Bible reading plans

[Matthias]

“To grow in the knowledge of God and to live in light of His truth, it’s important that we set aside focused time to study his Word.

As you consider your Bible study plans for the year ahead, explore more than 20 reading plans that can help you meditate on the Scriptures often.”

Bible Reading Plans for 2026

Explore various Bible reading plans designed to help you prioritize abiding in God's Word.

www.ligonier.org

Do you use a Bible reading plan? If you do, have you selected one for the coming year? If you have, which plan will you be following?

 

[APAK]

No set plan. I'm guided by the Spirit to delve into scripture as reactions to posts on this site and other places...those that need repair or correction or credit or praise or for reinforcement. I've created a Book in work based on this process over the last 5 years.

 

[BlueNightingale]

“To grow in the knowledge of God and to live in light of His truth, it’s important that we set aside focused time to study his Word.

As you consider your Bible study plans for the year ahead, explore more than 20 reading plans that can help you meditate on the Scriptures often.”

Bible Reading Plans for 2026

Explore various Bible reading plans designed to help you prioritize abiding in God's Word.

www.ligonier.org

Do you use a Bible reading plan? If you do, have you selected one for the coming year? If you have, which plan will you be following?

None, and that's probably not helpful. I just have a daily task list that says to read a chapter a day.

It's not limited to that but I get one chapter a day in at least.

 

[Matthias]

Bible reading plans are good for building discipline, but they aren’t required. I’ve long found some reading plans more interesting and helpful than others. I recommend that people find a plan that appeals to them and try it.

Read the Bible with a reading plan or without a reading. Read the Bible. Read it regularly.

For those who choose to follow a reading plan, you shouldn’t become discouraged and quit if something comes up and you fall a day - or a couple of days - behind. Make time and take time to catch up before getting too far behind.

Following a reading plan shouldn’t shackle us, preventing us from reading elsewhere in addition. When using a reading plan and moved by the Spirit to read something that isn’t in the daily plan, I recommend reading the daily plan and the passage(s) of scripture the Spirit is leading you to that are not in that days scheduled reading.

Reading plans are intended to help us, not hinder us.

 

[Matthias]

I used a Bible reading plan this year, as I‘ve done every year for several decades. It’s a plan that I hadn’t used before - a plan that I modified to suit my purpose. The plan was developed by Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Matthew [“America’s oldest Lutheran Church (congregation)”] and takes the reader one time through the New Testament in 6 months. I wanted to read through the New Testament twice in 12 months. The modification was minor and simple: use the reading plan twice during the year.

A link to the reading plan: http://www.stmatthewnyc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Read-the-NT-in-6-months.pdf

The reading plan ends on day 182. On day 183, I started it again as if it were day 1. Doing it that way leaves a few days without assigned reading at the end of the year. I could have done anything I wanted with those remaining days.

I read the daily readings every day for the first 182 days. I could have paused a few days before resuming the plan but I chose not to, not wanting to risk developing the habit of not reading the scriptures for a few days - breaking, or interrupting the discipline.

Instead, I followed the daily plan exactly until late November. Around Thanksgiving I read some of the daily reading each day, leaving a small portion unread, which I picked up the following day. I did this until mid-December. Around Christmas I was fully caught up and resumed reading the prescribed daily reading for the remainder of the month.

In two more days I will have completed reading through the New Testament twice this year; my reading goal met.

Now it’s time for me to decide on a reading plan for 2025. I had a plan in mind, in fact, my favorite reading plan. But something happened in July that has me leaning to another reading plan for the coming year. I’ll finalize what I’m going to do in a day or so.

The purpose of this thread is to encourage my readers to consider using a reading plan and, possibly, to be influenced by those who do to follow a plan that one or more of them have chosen to use. That has happened yet, but it still could.

 

[Matthias]

“Here’s the ‘Finish the Bible in a Year Plan That You Dropped In February.’

Dec. 29: Leviticus 3 - Ezekiel 48
Dec. 30: Daniel 1 - John 21
Dec. 31: Acts 1 - Revelation 22”

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This is a humorous poke at Bible reading plans. People tend to start them, stay with them for a while, and then don’t finish them. The will was there but the discipline wasn’t.

