Am I reading the Bible right?

Is there such a thing as "the right way to read the Bible"? Is that how it works?

As New Year came, some time ago I was searching online for an annual Bible reading plan - and my investigation resulted in many different so-called"foolproof-correct-100%-approved-Bible-reading-instructions".

That surprised me very much, as I grew up in an environment where I was taught that God speaks to each one of His children differently, and that´s not only very natural but a wonderful trait from His divine nature. Everybody has different personalities and point views and God shows His heart to each person in the way that he or she could understand best. That´s why each biblical character that once felt God´s presence felt it in a different way: be it a burning bush, be it a disembodied voice, be it a message in a dream or simply in the sudden strength and courage received to keep fighting despite the odds or to sing, even when chained.

In my opinion, discovering the way God speaks to you every day is one of the most challenging, yet beautiful, aspects of Christianity. The way He talks to you can reveal a lot about yourself - but also about his loving and caring mind. Like a passionate teacher, He reaches out to us again and again, shaping important information in ways our narrowed minds can comprehend. His patience with us knows no mortal bounds. Maybe the only "true and correct" tool necessary to read the Bible is to simply keep that in mind: your Bible reading is a dialogue between you and God, and you´ll finish each reading not only knowing a lot more about the way God sees yourself but also about Him and His incredible love. Keep your ears open to hear whatever God is saying to you during your reading and later in your day, and you´ll be amazed to discover the unexpected ways He communicates to you.

So don´t be afraid to try out! Discovering how God speaks to you is an amazing quest and I know that because I´m on that path right now. Does an annual plan help you have the discipline to read the Bible daily? Great! Do you concentrate better listening to it on audio? You go! Will you start reading the parts you know a little bit about first, or will you start by what is unknown, or will you simply read random parts of it every day? Try it out! Do you like having commentary on your Bible´s footnotes or do you prefer to let the text speak for itself? Both can work! I´m sure that reading the Bible with an open heart and mind, eager to know more about the wonderful God that gave His Son in our favor, is the most fundamental part of the process. All the rest is up to you discover in your own journey with God. Let Him guide you in the many ways He does so, and whatever method you chose to start with will certainly go through constructive changes until it becomes just the ideal.

"At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children".

-Matthew 11:25