Bible Reading Plans

The best of intentions languish without a plan. My goal is very simple: to read a little bit of Scripture every day and keep acquainted with the whole counsel of God.  To this end, I offer the following recommendations among the many possibilities available these days. All links have been checked today so these are good to go. I start, however, with my favorite because it was devised by one of my favorite people, Dr. Dale Bruner, formerly of Whitworth University and now retired and writing commentaries in Pasadena, California. He sketched this reading plan out on a white-board one day, and it has stuck with me ever since.

Dr. Dale Bruner’s Two Year Reading Plan
Reading schedule covers entire Bible in two years (Genesis & NT twice, Psalms monthly), reading Monday through Saturday: NT Reading in the morning, five psalms at lunch time,* OT Reading in the evening. Sunday: A chapter from Genesis each week

* On each date of the month, read the five psalms for the day in the following pattern:

 

 

 

 

Other Personalized Reading Plans

My Bible Plans
http://www.mybibleplans.com/
You customize the plan: pick the segment of the Scriptures you want to read, in how many days, starting when; and it maps out the schedule. You can print out the schedule, or sign up to have it delivered by email each day. Uses the English Standard Version of the Bible.

M’Cheyne Bible Readings
http://www.edginet.org/mcheyne/
Four chapters each day, covering the entire Bible in one year. Two of these daily readings are intended for family reading, the other two “secret” (meaning “private; individual”). Various delivery formats available.

Blue Letter Bible
http://www.blueletterbible.org/dailyreading/
Takes you step by step through the process of registering for a personalized Bible reading plan. You can choose the translation you want to read, your general time-table (one or two years), and the layout: historically chronological, blended OT and NT, canonical (the order in which the books appear in the Bible), etc. For starters, I recommend the 1-year plan at http://www.blueletterbible.org/dailyreading/PDF/1Yr_OTNTPlan.pdf or the 2-year plan at http://www.blueletterbible.org/dailyreading/PDF/2Yr_OTNTPlan.pdf

Scripture Awakening—The Bible in 90 Days
http://scriptureawakening.com/b90/
This is a purchased guide for reading the entire Bible in three months. There are “best practices” for use of the material in small groups, church-wide reading commitments, etc. The claim is that it only takes up to 60 minutes of reading a day to cover Genesis to Revelation in 90 days!

Bible Gateway
https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/?version=NIV
Various options for a daily email, which includes the full text of the day’s reading. The Daily Plans all start on January 1, but there are various options to choose from, such as “The Gospels in 40 Days.”

Ligonier Ministries Bible Reading Chart
http://visualunit.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/bible_reading.pdf
Stick this downloadable printout into your Bible and check off Book and Chapter as you read. Totally flexible.

Since we’re in September, I have decided to print out the Ligonier reading chart and start chipping away, generally along the lines of of a customized plan from My Bible Plans. Depending on how it is going, on January 1 I may start at the beginning with Bruner’s Plan . . . So, let’s see how this goes! What I do believe is this:

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)