8 Ways to Read the Whole Bible (and more)

The New Year is here! Today many people will start reading the whole Bible in one year. But that is not the only time you can start reading through the whole Bible nor is it the only time frame in which to read the whole Bible.

No matter what day it is, you can begin to read the whole Bible. Many of the plans below are designed to read through the Bible in one year, but others are designed to take shorter or longer. Many are also designed to read parts of the Bible more than once during the plan.

Peruse the 8 plans below and choose one that works for you. No matter which plan you choose, if you get off track, do not be discouraged and give up! Just keep reading.

Bible Reading Plan #1

Bible Reading Program for Slackers and Shirkers

This program has divided the Bible into seven sections. You read several chapters from each section each day. Sunday is the day you will read the Old Testament Prophets. Monday is the Pentateauch. Tuesday and Wednesday are Old Testament History. Thursday is Old Testament Prophets. Friday is New Testament History and Saturday is the New Testament Epistles.

I have no idea why this is for slackers and shirkers LOL, but that what the creators named it.

The printable PDF of this Bible reading plan is found at the top of the article.

Bible Reading Plan #2

Tim Challies’ Favorite Bible Reading Plan

This read through the Bible plan schedules out the whole Bible in just five days a week leaving you the weekends to catch up. The readings are mostly chronologically and they place the Psalms near the events that are mentioned to give you more understanding of their background. You also read a bit from the Old Testament and a bit from the New Testament every day.

The article includes a free printable schedule and checklist to fold up and keep in your Bible to keep you on track.

Bible Reading Plan #3

Chronological Bible Reading Plan

This Bible reading plan is strictly chronological order in the events things happened. This is helpful especially in the prophets to see which prophets are speaking during the same time period. It’s also helpful in 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings, and 1&2 Chronicles. The Psalms are divided up in there too.

The church that put this together has offered it as a free printable. You can print it here.

Bible Reading Plan #4

The Bible in Three Years

As the tortoise observed, slow and steady wins the race. Give yourself the time and space to contemplate what you are reading in the Bible. This plan will take you through the whole Bible in three years. One chapter a day and you alternate between Old Testament and the New Testament. Since the reading chart is undated you could really take as long or as short as you’d like for this plan. But it’s a good Bible reading plan for no pressure to finish it in a year.

Bible Reading Plan #5

Read the Hard Parts Bible Reading Record Chart

Another no stress, no pressure Bible reading plan is this one from Read the Hard Parts. Just mark off each chapter when you have finished and you can go in any order as fast or as slow as you’d like. This is good for the person who likes a plan but also likes to have some say in the plan.

Downloading this plan will also sign you up to receive the weekly Read the Hard Parts Bible reading tips newsletter. Get encouragement all year long to stay in the word and tackle those hard parts!

Bible Reading Plan #6

Keep It Simple Bible Reading Plan

For those who like to keep things simple, this Bible reading plan goes straight through the Bible. Nothing fancy. Just the whole Bible in one whole year. If you are going to listen to the Bible on audio this would be the simplest way to keep track of your ear reading.

Bible Reading Plan #7

The 2019 Plan

Here’s a plan dated for 2019 from Tabletalk Magazine. You will read some Old Testament and some new Testament every day. The weekends are together to give you some flexibility.

Bible Reading Plan #8

Professor Horner’s Bible Reading Plan

The Bible is divided into ten different lists by genre. Then you read one chapter from each list. Reading this way for one year you will read all the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul’s lesser epistles 4-5 times each, the OT wisdom literature six times, all the Psalms at least twice, all the Proverbs and Acts 12 times, and the Old Testament prophetic and history books one and a half times. If you keep this up, you will never read the same set of ten chapters again. You will get many opportunities to let Scripture interpret Scripture and see connections you have never seen before. You can print the ten lists of the Professor Horner Bible Reading Plan here.

Of course there are many other Bible reading plans out there such as the Bible in 90 days plan. Personally this year my husband is going to try the Professor Horner plan. I am going to continue on with the Read the Hard Parts Bible Reading Record Chart. I began keeping track last May and I’m about one-third of the way through the Bible. I generally do some reading and some studying at the same time and I like that the Bible reading chart gives me some flexibility to stop and have time to study while still keeping track of my Bible reading.

If reading the whole Bible isn’t in your plans this year, make sure you do have some type of Bible reading plan. Check out the over 100 plans I have collected on my Bible Reading Plan Pinterest board.

What are your plans for reading the Bible this year? Let me know in the comments.

Be encouraged to read and understand the Bible. Get the Read the Hard Parts short-and-sweet weekly newsletter which includes Bible reading tips and insights into the hard parts of Scripture.

17 comments

      • It helps me to have a plan, Yes. I am continuing what I did last year. The plan is:

        Monday- I review the passages I heard on Sunday. Also I review the AWANA lesson of the week; I do this with my daughter (12th) grade who is a leader.

        Tuesday – Thursday I am reading the Bible in Armenian ( I am slow but moving steadily. I am currently on Judges. The English stays next to me for the big words)

        Friday – I read the passages of the Friday prayer group I belong to.

        Saturday – I use my phone App or the monthly Saturday Bible Study I attend.

        Sunday – I use a phone App and go to Sunday school and service

        By God’s grace alone,
        Suzanne

    • I’ve never used it (I’m afraid I’d be distracted by other stuff on my phone) but I hear so many great things about the app and people who use it love it! I’m glad it’s working out for you!

  1. Thanks Rachel, I’m not familiar with most of these, but it’s always good to hear there are lots of options out there for us. I personally love the One Year Bible reading plan. I do it every year. It includes a few chapters from the Old Testament, one or two from the New Testament, a Psalm and a Proverb each day. At the end of 365 days you will have read the whole Bible! I’ve tried lots of plans in my life, but once I found this one I’ve just kept going back to it. It really works for me.
    Thanks for encouraging us to be in God’s Word!!!!

    • awesome! I’m glad that you found one that works for you! I haven’t read through in a year for awhile, but I like the idea of reading in several different places at the same time. My husband is trying the Professor Grant Horner plan this year and he already said how many more connects he sees since he is reading in several different places.

      • YES! I definitely think that is one of the many benefits to reading in multiple places on the same days – you get a much better scope for the whole picture! It is all so connected!

  2. Thank you, Rachel, for the encourage to read through the Bible this year! I especially love that you encourage with, “No matter what day it is, you can begin to read the whole Bible!” 🙂 Thank you for giving us so many options and the FREE Bible Reading Record Chart sounds like a great resource too!

  3. I am going to try plan #3…reading the Bible chronologically…hopefully this will provide some good insight and wisdom in my walk with Christ. Thank you for the information….God bless you and your family.

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