Revitalize Your Bible Reading Plan

Has your Bible reading plan got you yawning? Or do you lack a plan altogether? Here are ways to revitalize your Bible reading plan, whether you’re new to the Bible or have been reading it for decades. After all, Psalm 1 promises blessings on those who meditate on God’s words day and night. So start seeking those blessings with a new Bible reading plan.

Have You Never Read the New Testament All the Way Through?

If you’ve tried reading the New Testament books in order but got bogged down, here’s a method that starts with mostly short books so you build momentum. As you finish each book, mark it finished on the contents page.

1. Gospel of John: Jesus’s good news of salvation
2. Galatians through Philemon: Paul’s short letters explain how to live as Christians
3. Gospel of Mark: Jesus’s good news from Peter’s assistant
4. James through Jude: Other church leaders explain how to live as Christians
5. Gospel of Luke: Jesus’s good news from a Gentile perspective
6. Acts: The spread of Christianity from a Gentile perspective
7. I, II Corinthians: Paul’s long letters to a Gentile church on how to live as Christians
8. Gospel of Matthew: Jesus’s good news from a Jewish perspective
9. Romans: Paul’s long letter on how Jewish and Gentile Christians should do community together
10. Hebrews: Encouragement to Jewish Christians on perseverance through hardship
11. Revelation: John’s prophetic message of exhortation and expectation

I recommend a Life Application Study Bible so you can look up anything you don’t understand. You can also download four reading plans including this one called Reading the New Testament for the First Time.

Have You Never Read the Old Testament?

Reading the Old Testament from start to finish at least once works well because it’s grouped by type of book.

1. The Five Books of Moses: Creation through the journey to the Promised Land
2. The Histories: These are mostly chronological, though Esther is concurrent with Ezra 4
3. The Poetic Books (or Books of Wisdom): These examine life from differing perspectives
4. The Prophetic Books: 5 Major Prophets and 12 Minor Prophets (major means “long” and minor means “short”) that overlap the histories

You can download my Reading the Old Testament the First Time, which intersperses poetry with other readings. Again, I recommend a Life Application Study Bible so you can look up anything you don’t understand.

Have You Read the Bible So Often the Same Way Your Eyes Glaze Over?

One person told me he reads the Bible through every year, and now it feels like he’s no longer taking it in. If you’re reading the same books in the same order every year, it’s time to shake things up. Here are some ways to do it.

Slow Down

Make your goal quality over quantity. Forget reading through the Bible in a year. Instead, take the time to dive into the material, look up cross-references, and use the index for further study. Create charts. Use colored pens or highlighters to mark anything you want to trace in Scripture. Use a blank page in the back of your Bible as a legend for themes you’re tracing (see the sample of one of mine). If you’re artistic, illustrate verses in a wide-margin Bible.

Switch to a New Translation

I switch the translation I use for my main reading every few years. The subtle differences catch my attention.

Change Your Reading Order

You can pray over what book to read next each time you finish one. Or try reading books chronologically. You can get a chronological Bible, although reading one can feel choppy. What I like better is to read books in the same time period. Either use a study Bible’s notes to figure out historical order or download my “Reading the Bible by Time Period.”

When you’ve read the Old Testament once from start to finish and once chronologically, try matching Old and New Testament books with similar themes, marking them on the contents page as you finish. Here are some examples:

• Leviticus and Hebrews on the sacrificial system
• Deuteronomy, Romans, Galatians, and James on the Mosaic Law
• Proverbs, Ruth, and Ephesians on family
• Proverbs and James on wisdom
• Job and 1, 2 Peter on suffering

Read a New Study Bible

If you’ve never read all the notes in a study Bible, now’s the time. Read books all the way through including their introductions and notes. Then mark them complete on the contents page. Once you finish the entire Bible, including essays and articles, find a new study Bible and do the same. Here are some good options:

• Life Application Study Bible, Kenneth N. Taylor, gen. ed. Evangelical. Multiple translations available. A good first study Bible.
• NIV Study Bible, Kenneth L. Barker, gen. ed. Evangelical. Offers multiple viewpoints.
• NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible (formerly NIV Zondervan Study Bible), D.A. Carson, gen. ed. Evangelical, leans Reformed. Offers multiple viewpoints on some topics.
• ESV Study Bible, Wayne Grudem, gen. ed. Reformed. An ECPA Book of the Year.

Read Study Guides and Commentaries

Pick a book of the Bible to study deeply, get a good study guide or commentary on it, and read it alongside your Bible. This will greatly enhance your Bible reading and make it more interesting. I’ve written five in-depth study guides that can help you.

Here are some great commentaries in different price ranges. Some you can get electronically through Kindle or Logos. While most are pricey, single volumes are less than it costs to take a family out to lunch.

• Genesis 1-11:26, Kenneth Mathews, $
• Genesis 11:27-50:26, Kenneth Mathews, $
• Leviticus: An Introduction and Commentary, Jay Sklar, $$
• Holiness to the Lord: A Guide to the Exposition of the Book of Leviticus, Allen P. Ross, $$$
• A Commentary on the Psalms: 3 Volume Set, Allen Ross, $$$$
• Proverbs, David A. Hubbard, $
• Matthew, D. A. Carson, $
• The Gospel According to John, D. A. Carson, $
• Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians, D. A. Carson, $
• The Book of Revelation, G. K. Beale, $$$$ 

Conclusion

So start reaping the blessings of meditating on God’s words by revitalizing your Bible reading plan today!

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