Are you up for a challenge?
How about reading the Bible through this year?
I’ve heard so many people who would love to read the Bible through in a year, but never completed the task. It’s nearly impossible for the pastor to preach through all of it, so you are going to miss something unless you study on your own, but most believers haven’t read all the Bible. Some of the best nuggets of truth I discovered on my own, reading through the Bible in a year.
Here are 7 tips for reading the Bible through in a year:
Pray – Ask God to give you the motivation and strength to accomplish this goal. You can’t read the Bible like any other book. You need God’s Spirit to help you.
Pick an easy to read version – Currently I’m using the Holman Christian Standard. I previously wrote a post about versions. You can read that HERE.
Find a plan – You could simply read three chapters a day and do fine, but I have found having a printed checklist helps keep me disciplined. It may seem mechanical to some, but it will keep you on task. YouVersion has many plans to follow. There are more than you can imagine. The key is to find one. I like the balance of reading some Old and New Testament each day, but choose one that works for you. Here’s a LINK to other options. (Personally, I’ve chosen the ESV Study Bible plan available through YouVersion.)
Find a place - Choose the time and place that works best and that you will most likely stick with through the year. I find mornings work best for me. I travel frequently, so I can’t have just one place, but when I’m home, I have a certain chair. I’m moving this year to the dining room table, because I know I’ll be less distracted. For me, I need to turn off everything else and simply concentrate on the Bible reading.
Document your reading – I’ve found I get more out of my reading if I journal along the way what it’s saying to me. Even if I don’t understand it completely, writing the questions I have down helps me process them later and eventually something else I read seems to help answer my questions.
Discipline yourself – It will likely take you on average about 15 minutes per day to complete this. Once you’ve done it consistently for 30 days or so, you’ll be well on your way to having a habit formed.
Catch up when needed – If you miss a day, don’t sweat it…and don’t quit. Spend a little extra time and play catch up on what you missed. Of course, if you do this too many times you’ll eventually give up, so the key is discipline, but extend grace to yourself as you move through the year. Also, if you didn’t start on the first, start on the 2nd, or the 22nd, and go through the same time next year. You can begin today. There’s no legalism here…just encouragement! You can do this!
Keep the goal in front of you and follow through. This time next year you’ll be glad you accomplished your goal.