Bible Reading Plans With Free Printable Resources
Are you looking for Bible reading plans and free printable resources to help you deepen your faith while you study the Bible?
One of the key goals of Christianity is to know God better and become more like Him. When we read the Bible daily, we take steps to achieve that goal.
Bible reading plans are one of the best ways we can use to learn the truth about our heavenly Father straight from Him. They help you to focus on one chapter, topic, or book of the Bible and become disciplined in reading the word and applying it to your daily life.
As busy women, we can often neglect Bible study time, but when you have a daily plan to go through, you become organized which can make all of the difference. Having a solid plan keeps you motivated to get into the word and learn from it.
Having a plan is an intentional way of reading God’s Word beyond church on a Sunday morning. It helps you reflect on what His Word says and apply it too.
Remember though that the goal is not to complete the plan itself, although that is good, but it’s to grow in your knowledge of the Bible and your relationship with Jesus Christ.
What is a Bible Reading Plan?
A Bible reading plan is a structured method of reading the Bible. The plan usually involves chapters or verses that you’ll read daily to help you focus and learn from a section of God’s word.
Often for new believers or those who are beginners in Bible reading, the Bible can come across as overwhelming. Having a structure is a great way to focus and build the habit of consistently reading the Word.
As a seasoned Bible reader, the plans create variety in your daily Bible study time. It’s important to remember that we never truly “arrive” when it comes to being a Christian.
We need to remain humble and teachable because even a verse, story, chapter, or book of the Bible you’ve read a thousand times offers new lessons and revelations from the Holy Spirit.
A plan will support you in your commitment to develop an intimate relationship with God. You can choose a plan that suits the season of life you’re in.
While the Bible reading plan can be done in a few minutes daily no matter how busy you are, it must still be done diligently ensuring you learn and apply something from what you’ve read.
Ultimately a Bible reading plan is a great way to obey God. Jesus mentioned that the way we need to eat daily to live and grow is the same way we need God’s word to live and grow spiritually.
“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Mathew 4:4 NIV
Types of Bible Reading Plans
While some people start a Bible reading plan on the 1st of January and include reading the entire Bible in a year as a goal, there are a variety of plans to use for your specific spiritual needs.
Old and New Testament Bible Reading Plan
You’ll find Bible reading plans specifically focusing on either the Old Testament or New Testament. Both the testaments are important as the Old Testament gives us a historical background of the Bible while the New Testament focuses on Jesus’ life as well as teachings to us as the church on how to live and experience spiritual growth.
Gospels Bible Reading Plans
These are centered on the first four books of the Bible and Jesus’ life and ministry. For new believers, it’s a good idea to start with these as the entire Bible leads up to Jesus and his purpose to save us and reconcile us back to God.
Chronological Bible Reading Plan
A chronological Bible reading plan helps you to read the Bible in the order in which events occur. It doesn’t follow the exact chapters in the Bible. This may be confusing for a new Bible reader. It can be studied along with a Chronological Bible.
Bible in a Year Reading Plan
This plan is ideal for those who want to take time and read the entire Bible in one year. Most Bible in-a-year plans are arranged in the exact order of books of the Word of God. It will include a few chapters you have to read daily from Genesis to Revelation. Some plans are for 2 years as well.
Topical Bible Reading Plan
There are so many different topics and main themes to explore and learn more about in the Bible. Whether you need to focus on joy, peace, faith, or love, there’s probably a Bible reading plan for it. Most topical reading plans are for a month with 30 or 31 daily Bible verses to read.
Books of the Bible plan
You may want to focus on one book of the Bible at a time. This plan will have specific Bible verses or chapters to tackle daily so you can complete the Bible book of choice.
How to use a Bible Reading Plan
Going through a plan must not be done just to check it off the list and feel good about it. The Bible is a book that is living because it’s filled with God’s Word and He is a living God. It can truly be life-changing if you allow His Word to change your world.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12 NIV
So how do you use a Bible Reading Plan?
- Have everything ready beforehand
- Make sure you have your Bible, pen, notebook, and Bible reading plan ready beforehand. If you have Bible study time in the morning, have everything out the night before so that in the morning you’re not looking for things and getting frustrated or distracted.