It’s not unusual to get a little behind in the reading plan. Life happens. Unexpected things come up. Other activities vie for our attention.

The key is commitment. Finishing what we start.

For those who decide to use a reading plan in 2025, if we fall a little behind, quickly make it up. Don’t get so far behind that we throw up our hands and in frustration throw in the towel.

Start on track. Stay on track. … Fall off track? Get back on track.

 

[Behold]

“To grow in the knowledge of God and to live in light of His truth, it’s important that we set aside focused time to study his Word.

Readers...

Study Paul's Epistles.

Why?

Because Church Doctrine is found there.

"well behold, why do i want to learn what God wants me to know about my Salvation, and about Gifts of the Spirit, and how to have the Mind of Christ and how to become the fullness of the stature of Christ.., as Paul teaches as Paul's Doctrine....(and so much more).....when i could be reading about Moses and Micah, and learning about what kind of wood Noah used (Gopher wood) to build that ark".

Right.
And thats why most Christians major in bible reading but fail at Discipleship.

Looking for some legit bible study?

Here you go..

Romans 3:21-28
Hebrews 13:9
2 Corn 5:19
Romans 4:8
John 1:17
Colossians 2:11

Put some time into those...research them... and God will show you more.

 

[Matthias]

Readers...

Study Paul's Epistles.

Why?

Because Church Doctrine is found there.

"well behold, why do i want to learn what God wants me to know about my Salvation, and about Gift of the Spirit, and how to have the Mind of Christ".., as Paul teaches....and so much more.........when i could be reading about Moses and Micah, and learning about what kind of wood Noah used (Gopher wood) to build that ark".

Right.
And thats why most Christians major in bible reading but fail at Discipleship.

I’m not sure but there may be Bible reading plans that cover reading only Paul’s epistles in some specified period of time or reading plans that could be modified for that purpose. Do you know of or have such a plan developed that you could share with our readers?

 

[Behold]

. Do you know of or have such a plan developed that you could share with our readers?

Paul wrote 13 Epistles.

Start with Ephesians, Galatians, Romans, Colossians.

Then read 1-2 Timothy and Titus

And to get you started just read these verses and research them..


Romans 3:21-28
Hebrews 13:9
2 Corn 5:19
Romans 4:8
John 1:17
Colossians 2:11

Put some time into those...research them... and God will show you more.


If you are a new Christians, say.. less then 5 yrs saved, then stay out of Hebrews except for Heb 13:9

 

[Matthias]

Paul wrote 13 Epistles.

Start with Ephesians, Galatians, Romans, Colossians.

Then read 1-2 Timothy and Titus

And to get you started just read these verses and research them..


Romans 3:21-28
Hebrews 13:9
2 Corn 5:19
Romans 4:8
John 1:17
Colossians 2:11

Put some time into those...research them... and God will show you more.

Thanks. Some of our readers may find that helpful.

 

[Matthias]

I want to reiterate that it’s not essential for anyone to use a Bible reading plan. I’ve made a decision concerning the reading plan I’ll be using in 2025 but I’m delaying announcing it until tomorrow. A last minute change is possible.

One positive about following a reading plan that we know someone else is using is that we can read, discuss, and encourage one another as we go through it together. It’s akin to having accountability partners.

Can we encourage someone to follow their reading plan even if we aren’t using the plan they are using? Certainly. If I know someone is following a particular plan that I’m not, I’ll ask him or her about it from time to time. Where are they in their plan? Are they on track? Have they gotten distracted or discouraged and fallen behind? Have they read or learned something in their plan that they would like to talk about?

A reading plan is a tool, a spiritual discipline. It should be a delight, not a burden, to use.

”Spiritual disciplines are not about making you more precious to God. They’re about making God more precious to you.” - Matt Smethurst

I like the sentiment he expressed but I’d like to suggest a slight modification for consideration: replace the “you” with “us”.

There’s still time to commit to a Bible reading plan in 2025, if we’re of a mind to.

