Making your Bible Reading Plan Work
Two days ago I was speaking to a Practical Disciple reader who had downloaded one of the reading plans from my last post, 3 Great Bible Reading Plans. He told me that he and his wife were trying it. He rightly recognized quickly that you need a set time, if you are going to read consistently. It jar me awake to the reality that any tool is only perhaps as good as the instruction that goes with it. So here are five tips on succeeding at maintaining a reading schedule. There really simple and you can implement them today.
1) Print out your plan and place it some place visible with your Bible. High visibility will help you read consistently. Also don’t forget to check off your progress. This will also keep you inspired.
2) Have a time and place for your reading. Morning, noon, or night, at the table, in bed or in the bath, it doesn’t matter, but having a set time and place will help become a consistent routine.
3) Get a Bible you enjoy reading. I frequently get asked what the best translation to read is. I lean toward a couple of different translations, but the bottom line is that the best Bible is the one you will read. That means both a translation that is readable and one with a type size and layout easy on the eyes.
4) If you start missing readings don’t worry about catching up. You heard me right, don’t play catch up. Just start back at reading either where you left off or if you are following a calendar jump to what is that day’s reading is. I have watched countless people get derailed from reading simply because they got behind and thought they had to catch up. The truth is that if you get in a discipline of reading daily you will read the Bible many times over.
5) Ask God to bless your reading and guide you in it. This is THE most important tip I can give you. Don’t go it alone. Offer your reading time as a gift to God and God will honor it in ways you cannot imagine. When that happens you will be hard pressed to stay away from reading.
Blessing to you on following your reading plan and thank you to PD reader, Larry D. who helped me recognize the need for some instruction.
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Hi there,
I like your tips on the Bible Reading! I have never found the right Bible reading plan, so have tried to read at my own pace and feel that even though I am not following a plan, that I am behind simply because I still have a lot to read by the end of this year and I have this thing in my head that I have to finish the Bible by December 31, 2009. It never seems like what I read is enough; sometimes I read a lot, but it doesn’t seem like it is enough. I feel like I am not doing it right. So am going to try and remember your tips.
Thanks,
Kristy
Kristy–I am very glad you like the tips. I have been thinking about what you said regarding feeling like what you read isn’t enough. “Enough” isn’t always about quantity. I would encourage you to just stay consistent and focus on the quality of the time you spend in Scripture. Most of us have been conditioned to read to finish and yet not necessarily understand or apply what we read. I read four chapters each day. I have to be careful that my discipline doesn’t become a matter of just getting four chapters out of the way and off of my to do list.
You may want to read the prayer journaling posts that I wrote and watch the short videos. (See the “Related Links” below) Having some form of journaling helps me translate scripture into life changes. In short, if you are trying to figure out whether you are reading “enough”, ask yourself, “Am I more Christ-like? Am I growing as a disciple?” If that isn’t happening, reevaluate not just how much you read but how you are reading.
The real key is consistently getting in the word and applying it to your life. One verse read and applied is worth ten times ten chapters read but not lived. Just keep at it. Don’t give up. Scattered throughout my blog I have a wide variety of reading. You may want to click on the tags in the right column to find more. Please feel free to send me questions. Blessings.
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