Bible Reading Plan

 

Photo by Alexandra Fuller on Unsplash

When I first became a Christian forty years ago, I read the New Testament Matthew to Revelations several times. I did not do as well when attempting the whole Old Testament. Through the years, I did studies with other women that were topical or focused on one book of the Bible. When my husband got sick with cancer and then died, I think I mostly sought out comfort verses and did not have the deep study I used to have. Through all the struggle before and after his death, my "quiet time" was really random. 

For some time now, I have felt like I could handle a more cohesive study of the Bible. I have the time. What I find though that in doing a topical study where I'm flipping through the Bible looking up tons of verses, I tend to walk away not remembering much of anything. My brain just doesn't hold onto things like it used to. 

I wanted to read the Bible as a cohesive whole and I want to be able remember the things I have read, to carry the truth with me through the day. In the past, the Bible in a Year plan just didn't work for me. Nothing really sunk in. I was just kind of checking off that I had read the assigned verses. 

I stumbled across a plan devised by John MacArthur that seems to be working for me. The plan will take three years to complete. It involves reading a section of the New Testament that takes about twenty minutes and reading that section for thirty days. Twenty minutes is about 7 or 8 Chapters. I started with reading 1 John for thirty days and then divided the book of John into three sections which took three months. I take notes and try to find verses to memorize. Sometimes I only read a couple of chapters in the chosen section, but the point is to stay with the material for 30 days. I am now in the book of Matthew.  Every once in awhile I need a break and spend my time meditating on a Psalm and reading it out loud. It seems to be working for me. I'll let you know in three years if I got through the whole New Testament. Now I just need to come up with a plan for the Old Testament. 

How about you? What does your Bible study and/or quiet time look like? What works for you? Let me know in the comments and leave your email address. I will choose five people to give a copy of Tracking the Taken Child to or a different older book if you have already read that one.  

Sharon Dunn