 

[TrevorHL]

Greetings Matthias,

Do you use a Bible reading plan? If you do, have you selected one for the coming year? If you have, which plan will you be following?

I use the following Bible Reading Plan. It suggests that we read three portions each day, and this would cover reading the OT once per year and the NT twice a year. I only read one portion per day, and this then takes three years to complete the plan. In the last two years I have covered the OT (except when I was sick at the beginning of 2024), but this year I will be reading the NT portion and this is covered two times in the year.

https://bibletruth.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/chart.pdf

Kind regards
Trevor

 

[Matthias]

Greetings Matthias,

I use the following Bible Reading Plan. It suggests that we read three portions each day, and this would cover reading the OT once per year and the NT twice a year. I only read one portion per day, and this then takes three years to complete the plan. In the last two years I have covered the OT (except when I was sick at the beginning of 2024), but this year I will be reading the NT portion and this is covered two times in the year.

https://bibletruth.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/chart.pdf

Kind regards
Trevor

Thanks for contributing to the thread, Trevor.

I like that you shared with our readers how you‘ve used it in various ways.

Do you use only this reading plan every year, or do you also use other reading plans from time to time?

I personally like to alternate reading plans from year to year. I‘ve occasionally used the same plan in consecutive years but I’ve found that using a different plan has been useful in helping me not to read over or past something. A different plan can sometimes cause us to think about scripture in a fresh way.

Something like 20 years ago, I wrote to the Christadelphians and requested a copy of this particular plan. (I think in response to an advertisement I had seen somewhere about it.) They sent it to me, at no cost to me, on three laminated cards. I still have and use them. I really like that simple idea.

I’ve used this plan three or four times; reading all three portions daily each time. I hadn’t even thought about using it any differently until you mentioned it in your post. Thank you!

It’s not my favorite (reading the Bible in chronological order is) but it’s a very good reading plan. I’ll definitely use it again in the future and wouldn’t hesitate for a moment in recommending it to one and all.

I shouldn’t have to say this but someone might be wondering about it so I will. This plan can be used by anyone. It isn’t only for Christadelphians. Like all other reading plans, it’s a guide for reading scripture in an orderly way to meet a particular goal; and the goal may vary from year to year, for any number of reasons.

Reading plans don’t teach any particular denomination’s doctrines or understanding of scripture, and they can be used with any and all translations of the Bible.

P.S.

A quick anecdote. A young student once came to me and said that he had been using a particular reading plan but stopped when he discovered that it was “defective”. Defective? How was it defective?

He was reading a translation that contained either more or less verses (I no longer remember which) than the reading plan had identified. Other than that, he really liked the plan.

It was the first time he became aware that some translations contain a few verses that other translations omit. He learned something new from the experience, and I was able to help him see that there was an easy “fix” that allowed him to resume using the plan.

 

[Matthias]

To the best of my recollection, I’ve never been asked about Bible reading plans that include the Apocrypha.* Do they even exist? Yes, they do. For those who might be interested, I’m providing a link to one:

Welcome to TheBibleTeam.com!

Whether you have or haven’t read the Apocrypha but would like to, choosing a Bible reading plan that includes it might be something you would want to consider.

* I’ve read the Apocrypha but I’ve never used a Bible reading plan that included it. Until now, I had only assumed that such plans existed.

 

[Deborah_]

I use my own reading plan because I've never liked any of the plans that are generally available.

For most of my Christian life I've read the whole Bible through every year. My plan gave me five short passages every day - one from OT history, one from OT poetry, one from OT prophecy, one from the Gospels/Acts, and one from the NT letters. This gave me a "balanced diet" every day and helped me to avoid getting bogged down in Leviticus or Ezekiel.

About 10 years ago, I decided that I didn't need to keep going at that rate, so I worked out a new plan that takes me through the whole Bible every 4 years. Just one passage a day, but 'mixing' the different types of book so that it doesn't get tedious. I do one of the Gospels each year (this year it's Luke).

