Bible Reading Plans
The Bible is God’s word to us. As a christian it is vital to read, study, and mediate on God’s word. However, sometimes it can be difficult to know how and where to start. Thankfully there are lots of Bible reading plans that can serve to give you some assistance (we’ve listed some below).
Now, while Bible reading plans are a great tool, there are some important things to remember when using one:
- Reading the bible is not a race. You don’t get a prize for reading the Bible in a year.
- Allow God to speak through his word. Don’t rush over all the verses. Take time to listen to what God is saying.
- If you pick a plan, do not get discouraged if you miss a day or fall behind. Just pick up where you left off and keep on going.
- Be willing to put your plan on pause. If you find a particular book or chapter is particularly ministering to you, feel free to spend a couple days or weeks reading and studying that section. Again, this isn’t a race.
- Pary and enjoy your time in God’s word. This should not be a duty. If you find it becoming dry or difficult, remind yourself that this is God’s word to you and ask God “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” (Psalm 119:18 ESV)
Now, all that said, here are some Bible reading plans that we’ve found helpful.
Downloadable Versions
- Bethlehem Baptist Church offers what is, in my opinion, the BEST bible in a year reading plan. Each day has readings in the Old and New Testaments, and in Psalms and Proverbs. The layout is nice and, when printed, can be folded and kept in most standard size bibles.
- Zondervan offers a number of reading plans based on topics, timelines, and other criteria. Well worth checking out.
- NavPress has 3 really great plans available.
Online Versions:
- Heartlight has five different daily online plans to follow.
- BibleGateway has four plans available that vary in length. Also, they offer audio versions of the daily readings.
- The ESV website offers several plans and also includes audio versions of the day’s readings.
- Studylight has a daily online reading plan.
I have done the Discipleship Journal reading plan a couple of times and am currently using the ESV Daily Reading plan. Both have been great.
I’ve been through the whole Bible many times and have found that reading straight through is not the way to go. I did a plan a couple of times where I read Law on Sunday, History on Monday, Poetry on Tuesday, etc. That was OK, but not ideal. I’ve done a chronological plan which is great for understanding how the history, Psalms, and prophets work together, but I don’t think I’ll do it again.
I like the NavPress and the ESV plans because they have you in both the Old and New Testaments daily. I really like the ESV plan because I get to go through the Psalms twice. I find that daily time in the Psalms is good for me. I also find that just reading through Psalms is too much to take in at once. I get to thinking stuff like, “Yeah, yeah, God is glorious. He is powerful, let’s keep going” and don’t really reflect on what I’m reading.
Thanks for posting these! As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter if you’re reading the Bible in a year, two years, or 3 months as long as you’re taking in the whole counsel of God’s Word.
I love the Bethlehem Baptist Church reading plan! My wife and I just starting using it and we enjoy the fact that you can customize to your needs. While I could go through the Old and New Testament reading along with the Gospel and Psalms/Proverbs by myself, my wife and I can spend more time studying the Gospel and Psalms together.
I have used this reading plan in the past and it really helps keep me on track. I recommend it to anyone who really likes a structured plan with some adaptability.
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