the dwell team shares resources, tips, and apps they use for spending time in god's word.

YOUR WORD IS A LAMP FOR MY FEET, A LIGHT ON MY PATH. — PSALM 119:105

If God’s Word is the lamp that guides our feet and lights our path, then it seems clear that spending time in the Word in our everyday lives is vitally important. But how can we practically prioritize reading and studying and memorizing the Bible when there are so many other things vying for our attention? We’re all different, and if you’re anything like us, you’ve experienced the need for different rhythms and tools in different seasons of life. We are right there with you, and wanted to share some of the ways the Dwell Differently team is spending time in God’s Word right now. We hope this will encourage you as you seek to spend time in the life-giving Word of God this year!

Lindsay 

As a mom of 3 young kids, my time in the Word looks different these days than it did in other seasons. My top tip for making sure you have the Word in your routine each day is to listen to it—sometimes I listen while I’m folding laundry, sometimes while the kids and I are driving, sometimes while I’m cooking a meal, and sometimes with a hot cup of coffee in the morning as I read along (my favorite). I use the ESV Bible App and have been working through the Chronological reading plan that goes through the whole Bible in a year (although I’m a bit behind!). After listening to the Scripture reading for the day, I love to listen to The Bible Recap Podcast—I’ve learned so much and have a number of friends and family members who are doing the Chronological plan with The Bible Recap, so talking about what we’re learning has been a really encouraging way to connect what I’m learning with everyday life! 

Vera 

My go to places are the Gospel of John, the book of Romans, and the Psalms. Sometimes in my low places, when I feel dried up or unmotivated to do a study or reading plan, I give myself the grace to go back to the places God has enriched my faith time and time again. These three places are those places for me. Reading Jesus's direct words, hearing Paul's encouragements, and reading the poetry of pain and praise are the very things to reignite my passion for more in-depth study. It's okay to take a break sometimes and return to the places God first met you! 

Ruthie 

I love to study God’s Word. I love to get it in my head! I love the Daily Grace Co’s devos and books that walk you through thinking about the Bible. I also love listening to Shane and Shane—many of their songs are straight from the Bible and I love to have them on in the background to get them in my head! 

Melody 

One way that I spend time in the Word is through being a part of a small group Bible study. There are 6 of us who have met together since 2020, and it has become such a sweet group to be a part of. For a long time, we were choosing a book of the Bible to read, and then we would come together to discuss what struck us, what questions we had, and what we may have looked up (we used various commentaries, The Bible Recap, The Bible Project, etc.). Most recently, we've been reading Revelation alongside Nancy Guthrie's book Blessed. By studying the Word in a small community like that, I feel accountable to keep up and also excited to dig in and learn alongside them. 

Natalie 

I’m an old-school weirdo over here. I connect with God with my composition notebook (yes, the ones with the line on the front cover to write the school subject). I’ve been using them for years. I love them because they aren’t pretty or cool, so I can feel the complete freedom to write whatever I want—to mess up or go really long or just write my grocery list at the top of the page if I can’t get it out of my head. I love the blank-page permission to just tell the Lord whatever’s on my mind. First, I read from my Bible (right now, I’m going through Tara-Leigh Cobble’s New Testament reading plan). Then, I just have a conversation with Jesus about what I read. Sometimes it’s a prayer, sometimes I just tell Jesus what struck me in the passage—where he challenged me, how thankful I am for his grace or goodness, or how I need his help to live differently. I love how I can tell Jesus anything and everything in that notebook. It’s where I take all of my feelings, problems, and thoughts and put them under the Word of God.  

April 

Even though my kids are still young, I’m thinking more about how to model and teach my kids how to spend time in the Word each day just like I challenge myself to do. My six year old is up with me in the morning and reads alongside me before everyone else wakes up. I also love the Bible Recap reading plan and doing my She Reads Truth Bible study books. Those really help me to stay focused on a specific book of the Bible at a time. 

Sara 

My favorite way to connect with Scripture right now is through listening on my phone. I love having Scripture just read over me. I am able to take it in and really reflect on it afterward, allowing myself to just pray over what I heard. And I can take it with me throughout my day in a way I couldn’t with a paper version of the Bible. In a season of life when moments of quiet are hard to come by, this is a way that I'm able to focus and give intentional time to prayer and the Word.  

Meg 

I am one who is easily distracted with the craziness of life all around me. My time in the Word is so important to me and I give myself a lot of flexibility with when and how I am soaking up the Bible. Early in the morning is always my first choice, but sometimes that doesn’t happen. I keep my Bible on my nightstand. If early morning works, then I grab it and sit in my favorite chair and flip on the fire and settle in. I have always loved this morning routine. I also feel so much connection to God when I am outside in nature, and often I will grab my dogs and any other farm animal that wants to join the hike and listen to whatever book of the Bible we are focusing on in church or in my small group and play it on Audible. No matter the season or the weather, I am so happy experiencing God’s amazing creation hiking through the woods. 

We hope you’ve discovered some new practices or apps or tools to help you connect with God in this season. More than that, we hope you are encouraged to dig in. God is faithful to increase not just our knowledge but our love for him as we spend time with him in his Word!