How to Choose a Bible Reading Plan

Whether you are a new Christian, exploring your faith, or have been a Christ follower for years chances are you may feel a bit lost about reading the Bible. We know the bible is full of infinite knowledge, guidance, and wisdom but it can all be a bit overwhelming. 

It seems like you should be able to open up your bible starting on page 1 and read through just like any other book, but for many that strategy doesn’t work out. The Bible is unlike any other book and therefore may be read a bit differently. 

So how do you know where to begin? How do you gain an understanding of what you are reading? Why is it so complicated?

Reading The bible doesn’t have to be complicated and ultimately it can provide incredible value to your life and give you a greater understanding of God. One of the best ways to explore and grow your relationship with the Lord is through the bible. 

One of the best ways to read the bible is by following a plan. Like we said before, whether you are new to reading the bible or have been doing it your whole life, a bible reading plan can be helpful and beneficial. 

Today, we are recommending that you download the youversion bible reading app. Youversion puts a digital bible right in your pocket. While having an actual bible in book form is still essential, Youversion also provides you with countless bible reading plans to meet you wherever you are in your faith or human struggles. 

“Already installed on over 500 million unique devices all over the world, the Bible App offers a free Bible experience for smartphones, tablets, and online at Bible.com. Our generous partners make it possible for us to offer 2,853 Bible versions in 1,866 languages for free, and without advertising.”

This all makes the Bible App an incredible resource to equip you in your bible reading and help you commit to daily bible reading. But still, it can be overwhelming. So many options mean there is bound to be a plan that works for you, it’s just a matter of finding it. 

5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Searching for a Bible reading plan

1.How much time will you commit daily?

Think about your daily routines and how much time you wish to or feel led to spend in your bible each day. Many people fail to read their bible because they think if they don’t devote enough time to it, it won’t count. This couldn’t be further from the truth. While spending a significant amount of time in the world each day would be wonderful, so is ten minutes a day. God can do a lot in a small amount of time when our heart is in the right place. 

2. When will I read my Bible?

Another pitfall of bible reading. So many people think if they don’t start their day with bible reading, then they will just try again tomorrow. While it can be great to start your day in the Word, it can also be great to end your day or get filled up on your lunch break. God can speak to us at any time of day so think about when it will work best for you. If you aren’t a morning person, then plan to do it before bed. 

3. How many chapters a day would you like to read?

If you are motivated by making goals for yourself you may seek to read a certain amount of your bible each day. If you are striving to read the bible in a year or want to read two chapters a day you can find a plan to help you do that. Just be sure however much you wish to read aligns with the amount of time you hope to spend reading. 

4. What bible study methods will you use?

Will you read through the app and keep notes there or highlight in your bible and keep a journal? Determining your study intentions before you begin the Bible reading plan will help you decide both your time factor and the number of chapters per day.

5. How long do you want to use this Bible reading plan?

Are you choosing your plan for the entire year or do you want to focus on a smaller increment of time, such as 3 months or a week? Committing to a year can give you a good long-term plan you don’t have to think about, but shorter-term plans can help you focus on topics that address what you may be going through at the moment. 

As you can see, reading your bible isn’t about how many minutes you read each day, how many chapters you read, how you highlight or take notes, or what plan you follow. Reading Your bible is all about going through the pages with an open heart ready to learn and hear from God. Finding a bible reading plan will simply help you do just that.

Connect Through Torchable

If you have more questions about reading the bible you can use the Torchable app to connect with churches or bible reading groups in your area. You don’t have to walk this journey alone. There are tons of other Christians, churches, and pastors in your area that would love to guide you and answers your questions. Find them today on Torchable. 

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