- Make time to meet with God
- It can take you 5-10 minutes to go through the Bible verse or chapter in your Bible reading plan. But make sure you schedule more time in case the Holy Spirit prompts you to further deepen your reading.
- Pray before you start
- To get the life-transforming lessons of the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and help you gain wisdom, knowledge, and understanding as you read.
- Use Bible study worksheets
- It’s a good idea to read the plan with Bible study worksheets so that you can gain more insight and wisdom for the passage of Scripture.
- Don’t feel guilty about falling behind
- The truth is sometimes life happens. You or your child can get sick or you have to travel unexpectedly and forget your plan. Don’t feel guilty or ashamed if you miss a day or week. You can pick off exactly where you left off.
- While we should make all efforts to be disciplined, we also fall short as people. Remember God does not condemn you, rather His desire is to spend time with you daily.
- Go through it alone or in a small group
- You can go through the plan alone or do it with a partner or in a small group. Small groups can help build accountability, and each person can share what they are learning and how they are applying it.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:1-2 NIV
Free Bible Reading plans
If you are looking for great resources online that are absolutely free, this is a fantastic list to go through and find what suits you!
The Gospels are one of the best places to start with reading the Bible as a beginner which highlights the life and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a free 12-week reading plan with a chapter or two a day and in some instances a short passage of Scripture. It also comes with a journaling guide and printable memory verse cards to help you remember and apply what you read.
For new believers who are looking to just start with one book of the Bible in the Gospels, the best book would be John. It tells the story of Jesus Christ in a different way than the other Gospel books. In this 21-Day plan of John, there’s an emphasis on who Jesus says He is and how He demonstrates His power and authority.
This plan has different main themes for each month. The themes are different topics such as love, faith, loving others, rest, and thanksgiving.
These are 12 free Bible reading plans on a variety of topics such as identity in Christ, living intentionally, peace, hope, and forgiveness. There are no specific dates or months so you can start with any topic in whichever month. There are 30 Bible verses for each topic so you can complete a topic monthly.
This plan focuses on reading the Old Testament in 6 months. It has several chapters for every day of the week. You can commit to it in one year even though the plan is for 6 months.
Give yourself more time to read, understand and reflect on what you read.
Instead of going through a plan daily, this one advises you to commit to 5 days a week and use the other 2 days each week for reflection and application. You go through the entire 260 chapters of the New Testament in a year. It’s a great plan for beginners who want to go from reading a verse or two a day to reading a chapter a day.
Chronological Bible Reading Plan
This plan allows you to study the Bible in one year in chronological order. This is the order in which the events occurred in the Bible.
This is a great plan for when you’re led by the Holy Spirit to complete the Bible in a year. It has a few chapters a day to read so it needs more dedicated time. The good thing is it doesn’t specifically have months or dates so no need to feel guilty if you miss a day or two. You can even spread reading it over 2 years.
There are different ways to remind you to read the Bible and have a plan each day and bookmarks are one of the best ways. You can put them in your Bible at the exact place you’re reading and pick off right where you stopped.
Free Bible Plan Printable
Now to guide and encourage you in getting to know God more through the Bible, l have developed a free printable reading plan for you to download. Enjoy this free Bible study guide on the book of Proverbs for your personal use or with a Bible study group. The book of Proverbs has 31 chapters, so it is perfect for a one-month plan! The book of Proverbs is full of wisdom to use in our everyday lives.
Download your FREE Printable Proverbs Reading Plan Here!
A Bible reading plan is an intentional way to read the Bible daily. As a busy woman, this is a focused and organized way to be motivated and encouraged to have Bible study time. You can go through the plan alone, with a partner, or in a small group.
There are many great resources online for you to choose from depending on which stage of life you’re in and what you’re going through. You can start with the Gospels, read the New Testament, do monthly reading plans, and even read the Bible in a year.
The key thing is to let the Holy Spirit lead as you read.
Learn to prepare for quiet time, pray, and don’t ever feel guilty about missing any time in your Bible reading plan. Habits take time to develop and God certainly doesn’t condemn you.
Even a little bit of quality time each day is a great place to start to find the biblical answers your heart may be searching for. A little focused quality time is better than a long time reading just to get through it.
The more you read the Bible, the more you know God’s character, develop a closer relationship with Him, and get to experience spiritual growth in your daily lives.
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