Why you should throw out that “Bible in a Year” reading plan
I have a confession:
I’m on year 3 of my Bible-In-A-Year plan.
And I’m not sad about it.
Listen, reading through the Bible in a Year is a GREAT accomplishment! That’s amazing, and contrary to the snarky title of this blog post, I really don’t have an issue with one-year-Bible-reading plans.
But what I found, as I tried over and over again to work through my own, is that reading through the Bible that fast did not serve me well.
Instead of letting the Word refresh and reframe my mind and heart, reading that quickly made me feel like I was rushing through the Word just to be able to check off a box on my to-do list.
That’s basically the opposite of the reason I spend time studying the Bible!
I want to go DEEP, I want to move slowly, I want to be able to think about what I’m reading, look up notes on each section, journal through what I’m learning, and have the freedom to simply take my time as the Spirit leads me.
So, friends, when it comes to Bible study, I have one big piece of advice:
Don’t be afraid to go slow.
Some days, I will read a full chapter. Some days? I’ll spend an entire week in a chapter, moving through it slowly, in pieces, and journaling + praying through each part.
Like I said before, I’m on year THREE of that Bible-In-A-Year plan, and I’m only about halfway through it!
But again, there are no Bible study police coming to make sure I’m “on-track”.
When we remember that the purpose of Bible study is to spend time in God’s Word and learn more about Him, the speed at which we work through a plan no longer matters.
Some days, you’ll have more time and you might want to keep reading! And some days, you’ll just be able to read one verse before a little one interrupts you and derails your plans for a quiet morning.
All of that is OKAY.
Again, the point is not to get a certain amount done every day, but to open your mind to God’s Word, learning more about who He is and who He has made us to be.
So go ahead and throw that Bible-In-A-Year plan out the window…
…OR keep right on using it, but at your own pace!
I’d love to hear from you – how fast/slow do YOU like to move through the Bible? Share in the comments below!
Kayse Pratt serves Christian women as a writer + designer, creating home + life management resources that help those women plan their days around what matters most. She’s created the most unique planner on the market, helped over 400 women create custom home management plans, and works with hundreds of women each month inside her membership, teaching them how to plan their days around what matters most. When she’s not designing printables or writing essays, you’ll find Kayse homeschooling her kids, reading a cheesy novel with a giant cup of tea in hand, or watching an old show from the 90’s with her husband, who is her very best friend.
I have tried so many times to read through the Bible in one year. Fail!!!
I do listen to J Vernon McGee. He covers the Bible in 5 years. And recently i started The Bible Recap. We will see. But i am right there with you all.
I too when i am on an intense Bible reading plan, find myself just reading so i can check off for the day. Not how i want my relationship with God’s Word to be. Sighs
Thank you for this post. I always felt like such a loser, not being able to accomplish this. I’m so glad to know that I am not alone. I love the picture in this post. Thank you for sharing.
Me too! Me too! In the past, I would try to do a one year plan but I always got behind and eventually gave it up in frustration. Now I prefer to do the “one year” as mostly just reading, not an in-depth study, since I usually participate in at least two or three studies thru the year. So, now I’m trying a Chronological plan, in order to put things into a little more perspective. The one I’m using does have dates – that I’m trying to ignore! I have had this Bible for a couple of years but now, for anyone that doesn’t have one of the ‘Bible in a Year’ bibles and wants one, there are a few that just have generic “day numbers” instead of dates. And you can now find a ‘One Year’ or ‘Bible in a Year’ Bible in several different translations – even a few study Bibles now.
Kudos to Robin on Psalm 119 – my all time favorite and I could study and meditate on it for weeks at a time! Just shared some of it with my study group. (I think ‘revive me’ is said about 14 times!) I personally think that Psalms 119 is a great place to really develop an appreciation for God’s Word.
