I always had good intentions of reading through the entire Bible every year, but always found it difficult to read from front to back. Inevitably I’d get stuck in the first five books wishing I could just jump into the four gospels. There were some alternative through-the-year reading plans that mixed up the format, but for me, plowing through 3-4 chapters a day missed the purpose of the Bible. It’s not just a book to be read, it’s a plan to be followed.

If God’s thoughts for your day are a needle, then why pile on the hay?

I wanted something that was intentional, easy to read, and didn’t make me wait until the latter part of the year to get into the New Testament. Since I couldn’t find a reading plan like that, I just decided to create my own. After a couple years of trial and error I landed on something that revolutionized my daily devotions. It ended up becoming a dual-track (NT & OT) chronological reading that consolidated similar themes and events.

So here are the highlights of the reading plan:

  • No more than 60 verses each day
  • Weekly Psalm and Proverb
  • Old Testament and New Testament chronological tracks
  • Excluding Psalms and Proverbs, the Old Testament is read as it purportedly happened (i.e. Job is sandwiched in Genesis; Esther, Ezra and Nehemiah are read at the end of the year)
  • Old Testament events are not repeated (i.e. Much of Numbers and Deuteronomy are blended; similar events in Chronicles, Kings, and Isaiah are combined)
  • Much of the Old Testament law is bypassed
  • The four gospels are read as one for a complete linear storyline (i.e. you’re not reading the feeding of the 5,000 four times)
  • Paul’s epistles are read as Paul wrote them on his missionary journeys in Acts.
  • The New Testament track begins with Jesus’ ministry so the Christmas story can be read at Christmas
  • Download the Bible Reading Plan PDF

The reading plan is supplemented by Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts which post the day’s reading within a daily guide and a verse of the day (VOTD). The daily guide is intended to add to the reading and includes a song related to the day’s reading, a prayer focus and a response.

I hope you enjoy it! It’s been amazing on a personal level. Now that I’ve been through it a few years in a row, I feel like I not only read the Bible better, but I know it better. It’s given me the consistency I needed in my daily walk with the Lord, and I hope it does the same for you!