How to craft a plan to read the Bible

Though I am a huge proponent of Saturation Bible Study, it is important for Christians to be consistently reading through the Word of God.

If the focus of the Christian life is Jesus (the Living Word), as believers it is imperative that we be men and women of Scripture (Written Word). There is an interaction between the Written Word and the Living Word (read more here) – and if you want greater intimacy with Christ, you must be in the Word.

But how do you create a plan to read through the Bible? Here are 4 ways you can start:

1. Read through it

Pick it up and dive in. Start in Genesis and read through the maps at the back.

2. George Muller Bookmarks

George Muller was a man of tremendous faith. He lived in such a way where he desired to prove to his generation that God was still powerful, active, and alive within His saints. As a practice, George Muller was constantly in the Word of God.

To encourage others to read the Word, he suggested getting two bookmarks. Begin reading the Old Testament and when you are done for the day, insert a bookmark. The next day start reading the New Testament and place your bookmark there when you finish. Each day you transition between the Old and New Testaments, reading where you left off before.

3. Chronological

Interested in reading the Bible in the order of the events? Read the Bible through chronologically. This can be a great way to see how the Bible fits together according to date – for example Ezra and Nehemiah happen toward the end of the Old Testament, and many of the prophets write their books throughout the timeline of Kings and Chronicles.

Want some suggestions on where to find resources to help you read through the Bible chronologically? Check out the list of online and book suggestions in the post 5 Types of Bible Studies.

4. The Smorgasbord

How about a little of everything in your reading? Why not read a few chapters in the Old Testament, some in the New, and perhaps a Psalm and Proverb? Many of the one year Bibles are set up in this fashion – they give you a selection of Old and New Testament chapters to read along with a portion of Psalms and Proverbs.

What then?

What do you do once you’re finished?

Start over.

George Muller read the Bible all the way through 200 times. You can never plumb its depths – but each time you read it, you go deeper, learn more, and draw closer to Jesus.

If you read your Bible for 10 minutes every day, you can read through the Bible in an entire year. Spending 30 minutes a day in the Word allows you to read it three times a year. If you have an hour, why not spend 30 minutes reading and the other 30 minutes diving into a particular passage and studying/saturating in it?

How Fast?

One of the most profitable things I have done is to read the entire Bible through in 90 days. I took how many pages are in my Bible, divided by 90 and discovered that if I read 12 pages a day, I could read the entire Bible through in three months. It took about an hour a day to read but it was immensely edifying for my soul. Reading through the Word in such a short time span allowed me to see connections and themes that I had missed when reading the Bible through over the course of a year or two.

But whether you read the Bible through every two years, every year, or every few months – you must be in the Word. As Christians we are called to be people of the Bible.

And as a side bonus, listening to an audio Bible in the mornings as you get ready or while you drive can also be a great way to read through the Word. One of my favorites has been the Word of Promise (which is more like an audio drama with sound effects and background music).

Question: what is your favorite way to read through the Bible? Any thoughts or suggestions to help others? Leave a comment in the section below.

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