~By: Krista Steuber~
When I am reading Scripture, I love to read it out loud. I can feel how amazingly powerful and alive and active God’s Word is. Reading it aloud sends the words of His truth into the spiritual airwaves. We may not always realize it, but what we do in the physical realm impacts what happens in the spiritual realm. His Word brings light to the darkness, and when I read it out loud I am proclaiming His truth to the atmosphere around me and drawing on its power to dispel any negative influences. Lisa Bevere references reading Scripture aloud in her book Adamant. She refers back to the time when she was in college and became a Christian. She states, “I climbed the fire escape and read my Bible aloud on the roof of our [sorority] house. From this vantage, I declared the promises of God over the campus, the house, and my future.” What a beautiful example of saturating the atmosphere with His Word
Spending time reading the Bible brings the truth to life. It will expose the lies that the devil has tried to trap you with and replace them with God’s promises. It gives us power to overcome the enemy and his influences. Feelings like shame, guilt, hopelessness, worthlessness, bitterness, and anger are not of God. He is a God of love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, redemption, and restoration. But, you have to read His Word in order to know His Word and stand firm in it. In the Gospel of John, Jesus prays, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17). We are purified by God’s Word, and His Word is the rock of truth.
Reading Scripture will also bring about transformation in your life, as well as spiritual growth. Pursuing Jesus has changed my life. I’ve learned so much about the purpose of all the pain and struggles I’ve been through and am going through. God uses everything for His greater good and glory. Bad situations are never without purpose, and I’ve learned that by reading His Word. I’ve grown in my walk with Christ by spending time reading the Bible and obeying what it says. I have been empowered by it. I’ve learned that being obedient to God’s Word and His will is the safest place for me to be and also demonstrates my love for Him. I’ve seen this play out in my life in a very real way. By being obedient to what He’s called me to do, He has given me more opportunities to do work for His Kingdom.
His Word is alive, and we gain different things from repeated readings of chapters and verses. He fills our hearts with exactly what we need at the time.
