Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan
Only the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan offers special features that will aid you in your journey through the Bible.
- By reading from four separate places in the Scripture every day, you should be able to better grasp the unity of the Scriptures, as well as enjoy the variety of seeing four different viewpoints. You can begin at any point of the year.
- To prevent the frustration of falling behind, which most of us tend to do when following a Bible reading plan, each month of this plan gives you only twenty-five readings. Since you’ll have several “free days” each month, you could set aside Sundays to either not read at all or to catch up on any readings you may have missed in the past week.
- If you finish the month’s readings by the twenty-fifth, you could use the final days of the month to study the passages that challenged or intrigued you.
- If reading through the entire Bible in one year looms as too large a task, you can alter the plan to meet your needs. For example, you could read the gospels and the wisdom books this year, and the other two categories next year.
Book-at-a-Time Bible Reading Plan
5x5x5 Bible Reading Plan
Read through the New Testament in 5 days a week, 5 minutes a day.
5 minutes a day | If you’re not currently reading the Bible, start with 5 minutes a day. This reading plan will take you through all 260 chapters of the New Testament, one chapter per day. The gospels are read throughout the year to keep the story of Jesus fresh all year.
5 days a week | Determine a time and location to spend 5 minutes a day for 5 days a week. It is best to have a consistent time and a quiet place where you can regularly meet with the Lord.
5 ways to dig deeper | We must pause in our reading to dig into the Bible. Below are 5 different ways to dig deeper each day. These exercises will encourage meditation. We recommend trying a single idea for a week to find what works best for you. Remember to keep a pen and paper ready to capture God’s insights.
- Underline or highlight key words or phrases in the Bible passage. Use a pen or highlighter to mark new discoveries from the text. Periodically review your markings to see what God is teaching you.
- Put it into your own words. Read the passage or verse slowly, then rewrite each phrase or sentence using your own words.
- Ask and answer some questions. Questions unlock new discoveries and meanings. Ask questions about the passage using these words: who, what, why, when, where, or how. Jot down some thoughts on how you would answer these questions.
- Capture the big idea. God’s Word communicates big ideas. Periodically ask, What’s the big idea in this sentence, paragraph, or chapter?
- Personalize the meaning. When God speaks to us through the Scriptures, we must respond. A helpful habit is personalizing the Bible through application. Ask: How could my life be different today as I respond to what I’m reading?