Engage with God’s word during National Bible Week
Today begins National Bible Week, November 20-26. Declared in 1941 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, this week is meant to encourage reading the Bible and sharing God’s word.
Devoting time to reading the Bible during Thanksgiving week is a wonderful way to remind ourselves of the many ways God blesses us through His word.
Pearl Harbor attack interrupts National Bible Week
When National Bible Week began in December 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor interrupted plans for a daylong reading of the Bible on NBC radio.
However, participants carried on and read scripture on-air between news reports on the bombing. The on-air Bible reading proved to be a strong call to prayer during an uncertain and scary time.
Best-Selling book
What book is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most-sold book of all time? The holy Bible. The Guinness Book of World Records reported in 2021 that between 5 and 7 billion copies of the Bible had been sold and distributed.
Published in the 1450s, the Gutenberg Bible remains one of the earliest books and the first Bible printed using mass-produced movable metal-type press.
Versions of the Bible prior to the printing press were rare because of the sheer volume of time and money needed to reproduce the book.
Technology and spiritual growth
You can experience God’s presence and sense how active He is in your faith journey anywhere you are by finding a Bible app on your phone.
3 ways to celebrate National Bible Week
- On Thanksgiving, take turns reading aloud from the Bible with your family and friends. Choose some selections of scripture on the topic of being thankful.
- Pray with the Bible. Before opening your Bible, take a moment to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Select a scripture passage and read it slowly. Prayerfully, thank God for His word and what He has revealed.
- Reflect daily. Each day, read a brief passage from the Bible and reflect on a sentence, word or words that speak to your heart in a special way.
Benefits of daily Bible reading
National Bible Week is a great time to kick off or restart your daily Bible reading habit.
When you read the scriptures, you get a sense of who God is, you learn how He wants us to live our lives and you begin to focus on what God says.
If you’re ambitious, you can start with the longest Psalm in the Bible: Psalm 119. Psalm 119 is a hymn written in appreciation of God’s word.
Or, if you have only a few moments you can read the shortest chapter in the Bible: Psalm 117. It’s just two verses long and reminds us to praise the Lord.
“Praise the LORD all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples. For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.” (Psalm 117, NIV)
Start a daily devotion
Begin enjoying more scripture in your life during National Bible Week by signing up for Food For The Poor’s Verse of the Day at stage.foodforthepoor.org/prayer.
May engaging in God’s word during National Bible Week bless you and fill your heart with thanksgiving