 

[Matthias]

The Bible reading plan that I’ll be using this year is the MacArthur Daily Bible. On July 1,2024 I shared the story of how and why this Bible was gifted to me by a Catholic ministry. It’s an interesting story. Here is a link to it, for those who would like to hear it.

Post in thread 'Queen of heaven'
Queen of heaven

***

”WELCOME TO THE MACARTHUR DAILY BIBLE

No matter how much teaching and preaching you listen to, there can be no substitute for reading the Word of God daily yourself. The Bible is God’s precious revelation of Himself to you. It’s your point of contact with Him, where you learn the precious truth He has given to the Body of Christ. It’s where you discover that history is His story, as you see the chain of events unfolding, always known to God, that led up to the birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it’s where you learn what the future has in store in that wonderful day when the Lord returns.

This MacArthur Daily Bible provides a good way to develop a daily Bible reading habit. For each day of the year, it gives you a portion of the Old Testament, a bit from Psalms and Proverbs, and a portion of the New Testament, from the trusted New American Standard Bible translation.

It’s all in Bible order. In each days reading, you pick up where you left off the day before. If you stay in this Daily Bible every day for a year, you will have read through the entire Bible!

Along with each day’s Scripture passages there are helpful comments and notes gleaned from the writings of John MacArthur.”

Yellow flag. This is a study Bible. This means that, in addition to the Bible passages, I’ll have access to what John MacArthur thinks about what I’ll be reading. I may sometimes read his comments and notes as I use the reading plan. I may sometimes decide not to read them. It’s the reading plan that I want, not necessarily commentary and notes.

Strictly speaking, Bible reading plans don’t contain commentary and notes. Readers who use a study Bible might benefit from some, or even all, of the commentary. Some readers may find commentary and notes distracting. Some may read and agree or disagree - in whole or in part - with commentary and notes that accompany the particular reading plan.

 

[Matthias]

“WAYS TO WORK THE PLAN

There are several ways you might like to use the daily readings:

1. Bible in one year, once a day: Follow the plan. Read each day’s readings during your daily Bible reading time, to finish the whole Bible in a year.

2. Bible in one year, twice a day: Like number 1 above, but in two settings. Read the Psalms, Proverbs, and New Testament readings in the morning and the Old Testamen in the evening.

3.Bible in two years: Read the Psalms, Proverbs, and New Testament readings the first year, then the Old Testament readings in the second year.”

I’m posting this just to give readers insight on various ways that a plan might be used. These aren’t the only ways; we’re free to change variables in a plan to suit our purpose. I won’t be using the plan in exactly any of these three ways, but I will use the plan to finish the whole Bible in a year. I don’t have a specific reading time set aside. It’s a good discipline but I need more flexibility. I may have one setting; but it might be in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the evening. I may have multiple settings - 2, 3, 5, 8, etc. in any given day, depending on my schedule for the day.

I’ll adjust daily as needed to complete the daily reading.

The plan is a guide, not a law. It serves us; we don’t serve it.

Read the scriptures daily. That’s our goal.

 

[Matthias]

“HOW TO USE YOUR NASB DAILY BIBLE

For each day of the year, there are four portions to read: a portion from the Old Testament, from Psalms, from Proverbs, and from the New Testament. By following the plan, at the end of one year you will have read through the entire Bible in consecutive daily installments.

If you aren’t ready for the entire Bible in a year, an alternative two-year plan would be …

Either way, you will develop a habit of thorough, daily Bible reading that will bless you in life.”

I’m going to follow the plan, with its four portions - similar to the three portion plan @TrevorHL shared with us in post #12 - because I spent last year reading only the New Testament, twice, and I’m excited to get back to daily reading in the Hebrew Bible - without stepping away from the New Testament.

It takes 30 days to form a habit. I’ve had this habit of daily reading for decades. It will already be comfortable for me. (It would be uncomfortable for me to get out of the habit!) For others it will become a daily habit, if they stick to it.

