A new report from Lifeway Research paints a sobering picture of spiritual life inside the modern church. Fewer than one in three Protestant churchgoers who attend services at least monthly read the Bible every day, with the study showing that only 31% engage Scripture daily and another 30% just a few times a week. While Lifeway notes that these numbers are higher than in previous decades, the overall reality remains troubling: large portions of those sitting in pews are functionally disconnected from God’s Word, often engaging it sporadically rather than as a daily source of truth and authority.

The data reveals a paradox. While 74% of respondents claim the Bible has authority over every area of their lives and 72% say they think about biblical truths throughout the day, far fewer consistently open the Scriptures themselves. Lifeway leaders acknowledge that regular Bible reading has plateaued in recent years, even as church attendance has declined nationwide. In other words, a smaller remnant continues to attend church, yet even within that remnant, sustained personal engagement with Scripture is far from universal. As one ministry leader observed, distraction-driven culture, shallow spirituality, and constant digital noise have quietly displaced daily time in the Word.

SOURCE: CP