12. Why You’re Not Reading Your Bible (Even Though You Want To)

Why you’re not reading your Bible consistently and why discipline isn’t the real issue.

Like, follow, and subscribe ➡ https://www.youtube.com/@PrettyDeepPodcast
 

If you’ve been struggling to read the Bible consistently, this episode will help you understand what’s really going on beneath the surface. This isn’t about being a “bad Christian” or not having enough discipline, it’s about how pressure, confusion, and performance can turn Bible reading into something you avoid. 

In this episode of the Pretty Deep Podcast, Petrina shares how to stop treating the Bible like a task and start approaching it as a way to know God more deeply.

In this video, you’ll learn:
 • Why Bible reading can feel confusing, pressured, or unrewarding
 • How treating Scripture like a performance creates avoidance
 • Why consistency is often the result, not the root problem
 • How to approach the Bible as a relationship with God
 • Simple ways to engage with Scripture without rushing or forcing it

Next Video to Watch ➡ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jybk7_1DfcA&t=68s

Subscribe to our YouTube: Pretty Deep Podcast ➡ https://www.youtube.com/@PrettyDeepPodcast

Connect with us!
Instagram: @PetrinaVerma

Question - Have you ever felt pressure or guilt around reading the Bible consistently?

Disclaimer: This video is not sponsored. There are no affiliate products mentioned.

#BibleStudy #ChristianWomen #FaithJourney #KnowGod #PrettyDeepPodcast

ABOUT: Welcome to the Pretty Deep Podcast, a space where we talk about the real things women carry and the misunderstandings about God that quietly shape our lives. Through honest conversations about faith, identity, healing, and relationship with God, this channel helps women build a real, personal relationship with God in everyday life.

 DISCLAIMER: This video is not sponsored. Any opinions shared are personal reflections intended for encouragement and faith-based discussion. This content is not a substitute for professional counselling, pastoral care, or theological instruction. Always seek trusted guidance when needed.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

