Building a “healthy habit” of prayer needs realism, and starting with what you can achieve. Think about when works best in the pattern of your life, a quiet place (if possible!), and look for patterns or resources with the best “fit”.

The Holy Spirit – through whom Scripture was written – helps us to understand the Bible, and hear God’s voice through it. When we open (or switch on!) our Bibles, it’s good to ask His help!

• Ask your friends which version of the Bible they find helpful (even audio, if you struggle with reading). For example, some translations are careful not to use long or technical words; some highlight the words of Jesus; some (study Bibles) have extra notes on each page to explain the meaning.
• Try to find a time of day when you can have some quiet – for prayer (see here) and Bible together.
• For beginners – first, simply read through one of the gospels (the records of Jesus’ life) - Mark is the shortest! After this, read the other gospels and “Acts”. While all of the Bible is helpful, some of the “Old Testament” can be hard to understand for new believers.
• Better to read a short amount and ask God to speak through it, than devour big chunks all in one go and get overloaded - a bit like eating!