Bible Reading Plans

Each year I attempt to read through the Bible. I’ve already gotten a head start on 2006. I’ve been using a reading plan from Discipleship Journal for the last several years. This particular plan has four daily readings from a Gospel, the Old Testament, an Epistle, and the Wisdom Literature. I’ve tried other plans, but return to this one eventually because I like the variety each day. It’s important to find something you like and allows you time for reflection on what you read. For example, the plan I use has readings for 25 days a month. The other days can be used for further reflection and or study. Reading through the entire Bible in one year is a big task and any plan will be difficult, but the reward of consistent and deliberate meditation on Scripture is great. Recall the words of Psalm 1:1-3:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

If you have never read through the entire Bible I challenge you to do it this year. Listed below are links to a few Bible reading plans.

  1. The Original Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan (PDF, MS Word, or MS Scheduler) - This is the plan I use.
  2. The Book-at-a-Time Bible Reading Plan (PDF) - Also from Discipleship Journal. This plan has two readings each day. One from the Old or New Testament and another from the Wisdom Literature.
  3. 5 x 5 x 5 Bible Reading Plan (PDF) - Another plan from Discipleship Journal. This plan takes you through the entire New Testament in a year. You read on chapter per day. This plan is new and I’ve not tried it. My initial thought is that a person should spend more than five minutes a day reading the Bible, but it’s a good way to build Bible reading into your routine.

There are also several plans available at the ESV website.

[tags]Bible reading[/tags]

This entry was posted on Friday, December 30th, 2005 at 10:26 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

4 Responses to “Bible Reading Plans”

  1. Juice says on December 30th, 2005 at 10:41 pm :

    Here’s my Chronological Plan that I’m using this year. http://www.crandalls.net/biblereading.htm

    It is from the One Year Chronological Bible from Tyndale.

    I mention why I like it here: http://crandalls.net/2005/12/resolutions.html

  2. CoffeeSwirls » says on December 31st, 2005 at 9:06 pm :

    [...] [...]

  3. 42 says on January 2nd, 2006 at 2:44 am :

    Bible Reading Plan for 2006

    I have found a number of others who are following a Bible Reading plan on their blog as a way of motivating themselves. As I am the worlds worst at regular activity I usually struggle with a reading plan, so

  4. Roland Allen says on January 2nd, 2006 at 8:45 pm :

    Thanks - I’m glad that I stumbled upon your site.