The finding comes from the American Bible Society in the latest release of its 15th annual State of the Bible.
In drawing their conclusions, researchers considered how the common self-care activities of exercising, spending time with a friend, volunteering in one’s community, meditating and praying to God impact stress, anxiety, loneliness and hope, compared to how Scripture reading impacts such feelings.
While Scripture-engaged individuals participated in all of the common self-care activities — except exercise — more frequently than non-Scripture-engaged individuals, researchers found a positive impact on stress, anxiety, loneliness and hope from Bible reading.
Researchers say they found that those who keep coming back to Scripture find reassurance in stressful times, hope for the future, and a growing relationship with the God who knows them intimately and loves them deeply.
Scripture reading helped study participants during challenging times in their lives, with 94 percent of participants saying reading the Bible daily helps them know God cares deeply about their suffering, compared to 53 percent of those who read the Bible only monthly.
While the common self-care activities also helped adults included in the study, few outcomes were better than those from Scripture reading.
But the researchers also found that reading scripture leads to involvement in all other areas of self-help.