Every year, one of my relatives thanks me for a gift that I didn’t give him. I simply recommended a Bible reading plan. And it has been so helpful to him that he follows it every year. And he thanks me for pointing him in that direction.
When it comes to New Year’s goals, you’re probably wondering about your own quiet time: “How should I read my Bible this year?” And I want to offer five effective options to consider based on what is a good fit for you.
(But First) Guilt-Free Bible Reading
Remember that you don’t have to commit to a Bible reading plan out of guilt. Sure, that one friend of yours is hoping to read through the whole Bible in a year. Want to know a secret: I don’t read through the Bible every year! Sometimes I go slow and take three years. Some years I spend my time slowly walking through a few different Bible books. And in some seasons, I have been greatly helped by devotionals and guided readings. Hear it from me: You do not have to read all sixty-six books of your Bible before December 31. This is just one method that can be helpful if you’re ready for it.
Instead, find a manageable way to both challenge yourself and make sure you are actually engaging with God as you read.
Option 1: Best Easy Access: New Living Translation One Year Bible
I love the fluid wording and built-in sections of the New Living Translation’s One Year Bible. This single Bible can help stave off all three of our typical stumbling blocks:
- You don’t have to wade through tough phrasing. This translation is easy-to-read (even Leviticus!).
- You don’t need a bunch of bookmarks to flip back and forth. It’s printed in daily sections so you can just read today’s passages.
- You don’t have to get sunk in tough books. While you’re reading Numbers, you’re also reading in the Gospel of Mark!
By having four different sections to read each day (Old Testament passage, New Testament passage, a Psalm, and a verse from Proverbs), you’ll be able to determine which most enlivens your soul on that particular day. And you’ll make it through the entire story of Scripture in one year or however long you decide that you need. This is my personal favorite way to read through the Bible.
Option 2: Best Women’s Community Opportunity: Revive Our Hearts
A friend of mine recommended to me the Bible reading plan offered by Revive our Hearts. Their beautifully designed checkbox calendar allows you to track your progress reading through the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation. And they also have a daily email to allow you to participate in a reading community throughout the year—which can help provide that mid-spring accountability to keep you from falling off the wagon.
If you want to experience the Bible from beginning to end along with regular encouragements from a larger community, this may be the plan for you.
Option 3: Best Understanding the Whole Bible: Tara-Leigh Cobble
I discovered The Bible Recap a few of years ago from my wife and mother-in-law. I was hooked listening to Tara-Leigh Cobble’s vivid summaries of Bible passages. They came to life while also staying practical.
If you are interested in a chronological tour through your Bible, along with great wraparound resources for your ears and eyes, The Bible Recap’s reading plan will give you everything you’re looking for.
Option 4: Best Historical Approach: Robert Murray M’Cheyne
Perhaps no single individual has affected annual Bible reading among Protestants more than Robert Murray M’Cheyne (pronounced: “McShane”). This Scottish pastor who lived in the 1800s set up a framework for reading through the Bible that many of my favorite pastors and theologians adore.
His pastoral heart was for people to encounter God through reading the different facets of his Word. Here’s what he recommended to one young man:
You read your Bible regularly, of course; but do try and understand it, and still more to feel it. Read more parts than one at a time. For example, if you are reading Genesis, read a Psalm also; or if you are reading Matthew, read a small bit of an Epistle also. Turn the Bible into prayer.
M’Cheyne pulled together a plan for daily Bible reading that will take you through the New Testament and Psalms twice by the end of the year, and through the rest of the Bible once. Again, if you need to slow down, you can do this in two years.
The Gospel Coalition has pulled together the M’Cheyne Yearly Bible Reading Plan with comments from theologian D.A. Carson in their digital Read The Bible experience.
If you want to be more diligent in getting God’s Word in you, get going with this tried-and-true approach in your upcoming year.
Option 5: Best Personally Curated: Pick 1 Book
If committing to read the entire Bible in twelve months feels intimidating, settle on a more modest goal. Commit to one book of the Bible. If you don’t know which book to pick, my favorite this past year was the Gospel of Matthew. Take your time and go as slow as you’d like through the hills and troughs of just one book. And after you’re done with it? Start it again. I once had a friend who read the book of Romans more than any other in his quiet times. It’s okay to obsess over God’s Word. And it’s okay to go slowly enough that you can listen to God’s voice through his words, instead of racing to get through the next assigned passage.
After a couple of years reading through the Bible in a year, I had to stop. I had to slow down, pick one book, and then see where I was with the Lord after that. Speed and quantity is not always your friend. Whether you are reading larger sections or going slowly through one book, the goal is the same: listen carefully to what God is saying to you. No matter what time of the year.
