I recently was asked about Bible reading plans that I would recommend. And while I don’t have one go-to plan that I use regularly, I did have a few resources to share. Since this is a focus for a lot of you, I thought I would summarize things and pass them on.
First off, my own habits are to switch my focus year by year. Every second year I will read through the entire Bible. Again, I don’t have a specific plan — I’ve just used one from the options available on my Bible reading app. Or I’ll grab one that was mentioned on one of the blogs from Christian ministries I frequent (Desiring God is good in their coverage of this topic around the Christmas season).
Every other year, I choose a book of the Bible and read it through 20 times in a row. I started this habit several years ago after being inspired by a post on the very topic. The depth that is achieved by this practice balances well with the breadth that is achieved by reading the Bible in its entirety again and again.
But when faced with the question, I discovered I had a few recommendations based on what I’ve seen other people using. We’re already a little over 1/12th (8%) of the way through the year, but if you’re still looking for help getting into the word, maybe one of these would be of use.
- John Piper talks a little about Bible reading here and links to his preferred annual reading plan
- In fact, Desiring God has had a lot of good posts on this subject over the years
- And the Bible Project has so much good content to supplement your reading plan, I can’t recommend it enough. Check out their Explore page
- Another ministry I enjoy is Crossway. The ESV is my translation of choice for reading and memorizing (I prefer the NET for more in-depth study), they offer beautiful Bibles, have a decent app, and they offer a lot of reading plans. Both in their app and in PDF.
Whatever gets you in the word, go with that.
