The Bible is a book we will continue to read throughout our lives. It is not a one-time read—it is a book we will continue to learn from every day.
Reading the Bible in a year can sound like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. If we properly plan and apply helpful tips, it is not impossible to read the Bible in a year. The Bible is a large book with thousands of important lessons and truths contained in its pages. With the new year approaching, many individuals have the goal of reading the Bible in a year. This is a fantastic goal, and here are five tips to help you make it happen:
1. Start a Bible Reading Plan
The first tip for reading the Bible in a year is to start a Bible reading plan. Bible reading plans are extremely helpful when trying to read the Bible in a year. Through a Bible reading plan, there will be an organized schedule on which portions of the Bible to read each day. Usually, in Bible reading plans, you will read a portion of the Old Testament, a portion of the Psalms, and a portion of the New Testament. The designers of Bible plans configure Bible plans in this way so the reader to not feel overwhelmed with their reading.
There are many great places where you can find Bible reading plans to complete in a year. A few great places you can start are Bible Study Tools, Crossway, and the Bible Project. Each of these websites has fantastic Bible plans to read the Bible in a year. The plans are not overwhelming but rather reasonable and insightful. If you are ready to read the Bible in a year, starting a Bible reading plan is one of the best routes you can take. Through reading the Bible in a year, you will learn new truths, learn more about God, and grow in your relationship with Jesus in a steady, pace-friendly way.
2. Be Intentional
A second tip for reading the Bible is to be intentional. If we are honest with ourselves, it can be extremely difficult to have enough time in the day to read the Bible. Constant distractions and daily responsibilities can pull us away from reading the Bible each day. This is why it is vital to be intentional in our Bible reading. We must make sure we take time each day and be intentional to stay dedicated to reading the Bible daily. Maybe waking up an hour early each day can create quiet time with God and a routine chance to read the Bible.
If we are not intentional in our Bible reading, we won’t be able to complete our goal of reading the Bible in a year. Reading the Bible in a year can be one of the best goals you have for this upcoming year, as it will help you in many ways. It will help you grow to know Christ better, know the peace that He provides, and learn how to follow Him faithfully. We cannot learn all of the wonderful truths of the Bible if we are not intentional in our daily Bible reading. Choosing to be intentional can help us not only in our daily Bible reading but can also motivate us to be intentional in serving God and obeying Him.
3. Listen to an Audio Bible
A third tip for reading the Bible in a year is to listen to an audio Bible. An audio recording of the Bible can be really helpful when you are short on time or if you simply prefer to be on the go. For those who enjoy walking or running, you can listen to an audio Bible while you are on your walk or run for the day. Even if exercise isn’t your favorite thing, you can listen to an audio Bible while you are driving to work, doing errands, or going to church. We often underestimate how much time we spend driving in our cars each day. We might have to commute thirty minutes to work and thirty minutes back, which means we could have an hour to listen to the Bible during our drive to and back from work.
Listening to an audio Bible can help us be more flexible in our Bible reading too, especially if we tend to run behind on things. If we run out of time to sit and read the Bible at home, we can listen to an audio Bible on the go. There are numerous apps you can download which will play the Bible. A few apps you can download to play an audio Bible are found on Bible Gateway and Bible Study Tools. Each of these websites takes you directly to the option of being able to listen to an audio Bible for free.
4. Track Your Progress
A fourth tip for reading the Bible in a year is to track your progress. Similar to any goal, it is helpful to track your progress. Seeing your progress as you read the Bible, the more prone you will be to continue in your goal. Each day that you read your selected Bible passages check them off in a notebook or a journal. This can help you keep track and keep you motivated to continue reading. By seeing your progress tracked, you see visible progress each day. For many people, seeing the continued check marks can make them feel better about achieving their goal of reading the Bible in a year.
If you are utilizing a Bible reading plan, some of them allow you to track your progress by checking off the boxes each day you complete your reading for the day. This can help you keep better track of your progress and show you how well you are progressing in your Bible reading. By the end of the year, you will be able to see your dedication to reading the Bible. This can be a reminder of your progress and your intention of reading God’s Word.
5. Don’t Become Discouraged
A fifth tip for reading the Bible in the year is not to be discouraged. It can be easy to become discouraged, but you don’t need to become discouraged if you don’t read every day. Give yourself grace, and don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day or two of your plan. It’s not the end of the world if you miss a few days. The important thing is to make sure you don’t give up. It’s vital that you don’t become discouraged and quit. Even if you have fallen behind in your reading plan, don’t give up.
God sees your efforts and He appreciates them. He loves each of us more than words can say. While it can be common to become discouraged and give up, God wants us to keep going. He doesn’t want us to give up reading His Word, even if it may become difficult at times. Reading the Bible is the only way we can learn more about God and grow in Him. Stay dedicated to learning more about Him, even if it may take longer than a year to read the Bible. The Bible is a book we will continue to read throughout our lives. It is not a one-time read—it is a book we will continue to learn from every day.
Photo Credit: ©SWN
