Choosing a Bible Reading Plan

There are lots of Bible reading plans found on the web and I've used many different ones. What are some qualities you want to look for in a Bible reading plan if you have never done this before?

1. Having regular time off reading. What this means is that you have a little give in the plan, so if you miss a day of reading you aren't playing catch up.
2. Have a fairly even amount to read each day. Over the years, I've come across plans that end up with a lot of reading on some days and very little on others. One common plan, I've seen and used is one in which each day of the week you read a different kind of Biblical literature. The problem with this idea is there is a lot more of some kinds of literature like prophecy than other kinds, leaving some days really light in reading amount and others with a lot.  My experience is that this makes for a tough plan to read and often leaves you disliking the type of literature that has the heavy days. 
3. Make sure you get a mix of Old and New Testament all year. In particular, I find it helpful to make sure you come back to the gospel readings with some regularity and not read all four gospels in a row in the fall. 
4. Break it up. I have used plans where whole books are read rather than a mix of readings each day, but I've found that for beginners, having a little bit of everything everyday helps keep things moving. 

So with these parameters in mind, I've selected Discipleship Journal's Reading Plan for reading through the whole Bible in a year. 

If you are planning to read with me this year, go ahead and download and print the plan. Put it in your Bible, if you have more than one Bible you are going to use, put a copy in each Bible. File it some place on your computer that you will be able to find it later (and rename it something that is easy to find). If you are like me, put it in your Evernote account.