Growing together: Reading the Bible together as a couple

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Our Experience with Getting Started Reading the Bible Together as a Couple

For many years my husband and I did not read the Bible together as a couple. We just didn’t see the point. We were fine, right? Until we weren’t. And we realized how much we needed God in our marriage. The only way we could really bring Him into our marriage was to get to know Him. The only way to do that was by reading His Word.

Why Should You Bother?

If you want to connect with your spouse and deepen your faith, reading the Bible together as a couple might be just what you need. In this article, we will explore the power of this spiritual practice and discover how it can enhance your marriage.

Reading the Bible together allows couples to engage in meaningful conversations, delve into important life lessons, and grow together spiritually. It creates a space for open and honest communication, promoting a deeper understanding of each other’s beliefs, values, and goals. This shared experience can foster a stronger sense of unity and a greater sense of purpose within the relationship.

Furthermore, studying the Bible as a couple can provide guidance, encouragement, and inspiration during challenging times. It offers wisdom, comforting words, and powerful messages of love, forgiveness, and hope. By immersing yourselves in these teachings together, you can find solace, strength, and direction in your shared journey.

Whether you are just starting out or have been reading the Bible together for years, let’s explore the power of this spiritual practice and how it can strengthen you as a couple.

Benefits of reading the Bible together as a couple

Reading the Bible together as a couple is crucial for fostering spiritual growth, unity, and building a Christ-centered marriage.

Strengthening Spiritual Bond

Reading the Bible together strengthens your spiritual connection as a couple, helping you grow closer to God and each other. All shared activity does this (things you do together, like hobbies), but reading the Bible together bonds you to God as a couple.  

Scripture says “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33, NIV). Prioritizing God’s Word in your relationship invites His blessings and guidance. When you seek God together your faith as a couple grows

Building a Foundation of Love and Unity

The Bible offers guidance on how to love and serve each other selflessly, which is essential for a strong marriage. We are called to die to our self (put aside our wants and desires in favor of our spouse) and to serve each other. These are not popular cultural concepts. The only way to really live this way is to know Scripture and love each other.

 “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:14, NIV). By reading and applying scripture together, couples can develop a unified and loving relationship.

Receiving God’s Wisdom and Guidance

Scripture provides wisdom and direction for navigating challenges in marriage. Scripture is FILLED with advice for successful marriages. I post about lots of them here. If God created marriage, then He must have a plan to guide us in it. “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105, NIV). Regular Bible reading helps couples align their decisions and actions with God’s will, leading to a more harmonious marriage.

Choosing a Bible reading plan for couples

There are lots of options for reading the Bible together as a couple. Some of those include:

Read a chronological Bible

Read a chapter at a time from a chronological Bible and take time discuss. Talk about how what you read affects your marriage or each of you as individuals. A chronological Bible is good because it gives the scope of our faith in a way that it all makes more sense instead of being somewhat (seemingly) disjointed as most Bibles are presented.

Read a marriage Bible

This marriage Bible focuses on marriages with devotions and focus on having a successful Christ-centered marriage. Start by looking at the devotions and doing the accompanied readings, then talk about the devotion and the reading. What does this mean for your marriage?

Read Proverbs

Proverbs has 31 chapters. You could read through Proverbs every month, one chapter per day. I guarantee you’ll find something to talk about through the entire year!

Read about marriage topics

Using the index at the back of the Bible, called a concordance (or use this list), read one verse every day about marriage from Scripture. Take time to talk about what that verse means. Read it in context (read the verses around it so you understand what the situation is surrounding the verse).

Other Bible reading options

While there are plenty of Christian books about marriage, I recommend sticking with your actual Bible to do your reading. It’s too easy to get sidetracked by other ideas when we look at books instead of the Bible.

Don’t have a Bible? Here’s a New Living Translation Bible, so it’s written in modern English and has a concordance (index) and dictionary for those new and strange Bible words. Even better, the price is great!

Want a more traditional translation? The New King James Bible is my favorite. It is true to the original while being updated for today’s language.

Quality resources for a couple’s Bible study

Would you rather do a Bible study instead of simply reading the Bible? There are lots of options for that, too. I always recommend starting with reading the actual Bible because God will give you insights when you read. You don’t need someone else to interpret the Bible for you. But I understand some people are intimidated by reading the Bible, so you want a study to dig deeper with some guidance. Here are a few of my favorites…

General Bible Study

Here’s a good list of resources for general Bible studies. There’s something for everyone here, so take a look and choose something that looks right for you.

Sacred Marriage Bible Study

This study is based on what I think is the single best book about Christian marriage – Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. This Sacred Marriage Bible study walks you through the main ideas of the book while connecting you back to the Scriptures discussed.

Love & War Bible Study

This study is from John and Stasi Eldredge and is a video study. The Love and War Bible study equips you to fight for the love and happiness God has planned for you. Solidly grounded in Scripture you can’t go wrong with anything by John and Stasi Eldredge.

I Love You More Bible Study

The I love you more Bible study helps you take everyday challenges and turn them into opportunities to deepen your love for each other. Les and Leslie Parrott have a long history of writing quality, Scripture based helpful books and studies.

Tips for effective Bible reading as a couple

Reading the Bible together as a couple doesn’t have to be complicated. At its’ most basic, just set aside some time and get to it! Here are some more suggestions:

• Pick the same time every day – you’re more likely to stick with it
• Set aside time – it doesn’t have to be long! 20-30 minutes is plenty, especially if you are just getting started
• Grab some coffee or lemonade so it’s more like a visit
• Start your Bible reading time with prayer. Not sure how to pray? Start with something like, “Lord we are so glad to come together to read Your Word and learn about You. Help us to understand what we read and grow together as a couple through this time. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”
• Listen to each other. The purpose of this time is to grow together and that happens when we understand each other.

Overcoming challenges in reading the Bible together

Sometimes even the best plans get derailed. Challenges get in the way, and we think maybe we should stop trying altogether. Here are some challenges and how to overcome them:

• Time – you have very little extra time. That’s okay. Even 5 minutes is good. The important thing is to read your Bible together as a couple.
• You don’t understand what you’re reading – be sure to pray first. God will reveal to us what we need to know. If you’re using a study Bible, read the study portion at the bottom of the page. Look line if you don’t understand (be sure what you read is credible, though). Ask your pastor if you need help understanding. But don’t let a lack of understanding prevent you from continuing to read.
• You don’t agree – that’s okay. Marriage isn’t about agreeing about everything. Listen to each other, try to understand each other’s perspective, and pray about any differences.  
• You keep getting interrupted – turn phones off and tell kids you need X amount of time together. Or get up before the rest of the family wakes up. It’s good for kids to see us reading the Bible, though, so if you need to teach them not to interrupt, then do that.

Conclusion

Reading the Bible together as a couple has many great benefits. You grow together as a couple and in your faith, you equip yourselves to deal with challenges, and you begin to see God’s plan for your life together. There are lots of ways to get stated, so start tomorrow. Even if you decide to buy a Bible or a Bible study, you can start right away by reading verses online. There’s no reason to put it off and your marriage will be so much better for it.

With love,

🌸 Andrea

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