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10 Unique Bible Reading Plans for 2015
Happy New Year! Do you make resolutions or set goals you’d like to accomplish during the new year? A lot of people resolve to read the Bible more often or read it through in a year. If that’s you but you’re not quite sure where to start, here are ten awesome and unique reading plans that can help.
1. The Chronological Plan
I cannot recommend this plan strongly enough. You’ll read through the entire Bible in a year, following the events as they happened chronologically. I have been through this plan three times (I even took my ladies’ Sunday school class through it in 2014). It is wonderful for helping you see the big picture of the Bible as well as how all the little pieces of the biblical puzzle fit together. ESV.org (of course you can use any translation) has the plan in five different user-frienly formats.
2. How to Change Your Mind (The Gray Method)
This Bible reading plan consists of four simple steps:
1. Choose a book of the Bible.
2. Read it in its entirety.
3. Repeat step #2 twenty times.
4. Repeat this process for all books of the Bible.
I said it was simple. I didn’t say it wouldn’t be time consuming. But it’s a great way to allow God’s word to grab a hold of you.
3. The M’Cheyne Plan
How about reading through the Bible in a year with your spouse or family (you could also do this one individually)? With the M’Cheyne plan you’ll read through the Old Testament once, the New Testament and Psalms, twice. Each day, you’ll read an OT chapter and a NT chapter as a family and another OT chapter and NT chapter on your own. Free Daily Bible study offers suggestions for making this a two or three year plan if one year seems too daunting.
4. How Long Does It Take to Read the Bible?
This is a fun little web site. Take a brief test to find out how many words per minute you read, and this plan will show you how long it takes to go through each daily reading. You might be surprised at how little time it takes each day! You can also set your reading schedule for anywhere from one month (it CAN be done!) to 36 months to read through the whole Bible.
5. The 21-Day Challenge
New to daily Bible reading and don’t want to bite off more than you can chew? Try Back to the Bible’s 21-Day Challenge. Each day, you’ll read one chapter in the book of John, and in three weeks, you’ll be finished. It’s a great way to get your feet wet.
6. The 5x5x5 Bible Reading Plan
This is a great plan for people (like me) who occasionally miss a day or two of a daily Bible reading plan. It’s a slower paced, 5 day per week plan (weekends are for reflection and catch up), taking about 5 minutes a day, with 5 ways to dig deeper and apply what you’re reading. You’ll go through the whole New Testament in a year, reading approximately one chapter per day.
7. The 90 Day Challenge
Another great one for those who struggle with long term commitment. “The 90-day Bible reading plan integrates readings from Genesis, the foundational book of the Old Testament, with the three [synoptic] Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. On one side you’ll see God’s creative work and earliest interactions with His people; on the other, you’ll get to know Jesus as Emmanuel, God with us, fulfilling the promises made even in Genesis.”
8. Every Word in the Bible
Take time to slowly savor God’s word with this relaxed pace plan. Readings alternate between the Old and New Testament to keep you from getting bogged down in some of the more difficult sections. You’ll read through the whole Bible, one to two chapters per day, in three years.
9. The Bible Eater
This is a pretty nifty little self-directed plan: “Old Testament: Read 2 to 3 chapters per day and take 4 days off per month. Read 1 to 3 designated one-sitting Old Testament books each quarter. New Testament: Read 1 chapter per day and take 4 days off per month. One gospel is assigned to each quarter and Romans and Hebrews are assigned twice across the year.” Historical redemptive passages are highlighted to call your attention to the “big picture” of the Bible.
10. Professor Grant Horner’s Bible Reading System
Up for a challenge? The Horner system is sort of an osmosis system, the idea being “inundation” rather than “meditation.” With it, you’ll read ten chapters per day from ten different books. Over the course of a year, “you’ll read through all the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul’s letters 4-5 times each, the Old Testament wisdom literature six times, all the Psalms at least twice, all the Proverbs as well as Acts a dozen times, and all the way through the Old Testament History and Prophetic books about 1 1⁄2 times.”
Does one of those plans seem like it might be a fit for you? If not, there are lots of others available here and here. And be sure to check out these two helpful resources: 5 of the Best Free Bible Study Tools and Read the Entire Bible in 2015. Both of these have additional reading plans as well.
Which plan looks most interesting to you?
Have a plan you love that isn’t listed? Please share!
Looking for more great Bible study resources? We recommend these!
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kentuckygal50 says
What a wonderful resource, thank you! I’m going with the 21 day plan because I’ve never been able to stick to a reading plan for very long and maybe with a 21 day success under my belt that can change!
Michelle says
I think that’s a great idea! Maybe you can build up to a longer plan, or maybe the one chapter a day thing until you finish a book is just the right fit for you. As long as you’re in the Word :0)
Shonni says
Thanks for putting this together
Michelle says
You’re welcome :0)
April J Harris (@apriljharris) says
Thank you for sharing this post. It’s a seriously great resource with lots of options for everyone. Pinning and tweeting!
Michelle says
Thanks, April. Glad you enjoyed it :0)
bloggerlovestheking says
Thanks for sharing. I am doing tbe chronological plan this year fof the first time. Glad gou like it.
Michelle says
That’s awesome! The chronological plan really helped me get a better grip on Old Testament history, which is so essential to understanding God’s plan of redemption. Hope you enjoy it! :0)
Lisa @ The Wellness Wife says
Thanks so much for all of these great options!
Michelle says
You’re welcome, Lisa. Hope they help! :0)
amandacalitz says
Thank you for the resource!
Michelle says
You’re welcome, Amanda :0)
Jacob D. Gerber says
This is a great list of so many wonderful Bible reading plans, so thanks for putting it together!
Also, thanks so much for sharing a link to Free Daily Bible Study! It’s my first year writing a daily devotional to accompany each day’s M’Cheyne Bible reading, so I’m very thankful for sharing my website.
Blessings,
Jacob
Michelle says
Thanks, Jacob. I had a good time putting it together. It was a joy to feature Free Daily Bible Study. I hope a lot of people hungry for God’s word come your way! :0)
Emily says
The Gray Method sounds great for me. Thanks for this post!
Michelle says
That one sounded so tough to me! I admire you for tackling it. :0)
Delaney says
I’ve used Professor Horner’s plan for years. I love it!
Michelle says
That’s awesome! That one always seemed so daunting to me. Maybe I’ll try it one day :0)
Julie says
Wonderful resource! I’m doing the chronological plan this year.
Michelle says
That one’s my favorite. It helped me so much to get the timeline of events in the Old Testament straight. Have a great year of reading! :0)
Rebekah says
Thank you for putting this list together – there are some methods I hadn’t heard of yet, so I’m grateful for new information. I’m trying to do the chronological method this year. Found your post from the #gracetruth linkup – thanks for sharing with us!
Michelle says
Thanks so much Rebekah! I hope you enjoy the chronological plan as much as I did :0)