5 Steps to Create your Bible Reading Plan
One of the biggest hurdles in Quiet Time is knowing what to read. You sit down with your Bible, ready to meet with the Lord… and suddenly every page feels like too many choices. It doesn’t have to be so hard. Let’s look at 5 steps to choosing your Scripture Reading.
Do you start a new book? Pick a Psalm? Go back to something familiar?
Please note that we are simply talking about reading your Bible, not Bible Study. Bible Study is another topic for a post for another day.
So let’s talk about just reading your Bible. Spending time in God’s Word without a study plan. Just reading and listening.
It is helpful to have a plan for reading your Bible. There are a lot of Bible Reading plans out there. You can find them online for reading through the Bible in one year, or verses for a month on a specific topic, or reading a book of the Bible each month.
The choice is yours. You can choose what to read that does not include pressure, or guilt, or overthinking.
Personally, I love the Faith Notes plan for reading the Bible through. I have been using it for about 9 months now and have only missed a few days. It makes my reading easy. I always know where I am going to start reading. You can find the actual Faith Notes book with instructions here.
My Quiet Time Bible Reading routine includes giving each chapter a title and using a separate notebook to write out verses that speak to my heart during the reading.
Although my Bible Reading time is not my Bible Study, sometimes I identify verses or topics I would like to study in the future during this reading time.
5 Steps to Help you Create your Bible Reading Plan
1. Start with a Book, Not a Verse
Choosing a whole book of the Bible gives you a steady path. It removes the “What should I read today” daily stress.
Some great places to start:
- John — if you want to see Jesus clearly
- Psalms — if your heart feels tender, tired, or overwhelmed
- Proverbs — if you need wisdom for daily life
- James — if you want practical, straightforward encouragement
- Philippians — if you need joy and perspective
Pick one book and read a small portion each day.
2. Let Your Season Guide You
Ask yourself: “What do I need from the Lord right now?”
- Feeling anxious → read passages about God’s peace
- Feeling weary → read Scriptures about rest and strength
- Feeling directionless → read stories of God’s guidance
- Feeling grateful → read Psalms of praise
God’s Word can meet you right where you are.
Just type the need and ask for Bible Verses in an online search. Pinterest is a great place to find focused lists of Bible Verses to read. Oftentimes they have verses for a month. You may find it helpful to read the whole chapter of the referenced verse, not just the verse.
3. Follow a Simple Bible Reading Plan
A plan doesn’t have to be fancy.
It can be as simple as:
- One chapter a day
- One Psalm + one Gospel chapter
- A themed plan (peace, prayer, hope, gratitude)
A plan gives you a starting point each day. Just plan ahead so you are deciding when you sit down for your daily Quiet Time.
4. Revisit What God Has Already Highlighted
Sometimes the best place to read is the place God keeps bringing back to your mind. Perhaps it is Scripture from a message at church, or the chapter of a reference to a verse you saw online, or even a Scripture reference someone mentioned in a conversation.
Often, that’s the Holy Spirit nudging you.
5. Ask God to Lead You
I don’t suggest this for each time you have your Quiet Time, but as you are making your Bible Reading Plan for your Quiet Times for the week or the month -whatever time you are planning for ask the Lord to show you what He wants you to read. Our Heavenly Father delights in guiding you.
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