Help for Bored Bible Readers
Five heart postures for approaching God’s Word
Here in Florida, the 2026 spring college semester started this past Monday. That means that the posting frequency for DTFR will likely and unfortunately be quite irregular. Lord-willing, I’ll still be able to post every now and then, but nothing is guaranteed. Just wanted to give a little heads up in the event of an unusually extended silence from my end! Enjoy the article!
When Bible Reading Becomes Boring
Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word is living and active. Then why when we read it does it often feel dead and dormant? Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Then why in reading it does it often seem to have no internal effect? Why is it that we often fail to be enthralled and engaged with the book that contains the greatest story ever told?
If we’re honest, there are often times when our Bible reading can feel, well, boring. There are times when our intake of the satisfying water of life seems to just ineffectively wash over a stony heart and disengaged mind. Are the truths in Hebrews 4:12 then wrong? Or is there something wrong with us?
It’s All About the Approach
While there may be different factors at play, one reason our Bible reading could be boring is because of the way we are approaching it. If a soldier approached the battlefield like a baseball game, or a surgeon approached a heart transplant as if he were playing the board game operation, the ensuing results would be disastrous.
Similarly, we often approach our times of Bible reading unpreparedly and inappropriately. Instead of approaching the Bible like a treasure trove of wisdom, we approach it like an old box of old books. Instead of approaching the Bible for encounter with the living God, we approach it for a quick verse to get us through the day. Then, like the soldier being confused with why he got shot, or the surgeon being puzzled at the ravenous infection in his patient, we wonder why we are so often bored with the beauty of the Bible. Just like a soldier entering battle or a surgeon preparing for surgery, the way we approach God’s Word, or the mindset that we approach God’s Word with matters. It’s not just our practices during reading the Bible that matters, it’s also the posture our hearts are in before we even open our Bibles.
So today, using the help of Matt Smethurst’s excellent little book, “Before You Open Your Bible: Nine Heart Postures for Approaching God’s Word”, we are going to look at five heart postures (the ones that most impacted me from the book) we are to have as we approach God’s Word. Considering many of us are embarking on a year of reading through the Bible in a year or in some other form or fashion, my hope and prayer is that this article can usher some wind into the sails of our Scripture-studying! For oh, how dangerous it is to become bored with the living and active Word of God!
Approach your Bible prayerfully
The first heart posture is approaching your Bible prayerfully. In his book (which I’ll be quoting all throughout this article), Matt Smethurst says, “Prayerless Christianity is powerless Christianity”. Without the power of God in our lives, we cannot live and breathe in relationship with Jesus (John 15:5). So how then do we access this power? One major way is through prayer. Prayer expresses our dependence and reliance upon God’s power.
In light of this then, it becomes essential to approach God’s Word with prayer. Because as we read God’s Word, we need His Spirit to open our eyes to see, soften our hearts to receive, and strengthen our wills to respond. As we approach our Bible reading, we have to cry along with the Psalmist, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” (Psalm 119:18). As we approach our Bibles, we must approach them prayerfully!
As we read God’s Word, we need His Spirit to open our eyes to see, soften our hearts to receive, and strengthen our wills to respond.
Approach your Bible humbly
Secondly, we must approach our Bibles humbly. Approaching humbly can mean two things. Firstly, it means acknowledging that we don’t know it all. This can be a major temptation for those who have spent a lot of time in God’s Word. Experience in mining the depths of God’s Word can produce a temptation to subconsciously suppose that there’s no more gold to find in the caves of God’s Word. Yet there is a dangerous tendency and temptation. The reality is, we will never arrive at a place of Biblical-literacy or spiritual maturity where God’s Word ceases to reveal new insights and instructions. Matthew Henry says, “Take pains while you live…The Scripture still affords new things, to those who search them.” There’s always more to be found– for those who search hard and with humility.
