2026 Bible Reading Plan

Many years ago I was encouraged to read the Bible through once every year. This is how you get to know the big picture story of the Bible - by reading it. If you read it once, you may get an idea of what is in the Book, but if you read it twice, or five times, or ten times, or 30 times, then the Bible starts to become a familiar friend, a source of wisdom and inspiration.

It is a great idea that many followers of Jesus aspire to do, yet often we struggle (days get missed, or busy, or we just forget). Once you get behind in your "plan" it can feel difficult to catch up. Too often we give up, thinking it is too hard.

Then I was shown a different way. What if we change the way we look at this? What if this could be a guide that helps us listen to God, not just a book to read? What if we see the Bible not as a book to be studied, but as a message to be heard? How about reading to listen?

The goal now is not to read every word, but to read to hear, to read to listen.

A daily reading guide can help by giving you passages in the Bible that are allocated to each day - telling you where to look for today. If you missed yesterday, you just read the passages allocated to today. The goal has changed - it is about letting God speak.

The point of reading is to listen: what is God saying, communicating through this passage? Is there something that stands out (being highlighted by the Holy Spirit), or is relevant to my situation today? Take note, ask God to help you understand what He is saying and what it means for your life today. Let God's Word speak to your heart. Here is God's wisdom for today, for your life.

It is helpful to have a notebook where you can write down your thoughts and reflections - something you can look back on and see how you have been learning and growing in your faith and relationship with God.

Here is a plan that gives you Bible readings for each day of the year. We will be recommending and using this for the next year.

If you would like to explore this way of reading the Bible further, I recommend the book The Divine Mentor by Wayne Cordeiro.

Don't have a Bible? You can read online, or via the Bible app (YouVersion).