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 some awesome and unique reading plans that can help. (Click titles for links to each plan.)
(Please note- I do not necessarily endorse all of the content of the websites linked below. These links are provided for Bible reading plans only. I do not endorse anything at any of these sites which conflicts with the theology outlined at my “Statement of Faith” and “Welcome” tabs at the top of this page. Should you choose to explore these sites beyond the linked Bible reading plans, please do so discerningly and reject anything that conflicts with Scripture.)
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 several 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.
2. Six Ribbons
For this perpetual plan, you’ll need six ribbons or book marks to mark off six sections of your Bible: Law (Genesis – Job), Psalms, Proverbs, Prophets (Ecclesiastes – Malachi), NT Narrative (Matthew – Acts), NT Letters (Romans – Revelation). Each day, in each section, read from the beginning of the first full chapter on the left hand page, through the right hand page. Then turn the page and stop reading at the end of whatever chapter you’re in. Or you could read a different pre-determined amount each day. The object is to advance each ribbon at least one page each day.
3. Stay on Track Bible Reading Plan
“If you have trouble staying on track, this one-year plan will help. There are readings only on the weekdays, with weekends free to catch up or get ahead.”
4. The ESV Daily Bible Reading Plan
Read through the Bible in a year with four daily readings from Psalms / wisdom literature, Pentateuch / OT History, Chronicles / prophets, and the gospels / epistles. The plan is laid out on four printable bookmarks so you can keep your place as you read.
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. Denny Burk’s Bible Reading Plan
Do you find it difficult to follow a plan that includes readings from several different books per day? Denny Burk did, so he developed this reading plan that takes you through one book at a time in canonical order over the course of a year. “Each day’s reading is about 3-4 chapters in length, with the exception of the Psalms (which are covered in 5 chapters per day). The idea is to read longer chapters in groups of three (e.g., Pentateuchal narratives, Gospels) and shorter chapters in groups of four. There are 7 catch-up days scattered throughout the calendar.”
7. Chronological New Testament Plan
This 92 day plan will give you a better grasp of the timeline of New Testament history. Set your own pace as you move through the gospels, the history of the first century church, the epistles, and Revelation.
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. 30 Stories You’ve Probably Never Heard
Well, if you’ve read through the OT, you have heard them, but this would be a fun plan to work through when you need a fresh breath of air between longer, more intense studies. It’s lighter fare – just 30 lesser known OT stories in canonical order from Numbers through Daniel – but certainly still profitable for spiritual growth.
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.”
11. 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.
12. Daily Gospel Bible Reading Plan
“This plan focuses on the record of the life of Christ. You’ll read through all four gospels [Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John] in 45 days.” Set up a free account to keep track of your progress.
13. The Busy Life Bible Reading Plan
Does that title rub you the wrong way like it does me? My knee-jerk reaction to it is, “If you’re too busy to read your Bible, you’re too busy.”. But it’s a good canonical two year plan, so, if it helps, just mentally rename it something else. It’s a great plan to use if you want to slow down and spend more time studying each day, or to use in addition to another plan or study you’re using.
14. 6-Month Layered Bible Reading Plan
Can’t wait a whole year to get from Genesis to Revelation? Would six months work better for you? In this fast-track plan you’ll do three readings each day: one from Old Testament history, one from Old Testament poetry / prophets, and another from the New Testament. Each reading takes about 15-20 minutes.
15. The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan
With only 25 days of readings per month, this plan is one of the most flexible. Take Sundays off, use catch-up days as needed, or go back and review passages that need more attention at the end of the month. Read from two NT and two OT books each day and finish up in a year, or easily divide the readings up over a two year period.
16. The “How to Eat Your Bible” Plan
My friend, Pastor Nate Pickowicz’s latest book, How to Eat Your Bible, is a gem in the Bible study genre. This brief book is packed with great instruction on how to approach studying your Bible, and culminates with Nate’s seven year Bible reading plan, which you can customize.
17. Daily Wisdom Bible Reading Plan
“Find wisdom each day as you read straight through the Psalms, Proverbs, and Song of Solomon in 60 days.” Set up a free account to keep track of your progress.
18. 60 Day Overview of the Bible
This is like the “Cliff Notes” version of reading through the whole Bible. You’re going to miss a ton of great stuff, but it’s a nice little collection of many of the touchstone moments and themes of Scripture. A super introduction to the storyline of the Bible for new Christians or those who are new to studying Scripture in a systematic way.
19. The 6 Month Challenge
“Over six months, this plan takes you through the New Testament from Acts to Revelation. This plan also integrates the worship and wisdom of Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes on a daily basis, for a balanced diet of instruction and intimate time with God.”
20. Bible Reading Plan Generator
This handy dandy little algorithm allows you to design your own Bible reading plan. You choose the start date, the length of the plan, your language, your favorite format, which books of the Bible you want to read, which days of the week you want to read, and several other options, and the Bible Reading Plan Generator creates a custom designed plan just for you.
