Bible: Read

(Part 3 of 6 posts about reading the Bible.)

Step two: read. Duh.

After you ask for God's help, just read it. This isn't something super-spiritual. You don't need to dress like a monk or anything. Just read what it says. There will be stuff you don't understand and that's okay. Just take it in. Read. What. It. Says.

"But where do I start?"

Good question. What genre do you want to try first. The Bible is one book; but it is also like a library. It is one book made up of 66 smaller books. Each stands alone; yet all work together to tell the whole story of God's work in the world through Jesus. They're basically divided like this (look at the table of contents in your Bible to see what I'm talking about):

Genesis through Esther = History books. You read each of these straight through because each tells a historical  story.
Job through Song of Songs = Wisdom literature. These include conversations, poems, songs, witty sayings, and deep thoughts.
Isaiah through Malachi = Prophets. God spoke through these books to His people, addressing them directly. You'll find some history in here too; but the main feature is God's speeches to His people.
Matthew through Acts = More history books. Actually, Matthew through Luke are biographies of Jesus; but each reads the same as a history book, from beginning to end. Acts is the history of the church when it first got started.
Romans through Jude = Letters. Read these like you're looking at someone's mail. Each book is a letter written by a person to another person or group of people.
Revelation = Prophecy again.

So, just pray for God's help and start reading a book within The Book.