Cover to Cover: Bible in a Year Reading Plan

Description

Does reading the Bible in a year seem daunting? Is it possible we make it more complicated than it has to be?

Honestly, I don’t think it has to do with the amount of reading (though that can be part of it), but I think the hardest part is developing the discipline. Creating new disciplines, new habits, new routines are not easy. They initially give off a joy and excitement for crossing off the boxes, but eventually, the luster wanes and dims. Then, discipline becomes a choice. Will I keep going even if I don’t feel anything? Do I get back on track even if I’ve missed too many days?

Honestly, I want to encourage you to find a plan and go for it. Push yourself to develop a new discipline not because it’s a goal Christians should make, but because you want to draw closer to God himself.

The point of reading the Bible is to know and love God more. We learn more of who he is and what he is like, and as we read, we learn more about who we are in light of who he is. We change. Our thoughts and attitudes transform. Our actions begin to look more like what he would do.

I want to invite you to this Bible reading plan not because it’s anything special or better than another, but because I want to invite you to try for yourself.

In this plan you’ll notice:

1. It’s chronological. I try to follow the timeline that the books would have been written. For simplicity sake, I do not jump from the history books into the minor prophets. Some plans do this, but the jumping gets overwhelming to me. I try to keep the jumping minimal.
2. I include encouraging phrases each time you finish a book! It’s exciting to see another lap crossed (I mean book finished).
3. There’s a psalm for every day. I know that quite possibly this might be the reading left out just because we read through the Psalms twice in a year, but Psalms are important because they teach us how to pray. So my encouragement would be to include at least verses of the psalm each day to guide your prayer.
4. Catch up days included at the end of the month. There are just days we won’t get it all done and that’s ok. Even by the end of the year, I’m playing catch up with days from the spring. It’s normal! To try and help with that, I have make up days at the end of month to help.
5. Encouragement from me via newsletter/podcast episodes. This year, I will be including a monthly episode/newsletter devoted to the Bible reading plan. Why? Because it’s a gentle way to encourage you to keep going. I’ll include resources to encourage you and provide deeper learning opportunities.

Let this be the year you develop not just a Bible reading plan goal, but a discipline of study that will carry you not only in this year, but in the years to come!