“Take pains while you live…The Scripture still affords new things, to those who search them.” (Matthew Henry)
Secondly, approaching the Bible humbly can also mean appreciating the kindness of God to reveal Himself to us in his Word. Do we realize that so many historic Christians were not privileged to have God’s Word instantly accessible? Do we realize that Moses, David, and Paul didn’t even have a Bible to open? Reflection upon these realities ought to produce in us a profound humility that the God of the universe would choose to speak to us. Oh how should we listen with an attentive and humble ear!
Approach your Bible desperately
The third way we ought to approach our Bibles is desperately. Oftentimes in the Bible, we see that it self-describes itself as food. Matt Smethurst says, “If you read the Bible, you’ll never get the impression that it’s meant to be a mere hobby in your life. It’s meant to be your food.” However, oftentimes we approach the Bible not like one starved and hungry for nourishment, but as one who is tired of having the same meal again. We fail to be like the newborn infants 1 Peter 2:2 describes, who “long for the pure spiritual milk”. When we approach the Bible, we need to approach it remembering what Jesus says in the last part of John 15:5, for apart from me you can do nothing. We need to approach the Bible remembering that the health of our souls depends upon the nourishment that only Scripture can provide. To again quote Smethurst, “Your soul will wither and die without your Bible. Approach it desperately”.
“Your soul will wither and die without your Bible. Approach it desperately”. (Matt Smethurst)
Approach your Bible obediently
The fourth way to approach our Bibles is obediently. What does this mean? Well for one, it means always ultimately submitting and surrendering to what the Bible says. It means approaching the Bible with a heart ready to say, “yes Lord” to whatever he speaks through it. In every conversation, the Bible gets the final word.
I think it’s also important to remember that approaching the Bible obediently is for our good. Matt Smethurst says, “Biblical obedience is not about keeping an arbitrary set of rules; it’s about living in accordance with our design, in harmony with our Maker. Because he wants us to flourish, he restricts us in order to truly free us. He prohibits us to drive us to what is good. He lays boundaries with hands of love.” This is important! Obedience to God’s Word is not a burden meant to hinder our happiness, but a blessing that guards and grows our happiness. We need to approach the Bible obediently! It will further our good, not our gloom.
Obedience to God’s Word is not a burden meant to hinder our happiness, but a blessing that guards and grows our happiness.
Approach your Bible communally
Fifth and finally, we need to approach our Bibles communally. Approaching our Bibles communally means a couple of different things. It means we need the good insights others have gleaned as they studied the Bible. It means we need the gracious correction of others to help us live out what we learn in the Bible. It means we need the genuine encouragement of others when we feel we have no strength to listen to and live out the Bible. It means that we can’t do it on our own. We need the good insights, gracious correction, genuine encouragement, and help of other believers as we read the Bible.
Matt Smethurst paraphrasing Colin Hansen says, “It’s imperative, therefore, that we approach Scripture alongside others, in the context of a diverse community, otherwise our experience will limit us, our preferences will govern us, and our biases will blind us.” As we approach the Bible we need to acknowledge that we can’t rock it out alone. We need to approach the Bible communally.
Bear with Bible-Reading Boredom!
To end this article, I want to briefly mention two other heart postures (these aren’t in the book) we should have as we approach God’s Word: consistently and perseveringly. Because here’s the thing. The inevitable truth is that there will be days when reading God’s Word is difficult. Sin and Satan will often cause our eyes to be blinded to the radiant beauty and majesty of God’s Word. However in spite of the opposition and obstacles, we must turn to God’s Word anyway, and regularly so. Though it’s sometimes difficult, we must never fail to consistently and perseveringly dig for the treasures found in God’s Word. So hard though it may be, keep on reading and studying God’s Word, for, as Matt Smethurst says, “Your Bible is a bottomless treasure chest of beauty and wonder, strength and joy. May you approach it for the rest of your days as if that’s true because it is.” So bear with the occasional Bible-reading boredom my friend. For 364 days of rock is worth 1 day of pure, priceless, and precious gold!
For more on heart postures we ought to have when approaching God’s Word, buy and read Matt Smethurst’s book here! I highly encourage you get it and read it, it is very helpful!