Second, we should not read too much each time; at the most, one chapter should be read at a time. Some suggest reading one chapter of the New Testament in the morning and three chapters of the Old Testament during the second time. In this way one can read through the entire Bible once a year. Although I formerly agreed with such a practice, I now feel that it may not be so beneficial. Some people are limited in their time and mental capacity. If they rigidly read one chapter of the New Testament and three chapters of the Old Testament each day, they may be reading the Bible simply for the sake of reading. Eventually, they may not even know what they have read. Thus, our experience tells us that it may be more beneficial to read one chapter of the Old Testament each day and finish it in three years.
This is similar to studying; we cannot be thorough in our studies if we are fast. If we read a book slowly, sentence by sentence, we will be clear when we finish the book. After three years of reading three chapters in the Old Testament every day, we may not know what we have read, even though we would have read it three times. It is better to read one chapter of the Old Testament every day and finish the Old Testament in three years. By doing so, we will gain a deeper impression.
This is not a fixed rule; each person should consider his own situation. Nevertheless, experience shows that it is better not to read more than one chapter at a time. It may not even be necessary to read through the New Testament once a year. It would be just as good to spend two years reading the New Testament. We can read half a chapter or even less than half a chapter daily. We may even read one chapter in three days. In this way we will spend one year to finish reading the four Gospels and the book of Acts and then another year to finish reading the Epistles and the book of Revelation. At the end of two years we will have a clear impression of the New Testament.
We should not desire to be fast. Previously I encouraged others to read the Bible once a year. Gradually I realized, from my experience and from the experience of others, that speed is not necessarily beneficial. We should not be too fast, and we should not be too impatient. It is sufficient for a new believer to read half a chapter of the New Testament and no more than one chapter of the Old Testament daily. In this way it will take three years to finish reading the Old Testament and two years to finish reading the New Testament. This will leave a deep and clear impression.
Therefore, we need not hurry. The most important thing is to be persistent and avoid impulsive reading. We should read a short portion of the Bible daily. If we read too much each time, it will not be easy for us to enjoy reading. Moreover, it will become a burden to us. This is not necessary. We should daily have two separate times for reading the Bible. The morning should be spent reading no more than one chapter of the New Testament. The other time should be spent reading no more than one chapter of the Old Testament. This is an excellent way to read the Bible.
Third, we should learn to remember the main points when reading the Bible. When we read Genesis 1, we should remember the order of the six days of creation. We should be able to say that on the first day, light and darkness were separated; on the second day, the water above was separated from the expanse below; on the third day, the land and waters were separated, and plants were brought forth; on the fourth day, the sun, moon, and stars appeared; on the fifth day, God created fish in the sea and birds in the sky; and on the sixth day, God created the animals on the earth, and He created man in His image and gave him dominion over all creation. These are the main points of Genesis 1. It is helpful to remember the main points when reading a chapter or a passage.
Fourth, in reading the Bible, we should receive inspiration and turn it into prayer. This is to blend the reading of the Word with prayer—reading and praying, praying and reading. It is rare not to receive any inspiration after reading a chapter or a portion of the Bible. We should always receive inspiration, regardless of which chapter or portion of the Bible we read. We should grasp the inspiration we receive and not let it go. The moment we receive inspiration, we should stop reading and turn the inspiration into prayer. This is to turn our reading of the Bible into prayer.
However, there is no need to pray for a long time. We should simply pray briefly and then resume our reading, continuing to read and pray. We should read for a while, then pray when there is inspiration. After a few prayers we should resume our reading. In this way we will no longer be aware of whether we are reading the Word or praying because our reading and praying have become one. This is the most beneficial way to obtain nourishment from reading the Word.
For example, after reading through Genesis 1 and remembering the main ideas, we will spontaneously have some inspiration. Perhaps we sense that our inward being is also in a state of waste, emptiness, and darkness and that we need the Spirit of God to work in us and the light of God to shine in us. We should turn this feeling into prayer, saying, “Lord, the condition of my inner being is waste, empty, and dark. I desperately need Your Spirit to operate in me and Your light to shine in me.” After such a prayer we can continue reading. We may read the portion we have just prayed over again and then continue reading. Once we receive inspiration, we should receive it and turn it into prayer. After praying, we can continue to read. When we receive more inspiration, we should again turn it into prayer. We should read and pray in this way.