The Easiest Way to Make Bible Reading a Habit

The Easiest Way to Make Bible Reading a Habit: Get Through the New Testament Successfully

The easiest way to make Bible reading a habit is to have a reading plan set in place, commitment to the plan, and following through with that plan. But that is often easier said than done.

In this post, I want to share with you the easiest way to make Bible reading a habit and how to get through the New Testament successfully as part of the process.

Let me first start by saying the reason we need to read our Bibles is to know God. Through our discovery and knowledge of God and His character, we will deepen our relationship with Him, improve our own characters, and develop better relationships with other people. I believe every person who follows Jesus needs to read through the Bible at least once and have a good understanding of what the Word says about God, about themselves, and about others. With this in one’s arsenal, it equips them with truth and readiness to affect God’s kingdom by spreading it to the rest of the world.

However, I will also say that Bible reading often comes off as a religious, tedious task that’s part of a laundry list in the Christian community. That is not what God intended. When He told Joshua, This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success, He invited Joshua into an intimate relationship where Joshua could abide in the Word and live from it.

By living from the Word of God, we take on the characteristics and traits of our heavenly Father, and pour it out on everyone else. We bear fruit by staying connected and deeply rooted and latched onto our Source, the Vine. We no longer strive and live only for God by beating our heads against tedious tasks and religious to-do’s, but live from a place of rest, abiding and growth in God.

The Word of God brings life to all who read it. When we read it consistently, we will also recognize how alive it is (Hebrews 4:12), because it transforms the way we view the world, our lives, and others. It transforms our inner being and connects us more deeply to God, so that we know that we know that we know we are truly made new in Christ, we have a firm foundation in Him, and anything we face in this life is overcome by the Prince of peace (John 16:33).

Nobody HAS TO read the Bible, but it’s amazing to know that we CAN and we GET TO read it. When we shift our perspective from have to to get to, we set ourselves up to look forward to spending time with God. It’s no longer about what we need to do to grow spiritually, but how we can spend time to deepen our relationship with God.

I get so excited talking about this (if you listen to the episode, you’ll hear it in my voice) because this is the easiest way to get to know God. When we question our faith and belief in Him, when we doubt or grow weary because life is hard, it’s time to get back into the Word and, along with all our questions, hurts, and burdens, talk to God who hears and answers us, (Jeremiah 33:3 says, Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.).

Finally, before I help you kick-start your Bible reading habit, it’s important to understand why this habit is helpful. A Bible reading habit will help you get more and more familiar with God’s word and the truth. Our salvation in Jesus isn’t a conspiracy theory or a myth and it’s not a fairytale. Our salvation in Jesus is a gift of freedom from our sins that only Jesus made possible by dying on the cross and bearing all of our guilt, shame, and darkness.

Because of Him, we can live in this freedom and actualize our lives how God intended for us to have. It’s true, life is hard and we will face many battles, but God doesn’t leave us without hope. He still gifts us joy, peace, and love beyond explanation.

It’s also essential to understand that a Bible reading habit isn’t to for us to get familiar with a task, but with a person: Jesus. If we want to get closer to Jesus, understand Him and His ways, and all that is happening in the world, even today, we must understand what the Bible says. Once we understand what it says, we can ask Him why it says what it does.

If you are ready to commit to make Bible reading a habit, keep reading! We’ll break it down one month at a time — yes, we’re going long-term!

Month one: Read one chapter from the book of Proverbs every day.

That’s it. This is the easiest place to start because there are thirty-one chapters and thirty to thirty-one days in a month. It’s easy to track, and if you miss a day, pick up where you left off the next day with the next chapter.

EXAMPLE: June 1st, read Proverbs 1; June 2nd, read Proverbs 2, etc.

Month two: Continue reading one chapter from Proverbs every day for a month, and add one of the four gospels to your daily reading.

This means you’re reading two books of the Bible every day, with a few days to spare if you miss a day. Split up the gospels however you like, or stay consistent. If you run out of time, carry over to the next day..

EXAMPLE: July 1st, read Proverbs 1 and Matthew 1; July 2nd, read Proverbs 2 and Matthew 2.

Note: the reason I encourage you to continue reading through Proverbs is because this will be your consistent routine. It will be the backbone of your Bible reading. Trust me, no matter how many times you read through it, you will always find new nuggets and see things you haven’t seen before. You will also make connections to Jesus’ words.

Month three: Continue reading one chapter from Proverbs every day for a month, read the next gospel book, and add one of the smaller epistles per week.

This means you’re reading three books of the Bible daily. By the end of this month, you should have read six books of the Bible in total. Again, these are smaller books of the Bible, so schedule it as you please and give yourself grace for the days you miss.

EXAMPLE: On August 1st, read Proverbs 1, Mark 1, and Galatians 1; August 2nd, read Proverbs 2, Mark 2, and Galatians 2. On week 2, continue reading Proverbs and the gospel of Mark, and read the next epistle, Ephesians.

Week 1: Proverbs, Mark, Galatians

Week 2: Proverbs, Mark, Ephesians

Week 3: Proverbs, Mark, Philippians

Week 4: Proverbs, Mark, Colossians

Month four: Continue reading one chapter from Proverbs every day for a month, read the next gospel book, and add the next sets of smaller epistles per week.

EXAMPLE: On September 1st, read the first chapters of Proverbs, Luke, and 1 Thessalonians.

Week 1: Proverbs, Luke, 1 Thessalonians

Week 2: Proverbs, Luke, 2 Thessalonians

Week 3: Proverbs, Luke, 1 Timothy

Week 4: Proverbs, Luke, 2 Timothy

Month five, six, and so on: continue reading in this manner

Continue reading in this manner until you get through the entire New Testament. If you are in a consistent habit of reading one to two chapters per day, consider switching it up from Proverbs to Psalms or adding books from the Old Testament. The purpose of this Bible reading habit-building method is to establish consistency and help you prioritize your time with God.

Take it one day at a time for a month, beginning with the book of Proverbs. If you don’t want to start with Proverbs, use this same method, but take on a different book, like the Gospel of John or five chapters a day from the book of Psalms.

The purpose of having a Bible reading plan is to get into the habit of spending time with God to know God. Not because we have to, but because we get to. The purpose of getting into the habit of spending time with God is to get to know Him and the life of ultimate freedom for which Christ sacrificed His life.

Share your favorite Bible reading tips or share this with a friend who might find it helpful!

Happy reading! Here’s a link to the free Bible plan!

P.S. click this link if you want a free download of all the books of the Bible and the number of chapters per book.