Have you ever had the desire to read your Bible but had no idea where to start? Or maybe you flipped to a page and started reading, but learned nothing from your reading? If you nodded in agreement, then you need a reading plan.

A Bible reading plan helps you stay committed by removing decision fatigue and assigning a particular reading every day.

benefits of a bible reading plan

One of the best benefits of a scripture reading plan is the ability to pick a plan that caters to our current goals or season of life. You can find plans that take you through the Bible chronologically, others take you through the whole Bible in 90 days, and still, others are broken down into 1 to 2-year plans. While most plans are 7 days a week, my preference is a plan that only schedules 5 days a week rather than 7 days.

Reading plans encourage us to read books of the Bible we wouldn’t necessarily enjoy or find difficult to read (aka the Old Testament books). Many people skip out on the Old Testament, not realizing how important those books are and how both parts of the Bible are intertwined and equally important.

Dangers of Reading Plans

While Bible reading plans are extremely beneficial, It’s important that following your reading plan doesn’t become another checkmark on your to-do list. The dangers of reading plans include:

Reading just to get it over with (guilty).
Rushing through it and getting nothing from the reading.
Feeling guilty or ashamed if you fall behind and can’t keep up.

These plans are meant to act as an encouragement and guide. Only you can decide what that looks like in your season of life.

The goal should always be to grow in your knowledge and in you’re relationship with God, not in completing any specific plan. If you’ve ever wondered how to start reading the Bible daily then any of these simple Bible reading plans are perfect for you.

Reading Plan for Beginners

The Bible Study Basics Guide breaks down how to read and study your Bible. The basics guide is the best place to start for any beginner who’s starting to read their Bible.

A beginner looking to start reading the Bible could start in the Gospels. It doesn’t matter so much where someone starts as much as that they start. Any of the plans listed are perfect for beginners looking to start reading or studying their Bible.

Just as important as picking a reading plan is ensuring you have the best Bible translation to read. There is a completely separate post that can help you pick which translation of the Bible to read.

Simple Bible Reading Plan

The Gospel in 90 days is a simple reading plan and a great place for a beginner to start reading the Bible. The Gospel, meaning Good News, is the first four books of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). These four books uncover the life of Jesus and His ministry, and this is what Christianity is all about.

Once you’ve completed the Gospel, you can move on to any of the Epistles (Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John and Jude) or take it back to the very beginning and start with Genesis!

The epistles (aka letters) teach us how we should live our lives in a way that honors God, whereas the very first book of the Bible (Genesis) takes us back in history to the beginning of creation and how sin entered this world. You can’t go wrong with either option.

Don’t forget to print off and enjoy your FREE Gospel in 90 days Bible Reading Plan for Beginners.

2. Genesis in 30 Days

There is something special about reading the beginning of the Bible at the beginning of the year. But if the New Year has come and gone, it’s not too late to start the book of Genesis. Genesis in 30 Days is another simple Bible reading plan that will take you to the very beginning when God created the sky and the earth.

You will travel through history and learn how sin entered this world and distorted what God created. Genesis covers so much, from Noah and his arc to the beginning of God’s people, Israel. Start the New Year off with a better understanding of who God is and how this all got started.

Genesis in 30 days is a great 30-day Bible reading plan for new believers who aren’t sure they can commit to 90 days or 2 years!

3. 2-Year Chronological Bible Reading Plan

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If you aren’t afraid of commitment and are looking for a plan that is more long-term, then this 2-year chronological Bible Reading Plan is the best option.

Thankfully, there are specialty Bibles that have been rearranged in chronological order to help you see the whole story. It’s important to understand that although the words of the Bible were inspired by God, the order was not. Blue Letter Bible does a great job going deeper into the order of the Bible.

Is it better to read the Bible in chronological order? There are benefits to reading in chronological order and there are some cons. For example, you can visualize the bigger picture/metanarrative when you read in chronological order, but you are also stuck in the Old Testament for a long time. Truly, there are benefits to both a chronological plan and a traditional plan.

Despite the order of your Bible reading, it can still be difficult to finish the Bible in a year, although not impossible. This 2-year Chronological Bible Reading Plan was designed for the busy mom, wife, woman in mind.

It is broken up into 5 days a week to allow you wiggle room to catch up. And it eliminates a lot of the back and forth of some plans make you do by having you read 4-5 different passages.

If you are interested in digging deeper into the word then make sure to check out the Bible Study Basics: A Step-by-Step Guide and the resources listed below.

Download and print the FREE 2 Year Chronological Bible Reading Plan and join me today!

Additional Resources:

With a Bible reading plan in hand, it’s time to grab your Bible and some highlighters and get started. These additional resources are what I use on a regular basis.

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Books to help you understand the Bible:

These books make the perfect addition to your Bible Study.

Both Seamless and Woven are wonderful Bible studies to help you see the Bible as one big story. I recommend these studies for every woman!
The three study Bibles provide commentary and additional resources to help you understand the verses.
The two Bible background commentaries provide background information for each verse.
Women of the word, Stop calling me beautiful, and Misreading Scripture With Western Eyes help you understand how to read and/or study the Bible at a deeper level.