Q. In the September issue, I keep reading about Bible study versus Bible reading. What’s the difference, and how can I go from reading my Bible to actually studying my Bible each day?
-Mandy
A. Bible reading and Bible studying are very similar terms. Some people may use them interchangeably. However, there is a difference.
Bible reading involves reading a couple of chapters or more each day. When you read your Bible, you usually read to refresh your memory, to find comfort, or as an effort to think on good things, as we are commanded in Philippians 4:8. In contrast, during a Bible study, you may spend an hour on just a couple of verses. The goal during study is to gain comprehension, not merely to refresh your memory. If you feel that you don’t understand a certain subject, you may choose to study it.
Usually, when reading your Bible, you read several verses or chapters in order. When you study, you read verses that correspond to the subject that you are studying. For example, if studying baptism, you might read from Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, or I Peter 3:21, instead of reading entirely from the same book and chapter. Studying may also involve memorizing verses and understanding concepts so that you can answer any questions that might arise from your friends and others (2 Tim. 2:15; I Peter 3:15).
It’s important to read your Bible daily, but if you have more time or are having difficulty understanding something, you should try to study. Bible reading may turn into study if you come across something you don’t understand, which happened to the eunuch in Acts 8. If you aren’t sure how to study, you could choose a topic and read about it from an appropriate commentary and look up the verses given so that you 
can better understand the topic.
Also, most Bibles have study aids in the back, and there are concordances that will help you find verses on most any subject. If you can’t think of a subject to study, just start reading your Bible and if you read something you don’t understand, study it. It’s okay to just read your Bible as long as you also spend some time studying what you read.
– Rachel Conley
In your time spent in the Bible, do you have a routine of both bible reading and bible study? Or do you merely do a Bible study when a question pops up during Bible reading? Do you set aside enough time each day to do a bible study or do you perform Bible studies less often such as weekly?