How to Read the Bible in a Year (and Actually Finish)

Reading the whole Bible in a year is one of the most rewarding spiritual disciplines. You see the grand story from creation to new creation, you meet passages you have never noticed, and you let God's Word shape your thinking day after day. It takes about 15 minutes a day — roughly 85 verses. And yet many people quit somewhere in Leviticus. Here is how to finish.

1. Choose the right plan

Not every plan fits every person:

• Bible in a Year — Genesis to Revelation in order. Simple and straightforward.
• Chronological — events in historical order. Great if you have read the Bible before.
• Old & New Testament daily — one reading from each testament every day, so you are never far from the Gospels.

If a year feels like too much, start with the New Testament in a year or the Gospels in 30 days. A finished smaller plan builds more faith than an abandoned big one.

2. Anchor it to a time and place

Habits stick when they attach to an existing routine: with your morning coffee, on your lunch break, before bed. Decide when and where before you begin. Keep your Bible and plan in that place.

3. Know what to do in the hard books

Leviticus, Numbers' census lists, Chronicles' genealogies and some prophets can feel slow. Some tips:

• Read the book introduction first. Every book page here has an overview and chapter summaries.
• Look for Christ. The sacrifices of Leviticus point to the cross (Hebrews 10:1–14).
• Use a commentary for a few minutes. Matthew Henry's concise notes are on every chapter page.
• Keep moving. You don't have to understand everything this year. You'll read it again.

4. Don't restart — catch up or skip ahead

Missed a week? Do not go back to January. Read today's reading and, if you want, catch up a little on weekends. A missed day is not a failure; quitting is the only way to fail.

"His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." — Lamentations 3:22–23

5. Track your progress

Checking off each day is surprisingly motivating. Use the progress tracker on our plan pages (it saves on your device) or print the Bible in a Year checklist.

6. Read with someone

Invite a friend, spouse or small group to read the same plan. Text each other one verse that stood out. Accountability and conversation keep you going.

7. Respond, don't just read

Reading the Bible is not a box to tick — it is meeting God. Each day, ask one question: What does this show me about God, and how should I respond? Write one sentence. Once a week, try a deeper SOAP study on a verse that stood out.

8. Listen when you can't read

On busy days, listen to the day's reading while commuting or walking. Hearing Scripture is how most believers in history received it (Romans 10:17).

Why it's worth it

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." — Psalm 119:105

By December you will have read every word God gave his people — the law and the prophets, the psalms and the Gospels, the letters and the Revelation. You'll be different. Not because you finished a plan, but because you spent a year listening to God.