The entirety of your word is truth,
each of your righteous judgments endures forever. Psalm 119:160 csb

If you want to become a serious Bible reader, you will most likely need to follow a plan. Allow me to tell you why and make some suggestions…

Why?

Why is it important to follow a Bible reading plan? Here are a few reasons:

• It outlines manageable daily readings.

   If a person sets out to read the Bible without a plan, I can almost guarantee what will happen. On the day they start off, they will be really gung ho and probably read quite a bit of Scripture. They may even do this the second day. Eventually, however, the enthusiasm will wane and the going will get tough. They will find themselves reading less and less, and falling further and further behind. They will eventually quit altogether. A daily plan will outline manageable amounts of Scripture to read per day so you don’t become overwhelmed.

• It helps keep you on track

  When following a reading plan, you will always know where you are and where you are going. If you follow the plan as it is laid out, you should have no problem making it through the entire Bible in the prescribed time,

• It can help you catch up.

   Let’s face it, life happens. Sometimes that means we are not able to keep up with our reading plan for a time. When following a plan, it is easy to know what you read last as well as what you missed. Then, when you have some time to devote to the task, you can catch up on your reading.

• It provides a measure of accountability.

 Every time we see the sheet that contains our reading plan (or view it on our phone), it reminds us that we need to be reading our Bibles. It’s amazing how much incentive it can provide to keep up with the practice.

Simple Plans

Here are a few simple reading plans to help you get started:

• Tried and true.

   This simple plan is used by countless people around the world. Following it will take you through the whole Bible in one year, guaranteed. All you have to do is read three chapters of the Bible on Monday through Saturday, and five on Sunday. It really is that simple, and very manageable.

• Five chapters daily.

  If it’s easier for you to read a set number of chapters daily, then I would recommend reading five chapters every day. This will take you through the entire Bible in about ten months.

• A little more aggressive.

  If you are really earnest about reading the Bible and would like a plan that is a little more aggressive, then let me suggest a ten chapter plan that I have enjoyed in the past. Read two chapters in the Old Testament, two chapters in the New, five Psalms, and one chapter from Proverbs every day. This plan will take you through the Old Testament once, the New Testament twice, and the Psalms and Proverbs every thirty days. It’s a little more aggressive but well worth the effort.

• Dr. Krejcir’s Plan

  I know it can be intimidating when setting out to read the Bible straight through. It is a ponderous volume! An alternative would be to read a portion from the different genres of the Bible. This plan, developed by Dr, Richard Krejcir, helps you do just that. For instance, on Sunday you will read a portion from the Gospels, on Monday from the Law, Tuesday from History, and so on. Breaking it up this way will help your reading to keep from becoming boring, and you will still read through the entire volume of Scripture in a year’s time. My wife really enjoys this plan and has used it for several years. You can find it here on the web.

Indispensable

Bible reading is an indispensable tool for helping a person grow in their spiritual life. In turn, growing in your spiritual life is indispensable if you are serious about living in the Reign.

M