With a new year on the horizon, some people may consider setting the goal to read the Bible in one year. While you can start any day of the year, January 1st can be a great time to start this.
Going through the whole Bible can give you the benefit of a perspective on the context of the whole Bible. Pray about what God wants for your devotional time with Him.
If reading the Bible in one year is what God is guiding you to do, here are some ideas on how you can do this, including some “Read the Bible in One Year Plans.”
Read the Bible in One Year Plans on Your Device
The YouVersion app, available for Android, iPhone, and a variety of devices, has several reading plans that take you through the whole Bible in one year. Find these plans by selecting “plans”; then search “one year”. One advantage to this app is that you can have your device read it to you out loud. Just click on the speaker button on the screen when you are on a Scripture page.
Also, the website Bible.com, which is the web version of the YouVersion app, has many one-year Bible reading plans (as well as other reading plans). Visit the One Year Bible Plan to learn more.
Our TBC church app offers a 6 day a week reading plan on the Bible tab – find out how to download our app at https://ourtrinityfamily.com/app/.
Read the Bible in One Year Plans with a Printed Bible
If you prefer the feeling of an actual printed book, you can buy the One Year Bible. There are many different publishers who publish a Bible already divided into daily readings for the whole year. Just choose your preferred Bible translation – English Standard Version (ESV) is a good translation to start with.
In December, we’ll have different translations of these One Year Bibles available for you at church. If you can’t afford one, we can give one to you. If you can afford one, please donate $11 per Bible so that we can continue to offer these Bibles to those who need one.
Or, you can follow a printed list of readings with your current Bible. A variety of plans can be found on Ligonier’s website, including a reading plan that only runs Monday – Friday, and two-year plans. To find out more, visit http://www.ligonier.org/blog/bible-reading-plans/. If you’re not sure where to begin and want to explore your options, this is an excellent place to start.
The Gospel Coalition links to a five-day/week plan with a chronological aspect to it here: www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/melissa-kruger/my-favorite-bible-in-a-year-reading-plan-2/.
If you attend Trinity and don’t have access to a printer and would like a one-year Bible reading plan, please contact the church office, and we would be happy to print one for you.
Read the Bible Plan with No Time Limit
Another reading plan that you might find useful is an undated reading plan. This plan lists all the books of the Bible, and you mark them off as you read the Bible at your own pace. It can be found here. Special thanks to Sabbath Thoughts author Pastor Mike Gaston for suggesting this plan.
Tips on Using a Bible Reading Plan
- You may want to decide how to handle missed days – whether or not you will catch up on missed reading or just jump in to the current day’s reading.
- Make a plan, but be flexible. Some people find there’s an ideal time of day that has less interruptions or pairs with a habit they already have. But life doesn’t always go according to plan, and God knows that. Just keep trying to read more of the Bible each day.
- Some people like to switch off from reading in a printed Bible, to on a device, to listening through an app. There are a lot of options available to us today. Use the one that works for you.
What Plan Will Work for You?
Whatever method you choose, whether it is from one of the “read the Bible in one-year plans” or not, remember that connecting with God is more important than checking off a box that you finished your reading for the day.
It may take you one year, two years, or longer. You might track carefully or read through at your own pace. The point is to read all of God’s Word, cover to cover, as part of getting to know God better.
As you continue through your reading plan, you’ll find valuable wisdom in books of the Bible you may have never opened before.