As we get towards the end of the year, I thought that it might be helpful to put out a Bible reading plan that I have been working on for a little while. Since we are considering Psalm 19 this coming Lord’s Day, I thought this might be a good time to put it out there. Take a look at these and consider if you might want to use them for your Bible reading this coming year.
One Year Bible Plan
Two Year Bible Plan
Here are some highlights:
This plan reads through the New Testament three times, the Psalms and Proverbs twice, and the rest of the Old Testament once. The main difference between the two versions is how long they take, and thus how much reading is required each day. There is a one year version, and a two year version.
The one year version has you reading a Psalm or a Proverb each day, followed by a couple chapters from the Old Testament, then one to three chapters from the New. The two year version retains the Psalm or Proverb each day (so I suppose you would read each four times over the course of the two years), but then alternates roughly every six weeks between Old and New Testaments.
They are designed such that whether you are reading the two year version or the one year version, everyone will be reading similar books at the same time. Meaning the one year plan may be in the beginning of Luke and the middle of Jeremiah, and the two year plan would be in the beginning of Luke at about the same place. (They match up exactly in many places, but aren’t quite perfect). The hope is that whether you are in the one or two year plan, these will help to cultivate a sense of being in the Word together as a church.
The order is designed to help with stagnancy. The reading order is designed to maximize attentiveness by moving from one genre to another fairly regularly.
Since one of the main hopes from this plan is to cultivate a sense of being in the Word together, if you miss a day, or don’t finish all of the reading from one day, my recommendation and request is that you would skip what you miss, and pick up at the present date. That will help us stay together at one given place. Further, I also think that that approach tends to compound motivation – you want to work extra hard to fit in your daily Bible reading so that you don’t have to skip! And when you don’t skip, the sense of “being behind” tends to compound often leading to giving up on the plan entirely. As you have time, perhaps on a Sunday afternoon, take some extra time to go back and read what you missed!
If you are interested, I recommend asking some friends at the church, your spouse, or members of your small group if they would like to take up this plan together (in either of its versions). You will find plenty of opportunities to have good edifying conversations as you discuss what you each have been reading through the year.
May the Lord bless these plans to your peace, the church’s unity, and God’s own glory.