I’ve actually been reading along with @biblereadingchallenge on IG…it’s the full Bible in Sept-May (mixed OT & NT readings) and then the New Testament and Psalms/Proverbs again in the summer. I actually love it! I agree there’s a time to slow down, but I’ve found that reading a larger chunk every day really helps establish the context as you’re reading 🙂
I love…love…love these comments. I’m a teaching pastor in Florida (a retired Army officer too) and have been trying to teach my students to walk slowly through the word and “savor” it in tiny bites. The truth is our minds can only handle so much of such wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He’s not trying to rush us down the path, He wants to walk and talk with us as we go down the journey. When we take our time we will find Him, discover His voice in companionable meditation. He is with you, leading the way. The Holy Spirit illuminates your mind to understand, your soul to inhale it and your life to be changed. Walk and walk slow enough to smell the flowers and see the beauty around you. He’s walking with you so the adventure begins right now.
Reading the Bible in a year is simply reading with an arbitrary time limit. However, I decided I did want to read my Bible through in a year, once again. I believe I’m on my fourth time of reading the Bible through. This time I’m doing a chronological plan, using the Bible Recap’s plan and podcast to assist me. I’ve been loving it! I’d say we generally read three chapters a day, sometimes only two, sometimes reading four. It depends on how long the chapters are, it seems. It is amazing to me how much I am retaining and understanding since I’ve done more study in the OT the past few years and that’s where I’ve spent all my time so far. While I do try to read every day, there are days I’ve missed and I try not to be legalistic about it or just trying to check a box. There are times I read ahead because I can’t stop, I’m enjoying it so much! So, this year I’m reading it through~or at least that is my plan. I anticipate next year I’ll be using a Bible study that slows me down and helps me dig into the Word deeply. There are seasons for fast and seasons for slow and I can see the benefit of both. For now, I am loving the overview and seeing Christ in the OT like I’ve never seen him before and recognizing that the whole of scripture is about God and not about me.
I, too, learned long ago that rushing to finish a one year plan was not good for my Spiritual growth. I was stressed over how much I was reading and whether or not I was behind. When I did get behind, which I inevitably did, the stress would increase and I was not learning anything or hearing what the Holy Spirit was teaching me. I now “plan” to read a chapter a day, but sometimes just meditate on one verse if that’s what I need! I recently spent months on Psalm 119. I read and copied one verse a day and attempted to meditate on that verse throughout the day. The Lord was trying to show me that I need to truly love His Word! If I had read the entire chapter in one day I can only imagine what I would have missed! I often tell people they can be released from the expectation of feeling the need to read through the Bible in a year. It’s not a requirement from God!
Hi! I have a Bible in a year as my church decided to do it together 2 years ago… I tried but I felt it was too much every day! I am reading the Gospels now, slowly, I am in Matthew and I am learning better now that I go slowly, I think a 2 year reading plan will suit me. But every January it drives me crazy which plan to use and after few weeks I cant cope with it. I felt really bad about it but I am starting to see that it is not about how many pages per day… But my relationship with God.
I love my “Bible Time.” I use the Write the Word themed journals by Cultivate What Matters. I write the passage they suggest then I write notes from my study Bible or look up guidance from online Christian Websites relating to the passage or topic. Sometimes I write more of the passage than they suggest because it speaks to me at that moment.
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Finding this post so valuable as to where I am at in reading God’s Word! Slowing down would allow me to dig into deeper understanding of some more challenging scripture. I also love the idea of using the highlighters to identify in scripture each theme you noted! Thanks!
I usually prefer to dig into my Bible studies, but the one thing I never expected when I went through (admittedly only half a year) Bible-in-one-year reading plan: I allowed myself just to read, not study. And I found it easier to see the overarching themes, the references to other books and passages (or the similarities) because I was reading fast enough that I had seen it recently. I do think that someday I want to finish up that one-year plan, but I’m enjoying my bite-sized pieces right now. (My reading plan was via the Daily Walk Bible, which also has explanations, summaries, background/history included, plus some application.)
Through my church we cover most of the Bible in 3 years in church services. I am lucky to also attend a weekly Bible study where we use the same scripture passages. I am energized by sharing my thoughts about the passages in a more intament group and by listening to the minister’s thoughts. Often I read passages that are on subjects I need to pray on.