You want to read the Bible consistently, but you don't. You admire people who do and you think about it. You've probably tried a few times too, but then you don't stick to it. It's not that you don't love God, because you really do. So why does something that matters this much to you feel so hard to stay consistent with and committed to? Why does it feel like other people get it and you don't? Hi, I'm Petrina and this is the Pretty Deep podcast where we talk about real things that women carry and the misunderstandings about God that quietly shape our lives. In this episode, we're going to talk about why you're not reading the Bible and the lie that is underneath that struggle. And we'll talk about what actually changes things. Because this is not about discipline, it's about something much deeper than that. So, when you actually sit down to read the Bible, it doesn't feel the way you expected. You open it, but you don't really understand what you're reading. It feels confusing, sometimes even overwhelming, and you really don't know where to start. You don't know what you're supposed to be looking for. And even when you do read, you don't feel like you're getting much out of it. No big revelation, no clear connection, nothing that feels like what other people describe. So what happens? You close it. You tell yourself you'll come back to it later, when you have more time, or when you can do it properly. And slowly it becomes something you avoid. Not because you don't care, but because every time you come to it, it reminds you of what you don't understand, what you don't feel, what you think you should be getting, but aren't. And without even saying it out loud, you start to believe something. Maybe I'm just not good at this. Maybe this just isn't for me. So it's not that you don't want to read the Bible, it's that you don't know how to engage with it in a way that actually brings it to life. And this is where something deeper is going on. Because over time, without even realizing it, you've started to relate to the Bible in a very specific way. You've made it a test, a test of discipline, a test of consistency, a test of what kind of Christian you are. So now every time you read it, it doesn't just feel like, oh, I missed a day. It feels like you failed. And every time you do open it, there's pressure. Pressure to understand it properly. Pressure to get something meaningful out of it. Pressure to do it right. And when that doesn't happen, you walk away feeling like I should be better at this. Why don't I get it like other people do? Maybe I'm just not that kind of person. But here's what's really important to see. This was never meant to feel like a performance. Somewhere along the way, you've turned the Bible into something you are meant to do well instead of something that you're meant to experience. You know, that changes things. Because the moment something becomes a performance, it creates pressure. And pressure creates resistance, and resistance will lead to avoidance. And once you start to see that, a few things will become really clear. You're expecting instant understanding from a book that is really deep, very layered, and quite complex. The Bible actually speaks to this. In the book of Hebrews, it says, for the word of God is living and active. Hebrews 4.12. This is not something you skim once and fully grasp. It's something that reveals more the more you stay with it. Every time you go back, you'll have some new understanding, you'll have some new revelation. You'll see something that you didn't see the last time. So when you don't immediately get it and you assume that the problem is you, that is simply not true. You just don't have a way to read it yet. And no one has shown you how to approach it, what to look for, how to make sense of what you're seeing. So it all feels random and disconnected and eventually even a little pointless. You're approaching it like a task, something to complete, something to tick off, instead of something that you enter into. And because of that, you're looking for a result. You're looking for a feeling, a breakthrough, something that tells you that it worked. And when that doesn't happen, you feel like you've wasted your time. So confusion turns into frustration, and frustration turns into avoidance. And avoidance starts to feel like who you are. But this is the part that most people miss. Inconsistency is usually not the problem, it's the result. It's what happens when something feels unclear and pressured and unrewarding. So you try again, then you stop again, then you feel bad again, and the whole cycle just continues to continue. So, what actually changes this? It's when you start to see the Bible differently. I want you to think about any relationship in your life. You meet someone, you like them, you start spending time together. And you know what? Not every moment is magical. Not every conversation is deep and life-changing. Sometimes it's just ordinary and mundane. But something is happening in those ordinary moments. You're getting to know this person. You're seeing how they think, how they respond, what matters to them. You see them in different situations, in moments of joy, in moments of stress and pressure, in moments of celebration, and even in moments of grief. And over time, all those moments, you know, even the small, seemingly insignificant ones, they build up to something. They build trust, they build understanding, and they build connection. And slowly, without even realizing it, the relationship becomes deeper and more meaningful and real. Your relationship with God works exactly the same way. The Bible is not something you read to get through. It's how you get to know God. It's where you see how he thinks, you see how he responds, you see what he loves, what he cares about. The Bible is where you begin to recognize God. And just like any relationship, not every moment will feel profound. Not every time you open your Bible will feel like a breakthrough. But that does not mean that nothing is happening. Because every time you come to it, you are learning Him. And over time, that's what brings the change. For me, this shift didn't happen overnight. It actually started in a very ordinary way. During COVID, when everything slowed down, I suddenly had the time. And I realized I'd been saying I wanted this for a very long time, but I hadn't actually consciously made space for it. So I made a decision not to do it perfectly, not to rush through, but just to sit with it. And as I kept coming back, as I gave it time, as I allowed myself to stay, something began to change. I stopped seeing the Bible as something I had to get through and started seeing it as a way to know God. Once that shifted, I started noticing things that I had never noticed before. The depth, the detail, the way everything connects. A promise in one place is fulfilled somewhere else. A thread running through different books all points to the same truth. The more I saw, the more I wanted to keep going. Because it stopped feeling like something I had to be disciplined about. I was drawn to it. I found myself going deeper, looking things up. History, cultural context of verses, stories. I followed themes. I sat with those passages that I was reading for longer, sometimes for hours. Not because I had to, but because I was discovering something. And over time, I realized I wasn't just learning scripture. I was actually getting to know God. Not just what I'd heard from others about him, but who he actually is. I was getting to know his character, his nature, the way he responds, the way he loves, the way he thinks. And that began to change how I thought. It changed how I responded and how I handled things in my life. It brought a kind of steadiness and clarity. It brought a quiet confidence in God, even when things were not clear in my life. And without forcing it, this suddenly became something that I just kept coming back to because I wanted to and I was enjoying it so much. So, if this shift, you know, from task to relationship is what changes things, how do you begin? You begin not by trying to read more or not by making big plans that you won't stick to. You begin by approaching it differently. Instead of asking, what should I read, how much should I read, how long should I read, start with a different question. What does this, however much that is, or however long that is, show me about God? Like ask yourself that when you read a chapter. Because the goal is not to get through it, it's to get to know Him. John 17, verse 3 says, and this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. So eternal life or the life is that we know the one true God and that we know Jesus. This has always been the goal, not information, but knowing God. Knowing that changes how you sit down with it. You're no longer looking for a big moment or trying to force revelation. You're just becoming familiar. And that means you don't have to rush. You don't have to understand everything. You don't have to get something every single time. But you do need to stay. Because most people get discouraged and leave too quickly. They read a little, feel nothing, and assume this is not working. But this is a relationship, and relationships are built by staying. So instead of reading more, stay a little longer. You might just read one or two verses and sit with them and think about them and ask questions about them. Talk to God while you're reading. Yes, before and yes after, but definitely while you're in it. Let it become a conversation. Jeremiah 33:3 says, Call to me and I will answer you. And then this and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. How exciting! And as you read and talk to God, if something catches your attention, follow it, look it up, explore it, go deeper. Don't just read it, engage with it. And if it feels confusing, learn alongside it. Listen to teaching. Use resources like Bible dictionaries, commentary, historical research. And you know what? We have the internet. We can search anything up, we can research anything. Let someone help you understand what you're seeing. You know, sometimes we need someone's perspective to help form our own perspective. And that doesn't mean you're being influenced. Take it and ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern and then build from there. Because sometimes the problem isn't you. You've just never been shown how to approach this. So keep it simple, keep coming back, and let it build. The Bible was never meant to be something you struggle your way through. You know what? God is not sitting there and waiting for you to get this right. He's not measuring how many chapters you read or how consistent you've been this week. He just wants to be known. Jeremiah 9, 23 and 24 says this so clearly in words that leave no doubt about how God feels. Listen. Thus says the Lord. Let not the mighty man boast in his might. Let not the rich man boast in his riches. But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me. That I am the Lord who practices steadfast love and justice and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord. And then James 4, 8 says, draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Remember, the Bible is the main way that God makes himself known to you. And he doesn't want to overwhelm you, and he is definitely not testing you. He doesn't want to make you feel like you're behind. What he wants is to draw you closer. So if you felt like you're failing at this or like you should be better at this, or like everyone else is getting something that you don't, please, you're not failing. You just haven't discovered who you will find in the pages of the Bible. But once you begin to see that, you won't have to force yourself anymore. You'll want to come back. So start today, start small, come back tomorrow and stay a little longer. And please let God show you who He is. He is altogether lovely. And if this helped you see things a little differently, please, I'd love for you to stay and follow the podcast. Please subscribe on YouTube so you don't miss the next episode. Because my heart's desire is that everything here will help you build a real and personal relationship with God in your everyday life. And if this is something you've been struggling with, I'd love for you to check out last week's episode about reading your Bible. And I hope it'll help you. I'll link it here for you. Go and watch it next. Thank you so much for being here. It genuinely means the world to me that you would spend this time with me. I'll see you in the next one. Much love.