How Continued Bible Study Helps Seniors of Faith and How to Support It

If you’re an older adult who’s been a person of faith for a long time, you may think you’re almost done with Bible study. After all, you may have completed many plans to read through the Bible in a year and have a veritable library of finished Bible study workbooks on your shelves.

However, even if you can recite the genealogy of Jesus from heart or tell the entire story of 1 and 2 Kings to your grandkids without cracking open the Old Testament, regular Bible study may still be worth your time. Keep reading to uncover four benefits of consistent Bible study for seniors of faith as well as some tips for supporting Bible study habits as you age.

4 Benefits of Bible Study for Seniors

In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul says, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

Paul might have been talking to a young Timothy in this epistle, but the message wasn’t timebound. Paul notes that Timothy has known these things from infancy, but he also says that scripture has this purpose so “that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” He does not say the servant of God eventually retires and is free from this good work and the need to learn from scripture.

The takeaway is that scripture continues to be good for all these things no matter what age a person is. Let’s look at four specific benefits of engaging in regular Bible study as a senior.

1. Continued Seeking of God’s Word and Will

Older adults of faith know that God’s word is where we seek his will. Scripture is God-breathed, making it a tool of the Holy Spirit. The words we might know by heart — the stories we might have learned as children in Sunday school — hold different lessons for us in each season of our life. We can only learn those lessons anew when we continue to return to God’s word through careful and consistent consideration of the Bible.

2. Building Community and Fellowship

Bible study can be done individually or in fellowship with other believers. As an older adult, this group activity is a great time to build community and beat back the issues that might come from isolation. Talking with others about scripture also helps you find those new lessons for each season because you can experience other points of view about verses or stories you thought you knew.

3. Consistency Reduces Anxiety

Consistency of routine, especially when you’re engaging in a meaningful activity you enjoy, can build structure into your day or week. That helps reduce some types of anxiety and can also help ensure you get up and do things. This consistency might relate to a morning or evening quiet time when you read a chapter of the Bible and enjoy some devotional materials. It could also be found in a weekly Bible study or prayer group that forces you to get dressed, get out and enjoy the fellowship of others regularly.

4. Reading and Studying Uses Cognitive Muscles

Engaging in Bible study puts cognitive functions such as reading, remembering and critical thinking to use. Like almost all functions in your body, cognitive facilities tend to be use-it-or-lose-it. If you don’t give your brain a bit of a workout regularly, you don’t continue building those “muscles.” Engaging with scripture is a great way to get that workout daily.

Tips for Supporting Bible Study Habits as You Age

Seniors of faith know consistent Bible study can be challenging no matter what age you are or what your life circumstances are. Here are some quick tips to help support better Bible study habits as you age.

• Invest in the right tools. Vision that doesn’t work as well as it used to is common as we age. Consider investing in a large-print Bible to encourage you to read it more. You can also use Bible apps such as Bible Gateway to read the Bible on a device that lets you make the font bigger.
• Create accountability. Do a buddy Bible study with someone else. You might agree to read a chapter of the Gospels daily, for example, and check in with each other to ensure you’re keeping up with the reading. You might also have a daily or weekly phone call to discuss what you read for extra accountability.
• Engage in fellowship. Join a Bible study group at your church or in your assisted living community. It’s often easier to dig into God’s word when we’re doing it alongside other believers, and the friendship and fellowship that can come from this type of Bible study can be a huge reward in itself.

There’s never a bad time to start studying God’s word, and there’s never a good time to stop. Take time to incorporate Bible study into your routine as a senior of faith to experience myriad benefits.