Should I Follow A Bible Reading Plan?

Despite growing up in the church and knowing the importance of reading the Bible, I struggled to make it a habit for years. I never knew where to read and how to stick to it. Some of that was where I was in life, but some was a lack of self-control. About four years ago, after praying a lot, I started the first year-long Bible reading plan that I successfully completed. Ever since, I’ve found reading plans an invaluable tool to maintain a daily Bible reading habit. I found several other benefits to using Bible reading plans along with building a habit.

Build a Bible Reading Habit

This is probably the most significant benefit of all the benefits I could mention. Before using a reading plan, I struggled to open my Bible daily. It was easy to skip it because I didn’t have a way to keep myself accountable for reading every day, I found it hard to stick to the habit, and I found the choices of where to read overwhelming. Choosing a reading plan helped me know what I was reading each day, making it a part of my routine instead of another decision I had to make.

Know Where to Start

One of the biggest things I struggled with before using a Bible reading plan was knowing where to start reading. There were so many places I could pick that I often was paralyzed by the decision. Or I’d bounce around and not get the benefit of reading books all the way through. Using a reading plan helped me find a place to start. The plans allowed me to stop being paralyzed by trying to make a choice and dive into my study instead.

Lots of Variety

You might be thinking that a Bible reading plan means you’re committing to reading the entire Bible in a year from beginning to end. And while that is an option, it’s not the only one. My personal favorites are full-Bible plans, but there are so many others to choose from. Some focus on attributes of God, prayer, or praise. Some dive deep into particular books. Some last for months or even years. Others are short, a few days or weeks instead. So if you have a topic or section, or reading timeframe you want to stick to, there is sure to be a reading plan out there for you.

Built-in Study Aids/Devotionals

Another great benefit of reading plans is that you can often find plans that include devotions or study aids to help you dive deeper into the passages you’ll be reading. This is especially true of plans that focus on specific topics or themes, but even entire books or complete Bible plans have these options. It’s an excellent way to enrich and deepen your quiet times and dig deeper into the scriptures.

Read Books You Might Normally Avoid

If you’ve been reading the Bible for any length of time, I can bet there are a few books that you struggle to read. If you left it up to your own whims, you’d probably avoid them altogether. I have several of my own (Job anyone? Leviticus. Numbers. I know you know what I mean). But even the books that we find challenging to read have value. God made sure they were included for a reason. Still, it can be hard when reading on your own to choose to read books you find difficult. Another benefit of a Bible reading plan is encouraging you to read books you might typically avoid. In my own study, I’ve found a new appreciation for books I’ve struggled with, thanks to my Bible reading plans. I still struggle with them, but God has used my reading plans to broaden my understanding of them.

There are a lot of benefits to using Bible reading plans. I’ve found them beneficial for aiding my own quiet times. While a reading plan alone can’t make you want to read your Bible every day, it is a fantastic tool that the Holy Spirit can use to build that love in your life. If you find yourself struggling to read the Bible consistently, or you are struggling to know where to read next, a Bible reading plan may be a great tool to use. I encourage you to prayerfully consider looking for a plan that fits your reading needs and goals.

You can easily search for various plans on the Bible App.