One of the best goals you can have as you begin a new year is to read the Bible more consistently.
To be successful, you need to come up with a plan, NOW! My goal in this article is to help you get the best start ever for successfully getting into the Word of God this next year.
Where to begin?
Should you read the Bible from the beginning? Should you start with the New Testament? Maybe you should mix the Old Testament and the New Testament and throw in Psalms and Proverbs in for good measure.
What medium should you use?
Not long ago, we had only a few options for reading the Bible. But today we have loads of Bibles with many good translations. We have devotional Bibles, study Bibles, and now we even have "an app for that."
The first thing you might want to ask yourself is, “Am I a good reader?” “Do I enjoy reading?” If so, then I’ll give you some reading plans below. But maybe you’re not a good reader; maybe you are an auditory learner, you learn better by listening. The good news for you is there are many ways to listen to the Bible. We now have many Bible app that allow you to not only read the Bible but to listen.
What reading plan should I follow?
The good news is people have developed many great reading plans. If you are a good reader, you can read through the Bible by reading just 3 chapters a day and 5 chapters on Sundays. The “Bible in a Year” Plan has a website that will send you the chapters each day in your desired translation.
The Navigators has a wonderful reading plan for both the whole Bible or the New Testament in a year. You can print out one of their many plans and have at it. You can then check off each day and feel a sense of accomplishment.
Maybe you have a phone and you would like to read your Bible on your phone. There’s an app for that. Probably the best app for Bible reading is the YouVersion. You can choose among the many plans they offer. One nice feature is the app will play your reading each day. It’s free, give it a try. I use it myself. And apparently so do 350 million people.
When and Where Should I Read/Listen?
This is probably one of the most important factors in how successful you will be in reading through the Bible. You need to build Bible reading into your routine. Once you have a place in your life for your Bible reading, the rest will come naturally.
Can you think of a time and place, in your routine, when you can take about 15 minutes to read or listen to God’s Word? This is about how long it will take to read though the Bible in one year. If you make it part of your routine you are far more likely to be successful.
Finally, The Goal of Bible Reading Is…
To get though the Bible, right??? No, the goal is to hear God’s voice in your life - to allow God’s Word to speak into your life. It is better to start with the goal of reading three chapters and find that after three verses, God has your attention. Consider that a victory. The goal is to take time each day and spend it in His Word.
Here’s a prayer I often pray when I’m reading God’s Word. “Lord, speak to me through Your Word today.” And He does!
Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.