Bible reading plans get a lot of attention in January. Just like gyms, diets, travel dreams, and learning to play an instrument. New Years’ brings out the ambitious in everyone, and that’s great! What’s not so great is the quick slide that hits all these beautiful goals come February.

So let’s take a look at Bible reading plans and what tips may set us up for success.

What are the benefits of Bible reading plans?

People read the Bible for lots of reasons: curiosity, spiritual growth, habit, because they feel they have to… Having a plan puts a little more intention and purpose into the practice. It adds a little HOW and WHY to the WHAT.

If your goal is to develop a happy habit of daily Bible reading, plans are a really good way to go.

Bible reading plans provide structure.

When I was a kid, we played “Scripture Roulette” a lot. We would ask the Holy Spirit to show us something good, then pick up our Bibles and flip open to a random page. While inviting the Holy Spirit to guide us is good, leaving our brains at the door is bad. Not every passage is meant for us in every moment. We have to use wisdom, knowledge, and discernment when reading — and especially when applying — Scripture.

Following a plan gives us structure. It’s less random and a bit more intentional. That can help steady our times of study and meditation.

Plans minimize excuses.

Having a plan can also help minimize or even eliminate excuses. Without a plan, we can flounder not knowing where to start. If it takes too much time to find something that “clicks,” we can get discouraged. Motivation shrinks and procrastination increases. The whole practice can feel a bit hollow.

In contrast, if you know what you’re going to read and approximately how long it will take each day, you’ll have a harder time finding reasons not to do it.

Plans allow us to track progress.

With a plan, we can easily see our progress.

Again, that structure is great because it can help us be consistent in our goal.

Progress begets happy habits.

If smartphones have taught us anything, it’s that we all love dopamine. We’re addicted to it. We want the nugget of joy that comes from winning the game, checking stuff off, and feeling accomplished. That often makes us want to do it again. And that’s how progress leads to consistency. Be consistent long enough, and you’ll develop a habit.

This is amplified if you find some reading plan buddies.

Plans can foster accountability and fellowship.

That checking off your progress is a form of personal accountability, but you can also establish accountability with friends or family members. Find a group that wants to do the same plan together. Not only can you encourage one another toward a common goal, you can also engage one another in discussions about your readings. This is the best! You can share insights, questions, and even prayer requests with one another. As you do, your relationships will deepen with one another and with God and His Word. Besides, it’s just fun. :)

Where can you find a Bible reading plan?

YouVersion (www.Bible.com)

Go here for an exhaustive and varied list of reading plans. Search by topic, teacher, publisher, or length of plan. Read it online or in the app.

YouVersion is available online and as an app for your phone (The Bible App). It provides several versions of Scripture FREE for reading any time. It also offers several study helps, inspiration images and quotes, and hundreds of Bible reading plans. Many of their plans are written by several well-known writers, pastors, and scholars. Priscilla Shirer, N. T. Wright, Scot McKnight, Francis Chan, The Bible Project… If you have a favorite Bible teacher or publisher, they likely have something on this site/app. The plans are easy to start, track, and follow, especially since the readings are embedded in the plan itself.

If you’re on a browser, follow the Plans tab in the top menu.
If you in the app, look for the Plans icon in the center of the bottom menu.

The downside of YouVersion is that there are SO. MANY. PLANS. to choose from. You can spend hours just browsing them! Some run for only a week; some for a couple months; some for the entire year. So you kind of need to know what you’re looking for before you get lost.

Navigators

A short but solid list of Bible reading plans with “built-in grace” or days off to help you stay on track.

Navigators has long been a pillar of evangelism and discipleship. On their website you can find a small handful of Bible reading plans. This is far less overwhelming than YouVersion since they have just a few, but I have to mention it because they have one of our favorites.

The Discipleship Journal plan runs readers through the entire Bible in a year, but it doesn’t do it cover to cover. Instead it divides Scripture into 4 categories — Old Testament, New Testament, Poetry, and Gospels — and offers readings from each of the four categories each day. This is mosaic-style reading and carry you through the super laborious chapters of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Those two books are where reading plans to go die! But with this plan, you can make it through with a bit less pain and boredom.

Ligonier Ministries

Go here for an easy-to-navigate list of 20+ reading plans: historical, chronological, and more. Plans range in length from 6 months to 2 years.

As far as I can tell, all of the Bible reading plans listed on this site are also available on YouVersion. The Ligonier site, however, offers two clear benefits.

1: It’s a short and clear list of Bible reading plans, so you can easily browse and then choose a plan without getting overwhelmed.

2: All of the plans are provided as a pdf, so you can print them out.

Yes, I still like to have a paper checklist for my readings. I get too distracted on my phone and laptop! It’s easier for me to focus on my readings with a traditional bound Bible and printed plan.

If you find a plan here that you like but you want it on your phone, just search for it by name over on YouVersion. Voila!

Bonus Tips!

Once you choose a Bible reading plan, how do you stick with it? Here are a few tips I’ve found helpful.

• Prioritize your Bible time.
  If you have a set time and place each day, you’ll find it easier to be consistent with your readings. Get comfortable. Make it special. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you as you read. Remember: This is your time with God. It’s important!
  
• Choose a plan that interests you!
  If you enjoy what you’re reading, it will feel less like a chore. So pick a plan that sounds fun and life-giving. Some of the plans (The Bible Project, for example) include videos and others may have devotions. Some will only cover the New Testament while others choose one book at a time. Find something you WANT to read.
  
• Journal.
  I always have a journal with me for my Bible times. I write down questions, thoughts, things I learn. Some people write down their prayers. Some write down Scripture for memorization.
  
• Be gracious with yourself.
  Don’t beat yourself up for missing a day. Life gets full and we all need grace. You can either change your calendar (YouVersion has a fun “catch me up” feature that will shift all your dates for you!) OR you can just leave those days skipped. If you miss a day at the gym do you double your workout the next day? Nope. No need to do that here either.
  
• Remember your goals.
  Are you reading to study something in particular? To get a big picture view of Scripture? To chase curiosity wherever it leads? Whatever it is, keep that in mind. We do ourselves no favors by being slaves to our WHATs while forgetting our WHYs.

---

YOUR TURN.

Have something to add? Leave your thoughts in the comments!