How a Bible reading plan can help

As we start the new year so many of us have decided that we want to use a reading plan to read through the Bible in 2023. We want to grow in our understanding of God’s word. There’s a desire to know more of Him and to grow an intimate relationship with Him. In a previous blog, we looked at how the relationship starts with connecting. That post mentioned how God communicates with us. The Bible is the best place to learn what God is saying, why He is saying it, and how we can apply that to our lives.

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Start with choosing a plan

The first step is to actually choose the reading plan that you want to use for the year. If you choose, you can also use a 90-day plan. The choice is your preference. The important thing is that you are reading God’s word each day.

There are several reading plans that you can choose from. There are some Bibles that include one or more reading plans. Here are a few of the more common reading plans that people often use to complete reading the Bible in one year.

1. Chronological

This may sound tedious, but hang in there… it’s not as bad as it sounds. Actually, this reading plan can be quite interesting. It leads you through the Bible in the order in which the stories and major events occurred. It does jump here and there, but at the end of the year, the entire Bible is covered.

There are chronological Bibles available as well as reading plans that allow you to use any Bible that you prefer. Here are some resources and Chronological Bibles to give you an idea as to whether or not this plan is for you.

• The Bible Recap
• The Bible Study Tools website.
• Chronological Life Application Study Bible
• YouVersion reading plan

Again, the choice is entirely based on what will work for you as you begin your Bible-reading journey.

2. Book Order/Canonical

With this plan, you read the Bible in the order that it is arranged.. start with Genesis and end with Revelation. This is one of the most common reading plans because it follows the familiar order of the Bible. There are quite a few Bibles that contain a reading plan of this type and here are a few resources to grab a copy of the book order reading plan.

• Bible Study Tools website
• The Bible Project website
• David Jeremiah Blog
• YouVersion reading plan

3. The Classic Reading Plan

Read 3 passages each day, starting with Genesis, Psalms, and Luke. This plan is commonly found within the One Year Bible. It is a favorite because it brings variety and can give a better understanding of how the Bible is one story from Genesis to Revelation.

• One Year Bible (NIV)
• MacArthur Daily Bible (NASB)
• One-Year Bible Reading Plan Online
• YouVersion reading plan

4. Robert Murray M’Cheyne (mac-shayne) Bible Plan

This is an in-depth reading plan that will have you read the New Testament and Psalms twice while completing the Old Testament once. The readings often come from different books of the Bible but make a connection. This is a reading plan that takes a little more time. There are companion books to go along with this reading plan to help with the connections.

• ESV Daily Reading Bible (based on M’Cheyne’s plan)
• YouVersion reading plan
• Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s Bible Reading Calendar
• Bible Gateway website

5. 5-Day Bible Reading Plan

This is a plan for those who just need a little extra time for catching up during the year. With this plan you have the weekends to catch up on the reading you may have missed during the busy work week. Since the readings are only done 5 days a week, they are a bit longer than the normal readings of a seven-day week. It is structured as a somewhat chronological plan. It covers an Old Testament book, a New Testament book, and a Psalm. This plan seems to be available only through the website.

• 5 Day Reading Plan

Set the Tone

Before diving into the Word, take time to pray and allow yourself to become open to the words that you will read. Ask God for wisdom and knowledge in your time with His word. Seek to know how His word will speak to you as you open your heart and ears. Pray that you will recognize any false teachings you have heard and replace them with the truth of His word.

Start Reading

Dive in and just start reading. Don’t even worry about it being this far into the year!! There is plenty of time for you to catch up by adding a day here and there to your reading. Grab your pens, highlighters, and journals and dig into God’s word. Or if you choose, simply grab a cup of hot tea or coffee and just enjoy time in God’s Word.

Just Listen

It sounds silly to say just listen when you are reading.. but it is really the only way to encourage you that God will speak through His word. Just when you think you have read something before and know what it is about, He is there to show you something new. It will be something that will point to Jesus and how it will affect your life.

Using a Bible reading plan helps you stay on track. It keeps you from wondering which passage to read for the day. While daily devotionals are good to get your mind focused on God, a reading gets you in the word in a systemic way that keeps you progressing through the story. When you use a plan you find that the Bible is more than a collection of verses. That is where you will find the “voice” of God.

Don’t stress about what kind of aha moment you will have.. just simply meet Him there on the pages of His Word. He is faithful and will speak to you … sometimes it just takes quietness.

Happy Bible Reading!!!!