Daily Bible reading is a fruitful and rewarding discipline.  The Bible is a big book.  Sometimes it can be intimidating to look at a Bible and think about reading it all.

I (Tim) have read through the entire Bible hundreds, yes, hundreds of times.  I’ve used every reading plan known to man and dog.  Which makes me confident we can find a plan just right for you.  There are plenty of Bible reading plans available, and Bob likes them all (mostly).  We’ll link you to my daily blog on the Bible, as well as connect you to other plans.  Bob knows that if you don’t plan to read, well, you’ll just sleep.

Bob and I are here to help give you some direction to reach your goal of reading the Bible.  The Bible is a unique and special kind of read.  Therefore we need to approach reading the Bible differently.  The Bible contains different genres.  There are historical stories, beautiful prose and poetry, insightful wisdom literature, eye-popping apocalypse stuff, long lists of legal laws and genealogies, as well as journeys with Jesus along the Jordan River.  It’s all contained within the covers of the Bible.

The Bible is really a collection of 66 different books divided between the Old and New Testaments.  So, it isn’t necessarily a matter of starting in the first book of Genesis and plowing through to the final book of Revelation.  Where you begin and what you read will depend on you and what you want to learn first.

There are many different Bible reading plans available today.  It could be that you have started, maybe more than once, to read the Bible and eventually gave up.  No need to be discouraged.  Bob and I are confident that if you find a good Bible reading plan that fits, you’ll be looking forward every day to your time of reading God’s Word.

“Bob’s 5 Bark Questions” will help you choose a Bible reading plan to follow and stick with over time.  Answer the following questions, and we’re sure you’ll be on your way to discovering the Bible’s wonders.

1. Which version of the Bible will you read?

This is a very important question because not all Bibles read the same way or have the same kind of “feel” to them.  Some Bibles are very literal in their translation from the original languages.  They seem wooden with not a lot of flow in their words.  The train of thought can be difficult to follow from verse to verse.  Yet, they do lend themselves to a slower more contemplative reading and reflection on individual verses.  Many newer versions are meant for understanding large blocks of thought, and read more smoothly.

It’s good to find a version that is both trustworthy and readable for you.  See our page on  Bibles & Reviews for some helpful tips on choosing the right version for you.

2. How much time do you want to spend reading every day?

If you are interested in daily reading the Bible, we suggest beginning with reading 5-10 minutes a day.  Plans with smaller amounts of reading will likely be much better for you.  If this is you, Bob and I recommend you give The Revised Common Lectionary a serious sniff to see if it smells right for where you are right now in your life.

If you want to read the entire Bible in a year, you need to plan on reading 20-30 minutes a day, or more.  There are lots of one year reading plans out there.  One of our favorite plans is found in the back of the English Standard Version of the Bible.  If a Two-Year Bible Reading Plan  is more your speed, we think a good plan is in Gordon Fee’s How to Read the Bible Book by Book.

Choosing a plan doesn’t have to be hard.  Feel free to get a plan and give it a test sniff to see if it really works for you in your life right now.  Bob and I suggest you give any daily Bible reading plan at least two weeks before deciding it is or isn’t for you.  If it isn’t, simply try another until you find one that connects with you.  Reading plans are a tool to help you; they don’t exist to make you feel locked-in to getting a task done.

A helpful site to find various Bible reading plans in one place can be found at Ligonier Ministries

3. When will you read the Bible?

Daily Bible reading plans are used with success when you decide on a consistent time every day.  Set aside the time, and don’t let anything else impinge on it.

If you’re a morning person, we suggest using the quiet of the sunrise to have a distraction free time of reading.  If you’re a night owl, wait till everyone is in bed and enjoy a time of reading before retiring yourself.  Maybe you even want to try reading 10 minutes in the morning, and 10 minutes in the evening.

If you are a very busy person (well, who isn’t?) then taking 10-15 minutes on a breaktime from your job to read might be just the thing for you.

The important thing is that you have an intentional time for reading and guard that time carefully.  If you miss a day, no big deal.  Catch up on another day when you have more time.  If you get too far behind, don’t give up!  Keep on the trail and simply begin again with today’s reading and go from there.

4. Do you learn better by reading, or by listening?

This entire website is given to how to read the Bible.  But maybe you haven’t read a book for years, or don’t enjoy reading.  Maybe you are one of those extremely busy people who struggle to fit one more thing into your life.  Don’t despair.  Listening to the Bible is a good option.  There are several Bible Apps which have options for listening rather than reading.  See our page on Bible Apps & Reviews to get some helpful tips and information.  You could also spend your commute time listening to the Bible.  You can find both Old and New Testaments on CD.  Another alternative is to have your friend, spouse, or someone else read to you.

5. What place will you read the Bible?

It’s possible to answer all the other questions, but still sit down to read (or listen) and end up spending most of the time with your mind distracted.  It happens to everybody.  One thing I (Tim) do is keep a small notepad near to jot down things which come to my mind.

What is of most importance, however, is to read in the very same place each day.  I have a favorite chair I like to sit in and read, which I typically only use for reading.  Bob favors reading while walking outdoors on the trail (go figure).  Whatever place it may be, over time your mind will immediately associate the place with reading the Bible and then there becomes much less clutter in your head and a lot more focus.

Over time, you will be amazed at how much focus you have once you are in your special spot for reading.

 

This page, along with the entire site, is continually under Bob’s nose.  We’ll keep adding great content for you about the pros and cons of many Bible reading plans.

If you have a question, would like to make a suggestion, leave a comment, or just connect with us, feel free to visit the Contact page and get in touch.

You can read my (Tim) insights and reflections in the Daily Bible Readings Blog at TimEhrhardt.com

Thanks.  See you on the trail.