How to Read Through the Whole Bible in a Year

How to Read Through the Whole Bible in a Year | Millennials with Meaning
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

We’re just a few weeks into 2021, and resolutions are in full force…or, more likely, already abandoned. 😂

But it’s not too late! If one of your resolutions is to read your Bible more this year, I’m here to help.

I resolved to read the whole Bible in a year when I was in college. By breaking it into just a few chapters a day, I was able to successfully read through the entire Bible for the first time in my life. I continued this practice for several years after that, and it became a really helpful habit that bore good fruit in my life.

The good news is it’s more doable than you might think!

There are just two things you need to practice this year, and by the time 2022 arrives, you will have made it through the entire Bible:

  1. Read three chapters every weekday.
  2. Read five chapters every Saturday and Sunday.

That’s it! Just a few chapters each day, and you will inch your way through the entire Bible, Old Testament and New, before the year is through. I’m not sure who first came up with this plan so I can’t give credit where it’s due, but I’ve used it, and it works!

You might have to do some catching up if you haven’t been reading your Bible during the first few days of this month. You’ll also finish a few days early in December if you stay on track. You might also have a few days throughout the year when you forget to read and have to read double the next day. Do what you need to do to keep going. You can totally do this!

FAQs

Which version of the Bible should I use?

Choose your favorite! The NIV is a common one. If you’re new to the Bible or you have trouble staying engaged with a more traditional version, try The Message. I was never able to muster up enough motivation to get through the whole thing until I bought The Message, so that was a key for me. It was so much easier with a translation I understood and enjoyed! Lately I’m enjoying The Passion Translation, but it is yet to be translated in every book, so you’ll only be able to read part of the Bible in that particular translation. Try a few different ones and see which one you like best!

Where can I read the Bible for free?

YouVersion has a great app. It’s worth investing in a physical Bible and I recommend doing so, but I use YouVersion or BibleGateway.com most often these days simply because they’re so convenient.

Where should I begin?

For convenience, I’ve always started in Genesis 1 on January 1 and finished Revelation in December. You can read through the Bible however you prefer, though. YouVersion has some great devotional plans to guide you through the Bible in the year if you want someone else to do all the planning for you!

What if I get behind?

Don’t beat yourself up over it. Just take a day or two to catch up – you’ll get there eventually! And even if you don’t successfully make it through the entire Bible in one year, celebrate the progress you did make! You can always try again next year, and the ultimate goal is to spend time in God’s Word, not to be legalistic about it.

Do you do this every year?

I did for a long time but I haven’t in recent years. I found myself getting too legalistic about it and not absorbing the content because I was trying too hard to race through each day’s reading. I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again, but for the past couple of years, I’ve gone more slowly through specific passages rather than force myself to read a specified amount every year. Both strategies have their advantages! 😊

Final encouragement

Go easy on yourself, friends. Give yourselves grace. I have full faith in your ability to do this if you persevere and give yourself time to catch up when you need it, but most importantly, just read your Bible this year – whatever that looks like for you! It’s not the quantity that counts; it’s the quality. Let his Word be a lamp for your feet and a light for your path.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105 ESV
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