How to Use the Bible Reading Plan
I’m 42 years old and I’ve had many days my life that I’ve wanted to read the Bible, but I just didn’t know where to start. I would flip through my Bible and land on a random page and just read a few verses. Some days I didn’t know where to start, so I just didn’t read it. Sometimes I had a plan, but it was difficult to stick with. I would do it for a few days or weeks, then forget about it. I still struggle with having a daily “quiet time” with God, but I’ve learned how to get some sort of spiritual and biblical food most days.
I had my kids in mind when trying to think of a good format for them to get in the habit of reading their Bible and spending time with God daily. I was so excited when this plan came to my mind. It felt simple and doable and not overwhelming.
Pray. Read one chapter. Reflect and write down a thought. Remember it throughout your day.
When my husband and I were creating the plan, we realized it would actually be great for teens and adults too. If it’s great for kids, teens, and adults, then it’s also a great tool for families to use to grow in God’s Word together.
I hope that as you use this plan, you will be able to establish the habit of reading the Bible daily, come to know God more, and be encouraged to carry what you read through your day and apply it to your life. I hope that following the format to pray, read, reflect, and remember will help you do that.
Pray
It’s really easy to just jump into your Bible reading and check it off of your to-do list. But we must remember that the point of reading the Bible is to know God more and to grow closer to Him. So, let’s take time to pray and get our hearts ready for our time with Him. It doesn’t have to take long. It could, but it doesn’t have to. The point is to set our minds and hearts on God and to focus this time on Him. Here are some things you can pray.
Praise God for who He is.
Thank God for what He has done.
Confess to God your sins.
Ask God to help you to love Him and know Him.
Ask God to speak to you through His Word.
Your prayer could be something like this.
“Dear God, I praise you for being the Creator of the world. You are so big and powerful. Thank you for providing all that I need, and for giving me many blessings that I don’t even deserve. God, I have messed up a lot. Will you please forgive me for those things and help me to do better? I want to do better so that you are honored in my life. Help me to know and love you more, and help me to listen to you and hear you as I read your Word today. Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for me and for saving me from my sins. Amen.”
Read
Psalm 119 tells us that God’s Word brings us life, wisdom, delight, strength, goodness, comfort, understanding, hope, direction, joy, light, truth, and peace. Wow! Isn’t it amazing that those things come from God by reading the Bible? I don’t know about you, but I could use all of those in my life. Sometimes it’s hard to make time to read the Bible, but if we do, so much good comes from it. We know Him more and are blessed in many ways when we make time for Him. I hope this Bible reading plan helps you create a habit of reading the Bible and spending time with Jesus everyday.
Let me answer some questions you may have about following this Bible reading plan.
How much do I read each day?
You will read one chapter each day.
What if I want to read more than one chapter on one day?
If you want to read more, go ahead! You can continue reading through the plan faster than scheduled, or you can add another book of the Bible to your plan to red through. If you finish this reading plan early, just be sure to keep the habit of reading it everyday.
What if I get behind on my Bible readings?
If you get behind, that’s okay! Here are a few ideas to help you get back on track:
Go to the date you are starting back up on and start there. Don’t worry about catching up.
If you’re up for it, read the chapters you skipped and catch back up to the correct date.
Most months end with a few days to read Psalms. You can use those days to catch up. You have the choice of reading those chapters of Psalm or you can skip them for now so you can catch up on the chapters you missed.
Remember, the goal of the plan is to create a habit of reading the Bible and to know Him more. Just checking off a list is not the goal. If you get off track, don’t be discouraged. Just jump back in and keep reading!
Reflect
After you read the Bible, take a minute to reflect on what you read. Think about these questions.
What is going on in these verses?
What do these verses tell me about God?
What do these verses tell me about Jesus?
How do I apply this to my life?
What is the main thing I want to remember from these verses?
What do I want to remember from these verses?
After reflecting, think of a phrase that really sticks out to you and write it down on the blank for that day. This phrase can be simple. You might write down something like:
God is Creator.
Jesus loves me so much.
I am a sinner and need Jesus.
The woman gave generously to God.
I can trust Jesus.
The man thanked God.
Always be thankful.
Jesus helps me when I’m afraid.
You might want to squeeze a whole verse onto that line.
There is not right or wrong way to do this step. Just write down what will help you remember and think about the passage throughout the day.
Remember
You have prayed, read, reflected, and written down a memorable phrase. Now, it’s time to remember. As you go about your day, think about what you read, specifically the phrase you wrote down. As you carry this phrase and God’s Word in your mind and heart throughout the day, you can apply God’s word to your life.
Here are some examples.
If you wrote down the phrase, “God is Creator”, as you are going on a family walk or playing outside, you can look around at God’s beautiful creation and think about how amazing He is. If you wrote down the phrase, “Always be thankful”, you can practice being thankful throughout the day, even when things are not going your way. You can also talk about your phrase with your siblings, parents, and friends. You may even encourage them to know Jesus and read the Bible more too!
It’s very important to remember what we have read in the Bible and apply it to our lives. What a gift that He has given us brains to remember and a heart to listen to him when He speaks to us.
As you follow this plan, my prayer is that you create a habit of reading the Bible and spending time with God each day. I pray that you will know and love Him more as you grown closer to Him, and that the love you have for Jesus overflows into the lives of others.
Pray.
Read.
Reflect
Remember.
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