Bible reading plans are becoming increasingly popular as people are growing hungry for the Word of God. But what if you don’t know where to begin or how to use a reading plan? Today, I’ll tell you about a few different types of reading plans and there will be a download included for you to start a reading plan to go through a book of the Bible in two weeks.
First off, why a reading plan? Why bother? Why not just pick up the Bible and flip to any random page?
While these are valid questions, it’s important to know that reading plans help you to stay on track and keep organized. Plans are especially wonderful tools for beginners because it shows you where to start, and they’re easy to follow.
It’s also important to know what kind of reading plans there are, so let’s dive in:
Reading through the Bible in a year. One of the most popular plans is reading through the Bible in a year. The plan generally starts in Genesis on January 1 and obviously ends on December 31 with Revelation. While you can start this plan any time of the year, I recommend using it as part of your spiritual resolutions for the new year. Some Bibles have a plan already printed in the back, but you can always find one online to print out for your own use. Reading through the Bible in a year gives you an idea of the scope of God’s goodness and the purpose for Jesus’ coming. It takes you through the severity of sin but it also takes you through the sensitivity of Christ’s sacrifice.
Chronological plans. Chronological plans are awesome for those who are history buffs. It reveals the Bible in a way that shows you how things played out in an actual timeline. The problem with reading through the Bible in a year is that often we get confused because we see one event in one book, and the same event is mentioned in another book on down the plan. Our current Bible is not written in chronological order, so we have to rely on external resources to show us where, how, and when certain things took place, such as the timeline of the kings of Israel and Judah and the order of Paul’s letters.
Topical plans. If you’re curious about a specific topic, it would be wise to adopt a topical plan. I personally enjoy putting together my own, but there are some online you can download. For example, if I’m struggling with my prayer life, I may go online or use a concordance and look up all the times prayer is mentioned in the Bible. From there, I may choose to study different prayers recorded in the Bible, practical ways to pray, or chapters and books where prayer might be the overarching theme.
Devotional plans. Devotions and quiet time material are amazing for beginners and busy people. It keeps you grounded on a surface level of Bible study without being overwhelming. There are books and study guides that lead you through specific topics, and in the age of virtual learning, some churches and Christian schools have put out their own material for free. Most devotional plans take no more than ten to fifteen minutes a day to complete.
Book plans. This is one of my personal favorite plans. It takes you through a book of the Bible, and it allows you to really delve deep into background, context, and cultural values. If you’re a big note-taker like myself, book plans are perfect for you. To not get overwhelmed, I’d recommend reading one chapter a day, and taking notes as you go along. You may even want to research the inductive study method, which will help you get to the meat of the message.
I’ve created a resource to help you go through one chapter a day in the book of Romans. It’s a book all about salvation and it’s also very practical for the Christian who wants to be a “doer of the word”. I would also challenge you to study hard in Romans 8. It’s extremely encouraging to believers and convicting to those who are not believers yet or those who have backslidden.
Download the Romans reading plan here and feel free to print it off and share with friends or your small group at church.
Do you use any of the reading plans mentioned in this post? Are there any you’d like to try? Feel free to divulge!
Comments