of day that works best for your Bible reading and then give yourself a second option too. Don’t buy the lie that you’ve missed it!
Creating routine helps fight distraction because it hones your focus in. When you’ve set expectations, over time and with repetition, you will begin to remember it and focus on it. Don’t underestimate this one!
Turn off your phone or put it away.
Our phones and electronics are hands down our biggest distractions when it comes to Bible reading. (Your dog is a close second.) Take your phone and power it off for your reading time. Another option is to put it on “do not disturb” or put it in a completely different room.
Sure, you may not see your boyfriend or best friend text you. You may miss a call. But like Martha, what is most important to you in that moment? Sacrifice 20 minutes (or however long) of distracted glances at Instagram notifications to meet with the Creator of the UNIVERSE.
Take notes and journal your heart away.
If it wasn’t for note-taking, I would be a mess. Note taking has been an awesome way for me to stay focused on what I’m reading and actually glean beautiful truths. I know not everyone loves to journal or note take, but this helps you put your thoughts onto physical paper, forcing your brain to focus and write.
Not only that, it may help you retain information if you write it down. Keep your hands busy with a pen and paper and see what happens.
Start with worship music.
Sometimes I feel super scatter-brained in the morning before I do my Bible time. I already feel like my mind is racing a million miles an hour and I don’t know how to focus in. So sometimes, I turn on my Spotify worship playlist and sit in silence or sing before I read.
This helps quiet my mind, focus on worship and create space for quiet time. This is more of a preparation — getting your whole self quieted and focused in on what’s about to happen.
Find a solid Bible study reading plan.
Sometimes we get distracted in our Bible reading because we simply don’t know where to start or what to read. This is where I would suggest a Bible reading plan. There are so many on the Bible app and online and even some amazing devotionals online.
Even reading a whole book of the Bible through, for instance, starting with John and reading one chapter a day until it’s finished is AMAZING. That’s what I like to do. It helps me feel motivated and purposeful, knowing I am reading a certain thing everyday.
Do some deep digging.
I’m going to geek out for a second. This is another tip that I couple with journaling and it makes a WORLD of a difference. One of my favorite books, Living by the Book, inspired me to stay focused on Bible reading by looking out for keywords, definitions and writing down questions.
This may seem a little “school-esque.” But not only does it keep you focused and intentional about what you’re reading, it also helps you dig deeper into what the Bible is really saying. Write down / highlight theme words, questions you may have or look up a word in a dictionary to help you understand deeper.
Grab an accountability friend.
Now, I don’t recommend this for your everyday reading because it’s a) not really that practical and b) it’s important to have your own personal time growing with Jesus.
But if you’re having a hard time staying focused, maybe commit to getting together with a friend, either in person or via FaceTime. Read the Word with them and talk about what it means / how you can live it in your life. Sometimes getting someone else’s perspective and hearing their fire for God can encourage you to dig deeper and refresh your personal time.
Check your heart.
Like Jeremiah 17:9 says, our hearts are wicked. Yikes — it’s true. We’re imperfect human beings with hearts that don’t always cling to truth, love or morality. So although we may have good intentions, we must always (I repeat: always) check our hearts.
Like we talked about with Mary and Martha, our hearts are the main issue. Ask yourself these questions often: What are the things that are distracting me the most? Is there any unconfessed sin in my life that’s keeping me from communicating with God fully?
Try listening to an audio Bible.
Personally, I love listening to the audio Bible in the YouVersion app while I’m driving. Sometimes switching up the way you consume the Bible can be refreshing to your time, keeping you focused and intrigued. If you’re having a hard time reading and you find yourself especially distracted, try turning on an audio Bible and listening to your passage instead.
Read the Word out loud.
Similar to the tip prior, I would encourage you to read whatever scripture you’re reading in the Bible out loud. It may feel weird at first, but speak it out. This gives you an extra incentive to pay attention because you’re declaring it out loud.
And you could even make it fun! If you’re reading a story in the Bible, use voice fluctuations or different voices to narrate the characters. Seriously — anything you can do to keep your mind set and undistracted is a WIN.
