So, it’s the new year; and if you’re a part of the faith community you probably see everyone talking about their Bible reading plans, but you just don’t know where to start. Whether you are someone who is new to the faith or someone who has been walking with Christ for quite some time, it’s always a bit tricky figuring out just how to approach your Bible reading each year. In this post I give a few tips that will hopefully help you better decide where to start reading the Bible this year.
Beginner’s Approach to Start Reading the Bible
Method 1
First, let’s consider the complete beginner. If you’ve never read the Bible on your own before, if you’ve only ever heard the Bible read in church, or you’ve only come into contact with scripture through blog posts and social media, then you may be understandingly overwhelmed about how to start reading the Bible regularly. There’s the Old Testament and the New Testament – in them you have the Gospels, books of prophecy, and books of poetry. There’s law. There’s history. Oh, my goodness! Don’t even talk about the genealogy included in that history. To be sure, it’s all a bit much when you consider the entirety of scripture. So, how do we narrow things down?
For new converts, or those who may be referred to as “babes in the faith,” one of the first reading strategies recommended is the reading of the Gospels; that includes Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which were authored by the disciples who personally walked with Jesus. These books tell the story of Jesus’ life and ministry. They are very important since Jesus is the central character to our faith. His ministry is the foundation of Christianity. It is through Jesus that we can be born again; so, it is very important that every believer understands His perspective on life and ministry – that is, His lifestyle and how He says that we should live.
More importantly, the Gospels don’t just advise us based on Jesus’ teachings; but, through the retelling of those days through the lens of men who walked with Christ, we see Jesus live out the things that he teaches. We get to see Him deal with difficult people, overcome trying times, manage personal struggles, and apply wisdom to everyday circumstances. Most of all, we see how Jesus overcame; and, in His overcoming, we understand how we, too, can be victorious.
Method 2
The second approach to start reading the Bible for one fairly new to devotionals is to take a look at the book of Psalms and/or the book of Proverbs. The book of Psalms is basically a collection of hymns. Because hymns, like other songs, are usually written in verse and in a poetic fashion, the scriptures found in this book are easy to digest. Most of them are verses that sing praises to God; giving insight into His character, and joying in the fact that our God is always a reliable source of help and strength.
Chapters in other books of the Bible generally take a longer time to complete than the hymns; especially since you have to pause to truly understand and properly take in the information. Not to mention that in order to reach that end you would probably have to do some additional research to figure out the context of the scripture; including, examining the relevant historical and cultural backgrounds, as well as cross references and commentaries.
The hymns, on the other hand, can often be read and fully understood in 5-10 minutes. This is great because each time you read a psalm – no matter how short – you can still experience that sense of accomplishment that comes with completing a chapter of Bible reading .
Take a look at Psalm 3 (KJV). It is made up of only eight simple verses.
But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
PSALM 3:3 (KJV)
1 Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.
2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
7 Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
As you read the psalms, you can also throw in a few verses from the book of Proverbs. This is a tried and tested strategy. In fact, there are many Bible reading plans that focus on Psalms and Proverbs as a combo devotional method. The reason you may only want to use two or three verses of Proverbs to go along with your daily reading from the book of Psalms is because the verses in Proverbs tend not to be a structured story. Although there are noticeable themes, Proverbs can better be described as a collection of broadly connected thoughts.
Take this excerpt from Proverbs 13:10-13 (KJV), for example.
10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.
11 Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.
In this way, the book of Proverbs is made up of chapters, that are then made up of verses that offer bits and pieces of wisdom – not necessarily all related. I actually have quite a lot of fun reading the book of Proverbs thanks to Solomon’s plain – yet intriguing – speech, and the way he underscores the futility of those who seek to do life apart from the principles of the word of God.
If you love sleep, you will end in poverty.
Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!
Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?
So, those are two recommendations for anyone just jumping into Bible reading in 2025. You can start with the Gospels and have a close look at Jesus’ life and ministry, or you can begin on a lighter note with the book of Psalms and/or the book of Proverbs.
Intermediate Approach: Start Reading the Bible with Understanding
Now, moving on to the more intermediate Bible reading plans. What do I mean by intermediate Bible reading or intermediate Bible users? Well, you’re likely an intermediate reader if the Bible isn’t very foreign to you – if you grew up hearing Bible stories, attended a lot of Sunday school sessions, and you know the foundational parts of scripture (i.e. you have an understanding of Jesus’ ministry). You might also be able to quote a few psalms, and you are probably familiar with the main characters of the Old Testament ( e.g. Moses,Abraham, the prophet Isaiah, etc.).
For the intermediate Bible reader, the New Testament is a good way to start reading the Bible this year. You could either pace yourself to read the entire New Testament at least once or twice; or, you not only read the New Testament but also focus on studying that canon of scripture for the entire year. I recommend the latter.
At this point in your journey, you should be studying the Bible regularly. If you’ve done any sort of Bible studying, then you know that just one verse of scripture can often be sufficient for a full 30-minute to an hour-long Bible study session; depending on how in-depth of a study you conduct. So, why not take Bible reading a step further this year? Why not take on a challenge?
If that’s too much for you, then try reading the New Testament just one time and precede or follow those readings up with the books of Psalms and Proverbs. If you want to try something a bit more different, try either of these alternatives:
- A study of the prophets of the Old Testament.
- A study of the book of Acts, the Pauline epistles, and the general epistles.
This year, I pray you embark on deeper studies so that you may experience greater levels of understanding and revelation.
Advanced Approach to Bible Reading
Finally, a suggestion for the ones who would consider themselves advanced students of the Bible. In my mind, these are the persons who have mastered, perhaps, not the Bible itself, but an effective means of studying it. You have done some study on Jesus’ ministry, and you understand the connections between the Old Testament and the New Testament; plus, you are able to comprehend simple theology.
If you’re that person, then perhaps this year you can challenge yourself by digging in to the book of Revelation and the primary theories of eschatology. Of course, it must be said that the study of this set of scriptures should be approached with a healthy dose of caution; particularly when reading the literature from various Bible students and theologians.
Always keep in mind that theology, at the end of the day, is a sum of conclusions that Man has drawn from the study of scripture. The most important thing – and this is for any study of the Bible – is to engage the guidance of the Holy Spirit and ask Him to give true revelation.
Wrap-up
Well, there you have it – at least three approaches to start reading the Bible this year. Give it a try and let me know how it goes. I pray that this will be a season where you grow rich in the understanding of God’s word.
Read next: Shortest Verse in the Bible: Powerful and Captivating!
