Looking to increase your Bible reading this coming year? We’ve pointed the church to a great plan — Bible Reading for Shirkers and Slackers. This is a great plan for those who would benefit from a realistic “discipline + grace” approach (because you know you’re going to miss days). This plan takes away the pressure (and guilt) of “keeping up” with the entire Bible in one year. You get variety within the week by alternating genres by day, but also continuity by sticking with one genre each day. Here’s the basic idea:
Sundays: Poetry Mondays: Penteteuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy) Tuesdays: Old Testament history Wednesdays: Old Testament history Thursdays: Old Testament prophets Fridays: New Testament history Saturdays: New Testament epistles (letters)
If you have general questions about reading the Bible, check out this article we wrote called, “Help! I’m new to the Bible! Where do I begin?”
Other Bible Reading Plans:
1. Let’s start with the most doable of the plans: the two-year-Bible reading plan. The author describes it by writing, “In my opinion, it is better to read the whole Bible through carefully one time in two years than hastily in one year.” His plan has you read through one book of the Bible at a time (along with a daily reading from the Psalms or Proverbs. At the end of two years you will have read through the Psalms and Proverbs four times and the rest of the Bible once.”
2. Another popular plan is the Robert Murray M’Cheyne reading plan, developed by the 19th century Scottish pastor, which has been widely used for Bible reading. This plan has you read shorter selections from four different places in the Bible each day.
3. Jason DeRouchie offers his KINGDOM Bible Reading Plan (this is the plan that Pastor Luke follows), which has the following distinctives:
- Proportionate weight is given to the Old and New Testaments in view of their relative length, the Old receiving three readings per day and the New getting one reading per day.
- The Old Testament readings follow the arrangement of Jesus’ Bible (Luke 24:44—Law, Prophets, Writings), with one reading coming from each portion per day.
- In a single year, one reads through Psalms twice and all other biblical books once; the second reading of Psalms (highlighted in gray) supplements the readings through the Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy).
- Only twenty-five readings are slated per month in order to provide more flexibility in daily devotions.
- The plan can be started at any time of the year, and if four readings per day are too much, the plan can simply be stretched to two or more years (reading from one, two, or three columns per day).
4. Trent Hunter’s The Bible-Eater Plan is an innovative approach that has you reading whole chapters, along with quarterly attention to specific books. The plan especially highlights OT chapters that are crucial to the storyline of Scripture and redemptive fulfillment in Christ.
5. You can also do the Chronological Bible reading plan. The Bible is actually not in chronological order, so this plan guides you to read it that way (which can be helpful in understanding the story of God, redemption, and our future).
6. Another great plan is the 5 day a week Bible reading plan. This is something that’s similar to the Shirkers and Slackers plan — realistic and doable!
7. For the hardcore, you can also Read the Bible in a Year.
8. Pastor Luke regularly uses The Daily Office, which you can probably find on your smart phone’s App Store!
