Having a Plan
God speaks to His people through His Word. It only makes sense, then, that we would want to grow in our understanding of God’s Word. Unfortunately, many Christians are intimidated by Scripture, but they shouldn’t be. God wants us to know Him through His Word, and He gives us His Spirit as well as the help of other Christians to make this possible. Although growing in your knowledge of God’s Word through regular Bible reading and study takes effort, it is one of the most spiritually rewarding habits any Christian can undertake.
One of the best ways to grow in your knowledge of God’s Word is by following a Bible reading plan. Bible reading plans give us a clear structure to follow and they encourage us to read all (or at least a good portion of) God’s Word throughout the year. We should want to hear from the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), for every word is breathed out by Him (2 Timothy 3:16).
M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan, developed by Robert Murray M’Cheyne, has both a one-year and two-year version. The one-year plan takes readers through the New Testament and Psalms twice a year, and through the rest of the Bible once each year. There are approximately four chapters per day. The two-year version goes at a slower pace, requiring approximately two chapters each day. The M’Cheyne plan also has accompanying devotionals written by D.A. Carson. The devotionals can be found here (Volume 1) and here (Volume 2). You can also get free PDF copies of the devotionals here (Volume 1) and here (Volume 2).
Tabletalk Magazine Bible Reading Plan
The advantage of this plan is that you are only in two books of the Bible (Old Testament and New Testament) on any given day. This plan will take you through the Bible in one year with about 3–4 chapters per day. Tabletalk Magazine Bible Reading Plan
Five Minutes a Day, Five Days a Week Plans
If Bible reading plans intimidate you, or if you find it difficult to consistently spend time in God’s Word, then this plan offers a slower pace and a manageable goal. It takes you through the entire Bible or New Testament in just five minutes a day, five days a week. While it’s important for Christians to read the Old Testament—since it too is God’s Word—the NT plan is a good way to establish some consistency in your Bible reading. (Note: If you find yourself easily meeting your weekly goal, you might consider adding a reading from the Old Testament and/or a Psalm each day and reading through the Old Testament next year.)
When you click on the link provided, there is a free PDF available with both plans listed side-by-side. Five Day Reading Plans
Concentration on One Book of the Bible at a Time
If you’ve recently read through the entire Bible in a year or maybe two years, it might be good to slow down and spend time reading just one book of the Bible multiple times. For instance, you might pick a book a month and read and study that book for an entire month. For longer books of the Bible you may choose to do 2 months or even longer. You might also utilize resources like Mark Dever’s The Message of the Old Testament or The Message of the New Testament which provides a good overview of each Bible book. An ESV Study Bible would also be a good companion resource for this plan or any plan.