What to Do When the “Verse of the Day” Doesn’t Speak to Your Heart

1. Put the verse back into its context.

The single most common reason a Bible verse can seem confusing or irrelevant is that it’s been separated from its surrounding text. Many verses are just a piece of a larger story, explanation, or prayer. When your daily verse doesn’t speak to your heart, try going to your Bible and reading the verses immediately before and after it. Read the entire paragraph, and if that doesn’t help, read the whole chapter. Then ask questions like “What’s the main topic of this chapter?” and “Who is the author talking to?” Identify the entire situation that the section or chapter addresses. Some examples include Jesus answering a question, a prophet issuing a warning, or a leader resolving a problem in the early church. Then, consider how the single verse of the day fits into the flow of everything in that section or chapter.

For example, maybe your verse is: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). On its own, this verse sounds like God will magically help you achieve anything you want. But if you read the surrounding verses (Philippians 4:11-12), you discover that verse 13 is actually talking about being content, whether he has plenty or is in need. It’s the context that shows you what the verse is really about. As it says in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” God gave you the Bible in books, not just isolated sentences, because the whole picture is important to learn.

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2. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of a connection between the verse and your life.

If a verse of the day feels disconnected from your life, the Holy Spirit can build a bridge between the verse and your life experience. The Holy Spirit is the part of God who guides you into truth and reminds you of what Jesus taught. Jesus promises in John 14:2: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

So, close your eyes, hold the verse in your mind, and pray something like this: “Holy Spirit, you can teach me all things. I don’t understand this verse, and it feels dry to me right now. Please bring to my mind one current situation, relationship, or decision in my life that this verse connects with. Show me how to use this verse today. Thank you.”

Then, wait patiently for the Holy Spirit to show you the connection between the verse and something in your life. When that thought comes, hold the thought and the verse together. For example, if the verse is about perseverance, the Holy Spirit might bring to mind a project you’re about to give up on, and encourage you to keep going with his help. The Spirit will show you how to connect with the verse of the day, somehow, no matter what.

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3. Pray through it using the Lectio Divina practice.

When a verse leaves your mind cold, try bringing it to your heart through the ancient spiritual discipline Lectio Divina, which means “Divine Reading.” This meditative, prayerful approach to the Bible can help you connect with verses in fresh ways. It slows you down and helps you communicate with God through the words of a particular verse. Lectio Divina is traditionally broken down into a few steps. The first is to read the verse slowly out loud, multiple times. Don’t rush. Read it as if it were a love letter addressed personally to you. What word or short phrase stands out to you? Even if you don’t know why it stands out, just notice it.

Then meditate on the word or phrase you chose. Repeat it to yourself and ask the Holy Spirit what he is trying to say to you, right now, through that word or phrase. Listen to see what you can discern. The next step is to say a prayer where you respond to God’s message honestly. For example, if the word “peace” stood out to you and you’re not experiencing peace, tell God that you need his help to feel peace about the situations you’re facing, and to become a peacemaker, as well. Turn your thoughts about the verse of the day into a personal conversation with your loving God, who wants to help you.

Then, contemplate the verse by resting in God’s presence. Let go of the verse and your thoughts about it. Simply be still and know that he is God. Trust God to give you the grace to connect with this verse personally as you’re still before him. Rely on the Holy Spirit to do what Psalm 119:18 describes: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” 

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4. Seek guidance from people and research that can give you advice.

The Bible points out that you can find wisdom through many advisers who are also seeking God’s wisdom. Proverbs 11:14 says: “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.” Don’t hesitate to reach out to ask for and look up advice on interpreting the verse of the day. For centuries, dedicated believers have been studying the Bible together and applying each of its verses to their lives. Your brothers and sisters in Christ can help you figure out how to respond to a verse anytime. You can share the verse of the day with a trusted Christian friend, small group leader, or mentor. Ask that person questions like: “What does this verse mean to you?” and “How have you applied it in your life?” Often, someone else’s life experience with the verse will help you connect with it.

You can also look up the verse in a reliable, accessible Bible commentary (many are free online). Commentaries can give you all sorts of interesting insights, such as information about the original language, cultural context, and historical setting of the verse. You can use that information to understand the verse’s meaning and application. Consider cross-referencing the verse, as well. Many study Bibles have small letters next to verses that point to similar verses elsewhere in the Bible. Those are cross-references. Follow those trails to other verses that can help you interpret the verse of the day.

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5. Write it down and place it in your path.

Sometimes, the reason a verse doesn’t speak to your heart at the time you first read it is that God is preparing it to speak to your heart later. So, don’t dismiss the verse just because it doesn’t inspire you right away. Instead, treat it like a divine appointment set for a future date. You can think of it like God planting the seed of the verse in your life when it’s the verse of the day, and then planning to send you inspiration from the Holy Spirit to help that seed grow when the time is right.

So, write out the verse of the day. Don’t just copy and paste it; physically write the verse out in a journal or on a piece of paper. The act of writing the verse down by hand can help you put the words into your long-term memory. Then, write the date and a short sentence about your current feelings. You can write something like: “December 14th. I’m not sure how this applies right now, but I will keep thinking about it and trust God to show me later.” Next, put the written verse where you will see it again, but not where it’s a distraction. You can place it on your refrigerator, for example, or on a mirror in your bathroom. Just keep thinking about it, and eventually you’ll be able to connect the verse to a situation in your life that makes its meaning clear for you.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 encourages you to constantly be thinking about the wisdom in God’s word: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” When you immerse yourself in the Bible – even in verses that don’t speak to you right away – the wisdom of them will eventually soak into your soul and come up in situations where you need that wisdom. 

In conclusion, if your verse of the day leaves you feeling dry, don’t walk away discouraged. Instead, see it as an invitation from God to seek him more. You can count on finding God when you seek him with your whole heart, as he promises in Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Any verse that you can’t understand or relate to at first is still an important part of God’s messages to you. So, as you seek to learn more about what the verse means and how to apply it to your life, the Holy Spirit will eventually reveal that to you. So, look forward to learning more about God through every Bible verse that pops up in your daily Bible reading!

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