"I Keep Failing to Read the Bible" – 5 Tips to Make the Habit Stick

Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes

We have all been there. You attend a service or a conference, you feel inspired, and you make a vow: "From tomorrow, I am going to read three chapters every morning at 6 am."

You do it for three days. Then you oversleep on Thursday. You feel guilty, so you skip Friday too. By Sunday, the Bible is back on the shelf, and you feel like a spiritual failure.

The problem isn't that you don't love God. The problem likely isn't even your discipline. The problem is usually your strategy.

Willpower is like a battery; it runs out. Habits, however, run on autopilot. If you want 2026 to be different, stop relying on willpower and start using a smart strategy. Here are five ways to make the habit stick.

In short:

How can I stop failing at daily Bible reading?
To build a consistent Bible reading habit, stop relying on motivation and start using these five habit-building strategies. 1. Lower the bar: Commit to reading just one verse instead of a whole chapter. 2. Habit stack: Anchor your reading to an existing habit like morning coffee. 3. Change the format: If reading is difficult, switch to an audio Bible. 4. The Two-Day Rule: Allow yourself to miss one day, but never two days in a row. 5. Prepare the night before: Leave your Bible open on the table so there is no friction in the morning.

1. Lower the Bar (Micro-Habits)

Most of us set goals that are too big for our "bad days." It is easy to read three chapters when you feel energetic. It is impossible when you have the flu or the baby was crying all night.

The Fix: Make your goal so small it sounds ridiculous. Commit to reading one verse a day. Just one. On good days, you will naturally read more. But on bad days, you can still read that one verse and keep your "streak" alive. Success breeds motivation.

2. Use "Habit Stacking"

This is a concept from behavioural psychology. It is hard to build a new habit from scratch. It is much easier to attach a new habit to an old one.

The Fix: Fill in this blank: "After I [Current Habit], I will Read the Bible."

• "After I turn on the kettle, I will read a Psalm."
• "After I brush my teeth, I will open the app."
• "After I buckle my seatbelt, I will hit play on the audio Bible."

3. If You Can't Read, Listen

Some people are visual learners. Others are not. If you find your eyes glazing over every time you look at a page of text, stop forcing it. You aren't "cheating" by listening.

The Fix: Switch to an Audio Bible. You can listen while you commute, exercise, or do housework. Romans 10:17 says "faith comes by hearing," and for many people, listening is the key to unlocking the Bible.

4. The "Two-Day" Rule

Perfectionism is the enemy of progress. When we miss one day, we tend to think, "Well, I've ruined it now," and we quit entirely.

The Fix: Adopt the Two-Day Rule. You are allowed to miss one day. Life happens. But you are never allowed to miss two days in a row. If you miss Tuesday, you must read on Wednesday, even if it is just for 30 seconds. This prevents a "slip" from becoming a "slide."

5. Remove the Friction

If your Bible is in a drawer, inside a box, or under a stack of magazines, you have created "friction." You have to make an effort just to start.

The Fix: Put your Bible where you will see it. Leave it open on the kitchen table. Put it on your pillow. Download the app to your home screen. The easier it is to start, the more likely you are to do it.

Is Your Edition the Problem?

Sometimes, we fail to read because the Bible we own is actually hard to use. If the print is too small, the language is archaic, or the pages are stuck together, you will subconsciously avoid it.

If you need a Bible that invites you in—perhaps one with larger print or a modern translation—we can help you find it.

Find Your Perfect Bible with the Eden Bible Finder

Stop beating yourself up about the past. Today is a new day. Pick up the book, read one verse, and count it as a win.

Not sure which Bible is right for you? You can learn more in our free 97-page ebook, 'How to Choose Your Bible'.