Ten Tips to Help You Read Your Bible in a Year (Part 1)

Originally published on July 25, 2017.

I challenged my Sunday School class to read through the entire Bible this academic year. The point is to get a good overview of the Bible in a short amount of time. It’s a great spiritual discipline for young and old Christians. My students wanted some tips on how to get it done, so here is what worked for me.

1. Use a digital Bible. 

This was the biggest asset to helping me read. A digital Bible allowed me to take it with me wherever I went, and it allowed me to read it whenever I found some time.

2. Customize your Bible. 

If you are using a digital Bible, you can tailor the reading experience to your liking. Choose a font and font size that you are comfortable with. Try using a black background with white text so the reading is easier on your eyes. The same rules for font and font size apply to analog Bibles as well. A benefit of analog Bibles is that you can find a Bible that feels good in your hands. Consider buying a brand new Bible that looks and feels good– a Bible that begs you to hold it, open it, and read it.

3. Find a “Reader’s Bible” or use “Reading Mode.” 

Reader’s Bibles omit verse numbers and extraneous notes. It makes for a smoother experience. It removes the clutter that distracts from the words.

4. Find large chunks of time to read. 

Commit to reading chapters at a time. Finish smaller books in a single sitting. This helps you grasp larger units of the text. And although it won’t be a deep study of the text, it will at least be an uninterrupted, focused study of the text.

5. Choose a Bible version you are comfortable with. 

I read through the ESV Bible. Although the NIV would have made for a more digestible read, I wanted to stay with something familiar. I would recommend ESV, NIV, or HCSB for this type of reading. I would use my NASB for deeper Bible study.

For Further Reading

This habit supplements a deeper study of the Bible. If you can read the Bible in this way every year, you’ll fall into a consistent pattern of surveying the Word of God.

  

Read Part 2.