What to know about the Bible
What translation should you use? Which Bible should you get?
Where to start in the Bible
What books are more beginner friendly? How do I know what to read?
How to meet with Jesus daily
How to establish a daily routine of meeting with Jesus
There are so many different translations and different Bibles out there, it can be so overwhelming! I'm here to help! On the "Bayleigh's Favorites" page, I go into more specifics about my favorite Bibles and why I recommend them, so definitely check that out! A great place to start would be the "She Reads Truth Bible" or the "Life Application Study Bible". When it comes to translations, choose one that is easy for you to understand and enjoyable to read. In my opinion, the most beginner friendly translations would be the New Living Translation (NLT, more interpretation than literal translation), the Christian Standard Bible (CSB, somewhere in the middle of literal and interpretation translation), or the New International Version (NIV, in between the NLT and CSB translations in terms of translation methods). If you want to dive deeper into the text or know more about the nuances of the translations from Greek or Hebrew (the original languages of the Old and New Testaments, respectively), I love the Amplified Bible (AMP).
I recommend starting with one of the Gospels, since that is the story of Jesus! Read the book of John first. John is a book that is generally recommended for new believers to get a good idea of who Jesus is and why He is so important! Another really good book to start with is Philippians. Philippians is a letter written by Paul to the Church in Philippi. This letter is known as a letter on the joy that comes from Jesus Christ. It really emphasizes that joy is possible, even in hard life circumstances, by shifting our perspectives to think of the eternal hope we are promised in Jesus.
So, I'm gonna be real for a second. It can be really hard to establish a consistent routine of meeting with Jesus every day. I've been there- life is busy, you're tired, you aren't in the mood, the list could go on. But hear me when I say this: the more you draw near to God, the more He will draw near to you (James 4:8). It is going to be hard at first! But eventually, as you keep meeting with Jesus, as you keep talking to Him, as you keep learning more about Him and His Word, your spiritual thirst will increase.
You'll find yourself wanting to learn more and more, wanting to spend more and more time with Him. Just like with any relationship, it takes a little bit of adjustment to get used to this new person. It takes time to learn about their quirks and understand how to relate to them. I promise you, making it a daily habit to sit with Jesus and see what He has for you that day will fill your spiritual cup (John 7:37-29).
Is life still going to be hard sometimes? Yes. Is it going to be harder to be consistent on some days? Yes. But He is always there for you, always within arm's reach. My recommendation for you is to pick a book of the Bible and start by reading a few verses of it every day. Over time, as you build your spiritual stamina, you can increase to maybe a chapter or two. Give yourself permission to start slow- you're new at this! I like to talk to God before I start my study for that day. I like to ask Him to reveal to me what He has for me that day through whatever book of the Bible I'm reading or doing a study on. Then, when I'm done with my study for that day, I like to reflect on it with Him and close out that hangout session with Jesus in prayer.
On the "Bayleigh's Faves" page, I have some recommendations on study guides you can do to pair with your Bible reading! I've always meshed well with a more guided approach, so I find it really helpful to do a devotional or Bible study workbook on a topic I feel drawn to at that point in my life. Check out those recommendations!