Bible Reading Plans

15 Minutes a Day

There are numerous ways to read through the Bible in a year. Probably the easiest to practice and maintain is to just start in Genesis and read for 15 minutes a day until you get to the end of Revelation. Most people can get through the entire Bible in a year at this pace. The benefit of this plan is that falling behind, which is quite common, doesn’t leave you feeling like a prodigal son who probably deserves to be eating pig food. If you miss a couple of days, just start up again where you left your bookmark. That said, it does help some people to have that dated plan wagging its finger at them to keep them going. If that sounds like you, the following plans might be of interest.

One-Year Bible Dated Plan

The benefit of this plan is that you’ll be reading from the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Psalms, and the Proverbs daily. Let’s face it, some portions of Scripture can be challenging to get through (e.g., the genealogies in 1 Chronicles!). If you happen to be in a tough section in the Old Testament, it’s nice to have a Psalm, some Proverbs, and a New Testament reading on the same day to brighten the journey. This plan will help you do just that.

5-Day Plan

For those who think a daily reading plan might be difficult to maintain on the weekends, this one’s for you. You’ll still get through the Bible in a year, and you’ll still enjoy an Old Testament and New Testament reading daily, but all the readings are done in only five days each week. The reading sessions are a little longer, of course, but this allows for a couple of missed days each week without getting you off track. 

Chronological Plan

Here’s a plan favored by those who want to get a sense of the proper historical sequencing of Scripture. For example, instead of reading David’s Psalm 51 as part of your Psalms reading, you’ll read it after the story of Bathsheba, since David wrote it as a Psalm of confession and repentance after his sin. This approach will highlight some portions of Scripture that will offer additional insights when read alongside others they relate to. If you’ve read straight through the Bible before, here’s a another approach that might be enjoyable.