Bible Reading Plans for Children
(Need recommendations for children’s Bibles? Click here.)
Depending on the age and maturity of your child (especially teens), I would certainly recommend any of the plans above or in the “Collections” section below. Perhaps you would want to start off with one of the shorter plans or one of the plans designed for new Believers or those who are new to reading the Bible. That being said, here are a few plans that are billed as being designed specifically for children:
Through the Bible in 20 Days– “…intended to be a child’s first exposure to regular Bible reading…geared toward ages 8 to 10. It includes twenty days of reading to be spread over one month, with five readings done per week.”
Through the Bible in 60 Days– “…designed to be a child’s second exposure to regular Bible reading,” this plan builds on the 20 day plan (above). “…geared toward ages 11 to 13. It includes sixty days of reading. This could be spread over three months, with five readings done per week.”
100 Day Summer Reading Plan– Though dated for the summer of 2021, this plan could be used at any time of the year. It breaks down the main plot points of Scripture into seven sections in case your child needs a break between sections. More info. here. (Please note I have not vetted, and thus, am not recommending anything on this page except the reading plan. Zondervan’s theology has been sketchy at times.)
Children’s & Teens’ Bible Reading Plans– Dozens of plans of varying lengths that will take your child through various books of the Bible, Bible overviews, topics, etc. Several of the plans have a few reading comprehension style questions for your child to answer at the end of each day’s reading. I was not able to vet all of these due to the sheer number of plans, but the several I checked appeared to be doctrinally sound. There are also helpful hints for encouraging your child to habitually study the Word. Carefully vet any of the additional or supplementary resources recommended before using them. I am recommending the reading plans only.
Be sure to thoroughly vet (for sound doctrine) any plan or website before assigning it to your child.
Collections of Reading Plans
Need more suggestions? Check out these collections of Bible reading plans:
- Ligonier– A wide variety of plans, most available in PDFs.
- ReadingPlan– There are literally hundreds of plans to choose from (there was no way I could vet even a fraction of them, so be very discerning) in this great little app. Download the one you like (Settings>>Reading Plan>>View Available Plans), set your start date, link up your favorite online Bible, and start reading. You can even sync and share your progress and set a daily reminder for reading.
- ESV Bible– Here, you’ll find several good, “no strings attached” plans available in PDF format for easy printing. But if you sign up for a free ESV/Crossway account, you’ll have access to more than twenty great reading plans, many of them only 5-7 days in length. You’ll be able to read the day’s text, take notes, and track your progress, all online.
- Bible Study Tools– Some awesome “start any day you like” plans, ranging in length from ninety days to two years.
- Bible Gateway– Several great plans, especially if your church uses the Revised Common Lectionary or the Book of Common Prayer and you want to follow along at home. Log in each day and the selected text is displayed on your screen, or subscribe to your plan via e-mail. (Note: I would not recommend the Daily Audio Bible plan. It uses several different “translations,” which is an interesting idea, but while some are accurate, reliable translations (ESV, HCSB), others are faulty paraphrases (The Message, The Voice). However, many translations on Bible Gateway have an audio option, so pick another plan with a good translation and listen away!)
- Into Thy Word– A number of diverse plans, including one in large print, from 31 days to one year in length. Available in PDF or Microsoft Word formats.
- Heartlight– Five different one year plans that will take you through all or parts of the Bible. Daily passages are linked so you can read online, but translations are limited, so you might want to use the printable PDF guides with your own Bible.
- Blue Letter Bible– Several one and two year plans that cover the whole Bible. Available in PDF format.
- Bible Plan– Yearly and monthly plans, one chapter per day plans, and a few miscellaneous plans. Sign up for daily reminders for your plan via e-mail. These plans are available in many different languages.
Not Recommended:
While there are untold numbers of wonderful Bible reading plans out there, unfortunately, there are some I would not recommend due to their affiliation with certain unbiblical ministries or teachers. It’s certainly not unbiblical to use a mere Bible reading schedule (Day 1: read this passage, Day 2: read that passage, etc.) no matter where it comes from, but plans from the ministries below also have accompanying teaching or commentary that conflicts with Scripture:
Tara Leigh Cobble, The Bible Recap, & D-Group
Additional Resources
The Mailbag: Which Bible Do You Recommend?
My Favorite Bible & Study Apps
The Mailbag: I love the Bible, but I have to force myself to read it
Nine Helps for Starting and Sticking to Daily Bible Study
10 Simple Steps to Plain Vanilla Bible Study
Rightly Dividing: 12 Do’s and Don’ts for Effective Bible Study
Bible Book Backgrounds: Why You Need Them and Where to Find Them
The Mailbag: As a newly doctrinally sound Christian, should I stop journaling? (Taking notes on the text of Scripture.)
Which plan looks most interesting to you?
Have a plan you love that isn’t listed? Please share!
Michelle Lesley 