***

This is what the four-portion daily plan I’m following looks like for the first week:

January 1: Genesis 1-2; Psalm 1:1-6; Proverbs 1:1-7; Matthew 1:1-25
January 2: Genesis 3:1-4:26; Psalm 2:1-6; Proverbs 1:8-9; Matthew 2:1-23
January 3: Genesis 5:1-6:22; Psalm 2:7-12; Proverbs 1:10-19; Matthew 3:1-17
January 4: Genesis 7:1-8:22; Psalm 3:1-4; Proverbs 1:20-22; Matthew 4:1-25
January 5: Genesis 9:1-10:32; Psalm 3:5-8; Proverbs 1:23-27; Matthew 5:1-26
January 6: Genesis 11:1-12:20; Psalm 4:1-3; Proverbs 1:28-33; Matthew 5:27-48
January 7: Genesis 13:1-14:24; Psalm 4:4-8; Proverbs 2:1-5; Matthew 6:1-18

I’ve never used a plan that gives such a small daily portion size of reading in Psalms and Proverbs before. I’m already struggling just a little with that. I’ll get used to it - or maybe I won’t. Remember, it’s a plan that I’ll follow for a year and then (probably) use a different plan next year.

 

[TrevorHL]

Greetings again Matthias,

Do you use only this reading plan every year, or do you also use other reading plans from time to time?

This has been my only reading plan. It is widely used in our fellowship, and at a baptism we usually give a book on the evening signed by attendees, and then on Sunday give a "Bible Companion" reading plan and a hymn book when welcoming them in. Many of our exhortations are based upon one of the readings for the day from the reading chart. For example our speaker at our meeting had Malachi 1 read last Sunday, but gave a brief synopsis of the three readings, while yesterday I replayed an Adelaide South Australia meeting and the reading was also Malachi 1, and the speaker only spoke about this chapter and then another theme in Malachi.

They sent it to me, at no cost to me, on three laminated cards. I still have and use them. I really like that simple idea.

Yes, two of our publishers produce these cards, usually plastic these days. Our reading chart comes in many formats, usually small booklets. Our major Australian magazine used to issue a Diary type chart each year with the January magazine copy, but now it only comes on request. I currently use the 2023 edition, and mark off each time I do one of the scheduled readings. I am on the third year now.

It was the first time he became aware that some translations contain a few verses that other translations omit.

I used to read from my wide margin KJV for more than 50 years, but I read now from a RV/KJV Interlinear Bible that I received from my mother's estate. Evidently this version was also my grandmother's favourite. She died from diabetes before I was born. Maybe there was not the medication available in her day, and possibly my diabetes medication is keeping me alive. The RV has quite a few NT verses missing by comparison to the KJV. I especially like the OT portion of the RV, and it is interesting to have an instant comparison to the KJV rendition.

Late 2023 I was looking forward to having a more thorough reading of the Psalms in the 2024 new year. I am conscious of many of my favourite Psalms, but I hoped to examine others more carefully. I also lined up Robert Alter's and Alec Motyer's new translations and both of these have textual notes and some other useful comments. Well it was not to be, as I ended up in hospital due mostly to my diabetes for some weeks. I eventually settled down to reading a few Psalms on a small laptop in hospital, and in some respects started to appreciate some of the Psalms from a different perspective due in part to my experience.

I’ve used this plan three or four times; reading all three portions daily each time. I hadn’t even thought about using it any differently until you mentioned it in your post. Thank you!

Yes, I found that three portions became too large a burden, and I enjoy reading one portion only each year, and even occasionally a bit of study on the particular chapter, and some conversation with Joyce my wife of an interesting verse or two.

Kind regards
Trevor

 

[Matthias]

“Feeling discouraged because you already failed hour New Year’s resolution ofreading your Bibke every day?

It’s okay. Just start back today.
Reading a Bible isn’t about completing a goal, it’s about spending time with a loving God.

It’s about a relationship, not a resolution.” - Shane Pruitt

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If you’re using a Bible reading plan and you’re on schedule -> terrific, keep it up!

If you’re using a Bible reading plan and you’re a little behind -> don’t give up, catch up!

If you’re not using a Bible reading plan but you wanted to -> it’s not too late, do it!

If you’re not using a Bible reading plan but you’re reading the Bible every day -> terrific, keep it up!

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all of your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).