Five Bible-Reading Ideas for the New Year

Many Christians participate in a plan where they read through the whole Bible in a year. I’ve done this most years, and it’s a blessing! However, if you’ve done a “whole Bible in a year” challenge several times and are looking for new ways to study Scripture, there are lots of good Bible reading strategies.

1. Read along with your church’s sermon series. If your church preaches through a book of the Bible, try reading the passage that will be the next week’s sermon and really delving deep into that specific part of God’s Word. You will hear the sermon differently if you come to it with your own questions and thoughts about the passage, and it can be a really great way to engage with the sermon! You can optionally pick a good Bible commentary of the book to help your understanding—your pastor should be able to point you to a good, accessible commentary on the book that will be in line with your church’s teaching.
2. Study with a group. If you aren’t in the habit of attending Bible studies, it can be great to study with a group of other believers. I’ve been particularly blessed in Bible study groups that incorporate people of all ages. People bring a vast range of life experiences to their reading of Scripture, and the discussion includes people’s experiences of God’s faithfulness and how Scripture has applied to their lives, as well as questions from very new believers.
3. Study with your family! If you haven’t participated in family devotions, it can be a great way to disciple your children. Start in a book of the Bible with a lot of interesting accounts (like Genesis or the Gospels!) that also teach about God’s nature and love for us. Even if you don’t have kids in the house, studying with your spouse can deepen your relationship with God together.
4. Deepen your prayer life with Scripture. Our prayer life is something that can always be better—I don’t know anyone who feels as though they’ve “arrived” in this area of their spiritual life. Try applying the truths in your daily Scripture reading to your prayer time. How can the truths you’re learning in Scripture help you trust God more in your day-to-day life?
5. Focus on practicing biblical teachings. If you’ve been reading for years but never engaged with evangelism, charity, or other things that are clearly taught in Scripture, spending time in those disciplines can affect how you see those biblical passages. There are lots of Bible reading plans that take you through the Bible’s teachings on a particular topic, and going through one of those plans while you’re, for instance, taking an evangelism course through your church can deepen your knowledge on that specific topic and prepare you for practicing that part of your faith! It can be intimidating at first, but we are meant to practice our faith, not just read about it, and our study of Scripture can be deepened by our practical experiences and our faith strengthened when we see God’s faithfulness in response to our obedience.

These are just a few ideas, and there are lots of great ways to study Scripture. Just remember to keep God’s Word as the authority and seek to know Christ better through the Scriptures.