Churchgoers Feel ‘Empty’ Without Reading Scripture, Yet Few Do It Daily

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A large majority of American churchgoers place a high value on Scripture, but far fewer of them read it daily, according to a new survey.

The Lifeway Research poll of Protestant churchgoers found that 62 percent say they “desperately miss” time with God when they go several days without reading Scripture, and 58 percent feel empty without it – yet only 31 percent say they read their Bible daily.

The survey was part of the Lifeway Research State of Discipleship study and revealed that most churchgoers reflect on Scriptural truths regularly – but a majority also have trouble finding time to open God’s Word.

“Protestant churchgoers overall report they are engaging the Bible, but on any specific question, as many as 1 in 5 say they are not following Jesus Christ in that way,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “This reflects an overall pattern in assessments of churchgoers where the direction is often good but far from the standard seen in Scripture.”

In addition to the one-third (31 percent) who read their Bible daily, 30 percent of churchgoers say they read it weekly, while 14 percent read it once a week. About one in 10 (11 percent) read it a few times a month.

Churchgoers, though, say that neglecting Bible reading leaves them feeling empty. One-fourth (26 percent) say they strongly agree that “if I go several days without reading the Bible, I find myself unfulfilled” – while one-third (32 percent) say they somewhat agree. Meanwhile, 30 percent say they strongly agree that “if I go several days without reading the Bible, I desperately miss the time with God” – with 32 percent somewhat agreeing.

The survey also found that:

– 72 percent say they think about biblical truths throughout the day.

– 74 percent say the Bible has “authority over every area” of their life.

– 9 percent of churchgoers say they rarely or never read their Bible.

“Most of those engaging the Bible regularly are doing so because they enjoy what the practice brings to their lives,” McConnell said. “Movement toward more Bible engagement requires intentionality, but movement away from this devotion can start out as a slow drift. However, a moment of reflection among those who have experienced the value of engaging the Bible reminds them of what they are missing.”

The survey, released Feb. 10, polled 2,130 Protestant churchgoers.

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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

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