Tips For Reading Through The Bible in One Year

I suppose that, for a great number of Christians, one of their resolutions for a new year is to read the Bible through. Some will make this goal for the first time; others simply have not read the Bible through in many years; and still others make this goal each year.

It is a wonderful goal, for sure, and I encourage you to have some type of goal that involves Bible reading and/or study for the upcoming year.

Certainly, there is nowhere in the Bible where we are commanded to read the entire Bible through in a year, but it makes for a great goal. In fact, I think it is a wonderful goal, because having read the Bible all the way through sets the stage for future reading and study.

But a lot of people simply do not know how to tackle this goal. After all, the Bible is a long book! So, if you have this goal in mind, let me offer a few simple tips that might help you achieve this wonderful goal in the new year.

1. Have a Plan. There are so many different Bible reading plans that it can be overwhelming to choose one, but having one is better than not! We gave out a plan from Glad Tidings (House to House) for our Central members this year that goes straight through the Bible (Genesis through Revelation). For the last couple of years, I have used this plan, which takes a chronological approach, and it has been a blessing to me.
2. Read the Bible Like a Novel. I do not mean by this that we treat the Bible as fiction, but that we read it like we would many other books. A great number of people say they find great benefit in simply reading for a few minutes each day, not worrying about how many chapters or verses they cover in a day. In fact, I have heard a number of people say how quickly they have read the Bible this way, because they were simply engrossed with the narrative that they couldn’t put it down!
3. Let Someone Read It For You! With technology, there are many websites and apps that will read the Bible aloud so you can either read along, or simply listen. Mary Carol actually prefers to do this and it helps her concentrate. I know some people to listen to the Bible on a morning jog or on their drive to work, and they finish the Bible in a year, or often less, by letting someone read it to them.
4. Have a Routine (As Much As Possible). One thing that helps a great deal is to have a certain time of day and even a certain location in which to read each day. A lot of people read their Bible first thing in the morning or as the final activity of the day. Having that routine will help you stay on track more days than not. You’ll probably still miss a day or two along the way, but the more you have the routine, the more likely you are to be consistent and not get too far behind.
5. Use Three Benchmarks. If you decide to follow a traditional plan (reading through the Bible in one year), it is almost certain that you will get behind at some point during the year. You might get sick or you might have to be totally out of your routine for some reason for a few days. One little mental trick I use for these times is to have three “benchmarks.” If I am caught up on my reading at the end of each (1) book of the Bible, (2) month of the year, and (3) column of my reading sheet, I know I am never too far behind! Some will overlap (for example, you may finish a book of the Bible on the last day of a month), but this gives you about 80-90 days each year where you should be caught up on your reading; well more than one day each week on which you can check your progress.
6. Give Yourself Grace. If you get way behind, the most common response is simply to quit. Don’t do that! So what if it takes you 13 or 15 or 18 or even 24 months to finish reading the Bible instead of the 12 you had as a goal? You still will have done something that will be a wonderful benefit to your soul and to your relationship with God! If you look up in March and you are already a week or two behind, give yourself some grace and just keep reading, enjoying the blessing of taking God’s Word into your life.

Ultimately, this is not about just checking off some goal. It is about knowing God and His will better each day of our life. But reading through the Bible is a wonderful step on that journey, and I encourage you to take that step–or to take it again–in the new year!

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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn