We can't overstate the importance of regularly spending time in God's Word.
That's why we wanted to make it as easy as possible for you to do just that. Below you'll see some helpful tips for spending time with God, as well as a 5-days-a-week reading plan that will take you all the way through the Bible in a year. If you want a printed version, you can pick one up at the church, or download and print your own below.
How to approach your time with the Lord.
PREPARE If possible, find a quiet place to focus and concentrate on God’s Word. Remember that God is with you and that there is nothing better you could be doing with your time right now. Consider opening your time with the Lord by praying along these four themes:
• Adoration – During this time, focus directly on God, adoring Him for Who He is— His names, His character, His roles, etc. Worship and praise God with your heart, mind, and voice.
• Confession – When you acknowledge Who God is and adore Him for all that He is, confession is a natural follow-up. We cannot stand before the throne of a holy God with sin between us and our Savior. Thank God, He is faithful to forgive our sins.
• Thanksgiving – This is a time for prayers of thanks for what God has done. Thank Him for salvation, the many blessings in your life, protection, provision, open doors, opportunities, and His good gifts.
• Supplication – Prayers of requests. This is the time to ask God for His divine help to meet neets, solve problems, work in someone’s life, etc.
READ Take your time reading the passages for the day. Consider reading it multiple times from different translations. Consider the genre, audience, purpose, and tone. Remember the gift this text is to us from our Heavenly Father. Ask yourself how this passage points to or is a picture of Christ and the gospel. Pray through the text as you go.
MEDITATE Give your brain a moment to digest what you just read. Write down anything that stands out as significant, shocking, confusing, or inspiring. Rather than filling your mind with something new, spend a few moments concentrating on what you just read.
PRAY Ask God to use what you’ve read to deepen your love for Him and your love for your neighbor. Thank Him for how He is using His word to transform you more into the image of Jesus. Some sample prayers might look like this: Heavenly Father, your Word today….
• Taught me that you are…
• Revealed to me that I am…
• Reminded me that Christ…
• Prompted me to…
• By your Spirit, will you today continue to transform me into Christ’s likeness.
Obey Look for one way to be a doer of the Word of God today. Is there a sin you need to confess, a person you need to care for, or a prompting you need to follow through on? Ask God to give you the boldness to do what He asks you to do.
Weekly Reading
Genesis 1-2; Psalm 19; Mark 1
Gen 3-5; Mark 2
Gen 6-8; Psalm 104; Mark 3
Gen 9-11; Mark 4
Gen 12-15; Psalm 148; Mark 5
Gen 16-18; Mark 6
Gen 19-20; Psalm 1; Mark 7
Gen 21-23; Psalm 107; Mark 8
Gen 24-25; Psalm 4; Mark 9
Gen 26-27; Mark 10
Gen 28-29; Mark 11
Gen 30-31; Psalm 11; Mark 12
Gen 32-34; Psalm 145; Mark 13
Gen 35-37; Psalm 12; Mark 14
Gen 38-40; Mark 15
Gen 41-42; Mark 16
Gen 43-44; Psalm 24; Gal 1
Gen 45-46; Psalm 108; Gal 2
Gen 47-48; Psalm 25; Gal 3
Gen 49-50; Gal 4
Exodus 1-3; Gal 5
Ex 4-6; Gal 6
Ex 7-9; Psalm 105; Eph 1
Ex 10-12; Eph 2
Ex 13-15; Psalm 114; Eph 3
Ex 16-18; Eph 4
Ex 19-21; Psalm 33; Eph 5
Ex 22-24; Psalm 109; Eph 6
Ex 25-27; Psalm 90; Philippians 1
Ex 28-31; Phil 2
Ex 32-34; Phil 3
Ex 35-37; Psalm 26; Phil 4
Ex 38-40; Hebrews 1
Leviticus 1-3; Psalm 27; Heb 2
Lev 4-7; Heb 3
Lev 8-11; Ps 110; Heb 4
Lev 12-14; Psalm 111; Heb 5
Lev 15-18; Psalm 31; Heb 6
Lev 19-20; Heb 7
Lev 21-23; Heb 8
Lev 24-25; Psalm 81; Heb 9
Lev 26-27; Psalm 112; Heb 10
Numbers 1-2; Psalm 64; Heb 11
Num 3-5; Heb 12
Num 6-7; Heb 13
Num 8-11; Colossians 1
Num 12-14; Psalm 28; Col 2
Num 15-18; Psalm 113; Col 3
Num 19-21; Col 4
Num 22-25; Luke 1
Num 26-29; Luke 2
Num 30-33; Psalm 35; Luke 3
Num 34-36; Luke 4
Deut 1-3; Psalm 36; Luke 5
Deut 4-5; Luke 6
Deuteronomy 6-9; Luke 7
Deut 10-14; Psalm 5; Luke 8
Deut 15-18; Psalm 115; Luke 9
Deut 19-22; Psalm 6; Luke 10
Deut 23-26; Luke 11
Deut 27-31; Luke 12
Deut 32-34; Psalm 13; Luke 13
Joshua 1-4; Psalm 143; Luke 14
Joshua 5-8; Psalm 14; Luke 15
Joshua 9-13; Luke 16
Joshua 14-17; Luke 17
Joshua 18-21; Psalm 15; Luke 18
Joshua 22-24; Psalm 116; Luke 19
Judges 1-3; Psalm 16; Luke 20
Judges 4-6; Luke 21
Judges 7-8; Luke 22
Judges 9-11; Psalm 17; Luke 23
Judges 12-16; Psalm 146; Luke 24
Judges 17-18; Psalm 21; Acts 1
Judges 19-21; Acts 2
Ruth 1-2; Acts 3
Ruth 3-4; Psalm 37; Acts 4
1 Samuel 1-2; Psalm 120; Acts 5
1 Sam 3-5; Psalm 23; Acts 6
1 Sam 6-8; Acts 7
1 Sam 9-10; Acts 8
1 Sam 11-13; Psalm 38; Acts 9
1 Sam 14; Psalm 124; Acts 10
1 Sam 15-16; 1 Chr 1; Psalm 39; Acts 11
1 Sam 17; 1 Chr 2; Acts 12
1 Sam 18-19; 1 Chr 3; Ps 59; Acts 13
1 Sam 20; 1 Chr 4; Ps 56, 57, 142; Acts 14
1 Sam 21-22; 1 Chr 5; Ps 52; Acts 15
1 Sam 23-24; 1 Chr 6; Ps 54; Acts 16
1 Sam 25; 1 Chr 7; Acts 17
1 Sam 26-27; 1 Chr 8; Acts 18
1 Sam 28-29; 1 Chr 9; Acts 19
1 Sam 30-31; 1 Chr 10; Acts 20
2 Sam 1-2; 1 Chr 11; Ps 96, 106; Acts 21
2 Sam 3-5; 1 Chr 12; Ps 122; Acts 22
2 Sam 6; 1 Chr 13; Psalm 60; Acts 23
1 Chr 14-16; Acts 24
2 Sam 7-8; 1 Chr 17; Ps 132; Acts 25
2 Sam 9-10; 1 Chr 18-19; Ps 89; Acts 26
2 Sam 11-12; 1 Chr 20; Ps 51, 32; Acts 27
2 Samuel 13-14; Acts 28
2 Sam 15-17; Psalms 3, 63; Romans 1
2 Sam 18-20; Psalm 34; Rom 2
2 Sam 21-23; Psalm 18; Rom 3
2 Sam 24; 1 Chr 21; Rom 4
1 Chron 22-25; Psalm 78; Rom 5
1 Kings 1; 1 Chr 26-28; Rom 6
1 Kings 2; 1 Chr 29; Rom 7
1 Kings 3; 2 Chr 1; Ps 42; Rom 8
1 Kings 4; Proverbs 1-2; Psalm 43; Rom 9
Prov 3-5; Rom 10
Prov 6-7; Psalm 7; Rom 11
Prov 8-10; Psalm 144; Rom 12
Prov 11-13; Psalm 8; Rom 13
Prov 14-15; Rom 14
Prov 16-18; Rom 15
Prov 19-21; Ps 40; Rom 16
Prov 22-23; Ps 117; 1 Thessalonians 1
Prov 24-25; Ps 41; 1 Thess 2
Prov 26-28; 1 Thess 3
Proverbs 29-31; 1 Thess 4
Song of Sol 1-3; Ps 72; 1 Thess 5
Song of Sol 4-6; 2 Thess 1
Song of Sol 7-8; Psalm 127; 2 Thess 2
1 Kings 5; 2 Chr 2; 2 Thess 3
1 Kings 6; 2 Chr 3; 1 Timothy 1
1 Kings 7; 2 Chr 4; Psalm 44; 1 Tim 2
1 Kings 8; Psalm 30; 1 Tim 3
2 Chr 5-7; Psalm 121; 1 Tim 4
1 Kings 9; 2 Chr 8; 1 Tim 5
1 Kings 10-11; 2 Chr 9; 1 Tim 6
Ecclesiastes 1-3; Psalm 45; 2 Tim 1
Eccl 4-6; Psalm 125; 2 Tim 2
Eccl 7-9; Psalm 46; 2 Tim 3
Eccl 10-12; 2 Tim 4
1 Kings 12; 2 Chr 10-11; Titus 1
1 Kings 13-14; 2 Chr 12; Ps 47; Titus 2
1 Kings 15; 2 Chr 13-14; Titus 3
2 Chr 15-16; 1 Kings 16; Philemon
1 Kings 17-18; Psalm 119; Jude
1 Kings 19-21; 2 Chr 17; Ps 129; Matt 1
1 Kings 22; 2 Chr 18; Matt 2
2 Chr 19-20; 2 Kings 1; Psalm 20; Matt 3
2 Kings 2-3; Psalm 48; Matt 4
2 Kings 4-6; Matt 5
2 Kings 7-8; 2 Chr 21; Matt 6
2 Kings 9-10; Psalm 49; Matt 7
2 Chr 22-23; 2 Kings 11; Ps 131; Matt 8
2 Chr 24; 2 Kings 12; Psalm 50; Matt 9
Joel; Matt 10
Jonah; Matthew 11
2 Kings 13-14; 2 Chr 25; Ps 53; Matt 12
Amos 1-3; Matt 13
Amos 4-6; Psalm 55; Matt 14
Amos 7-9; Matt 15
Hosea 1-3; Matthew 16
Hosea 4-6; Psalm 58; Matt 17
Hosea 7-10; Matt 18
Hosea 11-13; Matt 19
Hosea 14; 2 Chr 26-27; Ps 61; Matt 20
2 Kings 15-16; Matthew 21
Isaiah 1-3; Psalm 9; Matt 22
Isa 4-6; Matt 23
Micah 1-4; Psalm 10; Matt 24
Micah 5-7; Matt 25
Isa 7-10; Psalm 22; Matt 26
Isa 11-13; Psalm 118; Matt 27
Isa 14-16; Matt 28
Isa 17-19; Psalm 62; 1 Corinthians 1
Isa 20-22; 1 Cor 2
Isa 23-25; 1 Cor 3
Isa 26-29; Psalm 65; 1 Cor 4
Isa 30-32; 1 Cor 5
Isa 33-35; 1 Cor 6
2 Chr 28; 2 Kings 17; Psalm 66; 1 Cor 7
2 Chr 29-31; 1 Cor 8
2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chr 32; Ps 67; 1 Cor 9
Isa 36-37; Psalm 123; 1 Cor 10
2 Kings 20; Isa 38-40; Ps 68; 1 Cor 11
Isa 41-44; 1 Cor 12
Isa 45-48; 1 Cor 13
Isa 49-52; Psalm 69; 1 Cor 14
Isa 53-55; Psalm 128; 1 Cor 15
Isa 56-59; Psalm 70; 1 Cor 16
Is 60-63; 2 Corinthians 1
Isa 64-66; 2 Cor 2
2 Kings 21; 2 Chr 33; Ps 71; 2 Cor 3
Nahum; Psalm 149; 2 Cor 4
2 Kings 22-23; Psalm 73; 2 Cor 5
2 Chr 34-35; 2 Cor 6
Habakkuk; 2 Cor 7
Zephaniah; Psalm 74; 2 Cor 8
Jeremiah 1-4; Psalm 130; 2 Cor 9
Jer 5-7; Psalm 75; 2 Cor 10
Jer 8-10; 2 Cor 11
Jer 11-13; 2 Cor 12
Jer 14-16; Psalm 76; 2 Cor 13
Jer 17-20; James 1
Jer 22, 23, 26; Psalm 77; James 2
Jer 25, 35, 36, 45; Ps 133; James 3
Jer 27, 28, 29, 24; James 4
Jer 37, 21, 34; Psalm 79; James 5
Jer 30-33; 1 Pet 1
Jer 38, 39, 52; 1 Pet 2
2 Kin 24-25; 2 Chr 36; Ps 126; 1 Pet 3
Lamentations; Psalm 137; 1 Pet 4
Obadiah; Jer 40-42; Ps 147; 1 Pet 5
Jer 43, 44, 46; 2 Pet 1
Jer 47, 48, 49; Psalm 80; 2 Pet 2
Jer 50-51; 2 Pet 3
Ezekiel 1-3; John 1
Ezek 4-6; Psalm 82; John 2
Ezek 7-9; John 3
Ezek 10-12; Psalm 83; John 4
Ezek 13-15; Psalm 136; John 5
Ezekiel 16-18; John 6
Ezek 19-21; Psalm 84; John 7
Ezek 22-24; Psalm 134; John 8
Ezek 25-27; Psalm 85; John 9
Ezek 28-30; John 10
Ezek 31-33; John 11
Ezek 34-36; Psalm 86; John 12
Ezek 37-39; Psalm 87; John 13
Ezek 40-42; John 14
Ezek 43-45; Psalm 135; John 15
Ezek 46-48; John 16
Daniel 1-3; Psalm 88; John 17
Daniel 4-6; John 18
Daniel 7-9; Psalm 91; John 19
Daniel 10-12; John 20
Ezra 1-2; John 21
Ezra 3-4; Psalm 92; 1 John 1
Haggai; Zechariah 1; Ps 138; 1 John 2
Zech 2-5; Psalm 93; 1 John 3
Zech 6-8; 1 John 4
Zech 9-11; 1 John 5
Zech 12-14; Psalm 94; 2 John
Ezra 5-6; Psalm 95; 3 John
Esther 1-3; Psalm 139; Revelation 1
Esther 4-6; Rev 2
Esther 7-10; Rev 3
Ezra 7-10; Psalm 97; Rev 4
Nehemiah 1-3; Rev 5
Neh 4-6; Psalm 98; Rev 6
Neh 7-9; Psalm 140; Rev 7
Neh 10-13; Rev 8
Malachi; Psalm 2; Rev 9
Job 1-3; Psalm 29; Rev 10
Job 4-7; Psalm 99; Rev 11
Job 8-11; Rev 12
Job 12-14; Psalm 100; Rev 13
Job 15-17; Rev 14
Job 18-20; Psalm 141; Rev 15
Job 21-23; Psalm 101; Rev 16
Job 24-27; Rev 17
Job 28-30; Rev 18
Job 31-33; Psalm 102; Rev 19
Job 34-36; Rev 20
Job 37-39; Psalm 103; Rev 21
Job 40-42; Psalm 150; Rev 22