Reading the Bible is a part of growing in maturity as a believer. But sometimes, it is overwhelming deciding where to start. We might commit to reading the Bible cover to cover, but by the time we get to Leviticus, we lose steam. Or maybe we have been reading the New Testament for many years and realize that we have been neglecting the Old Testament entirely. Different stages of life certainly call for different Bible-reading methods and different Bible-reading plans. Here are seven popular options for getting into the Word:
1. The Chronological Plan:
Studying the Bible chronologically entails reading the entire Bible in its historical chronological order. There is the option to read Old Testament and New Testament passages every day, walking through their respective chronologies simultaneously. And there is also the option of reading the entire Bible chronologically from cover to cover. Both options allow you to get exposure to the biblical stories in their historical contexts. And both options have you read through the entire Bible by the end of the plan.
2. The Topical Plan: 
A topical Bible-reading plan allows you to focus your reading on a particular topic or theme. This could be topics like mercy, suffering, or joy. In general, there are two ways this kind of reading plan works. First, there is the option of choosing a theme and reading the main passages that address this theme. This method gives you the highlights of a particular idea in Scripture and helps you develop a better understanding of the theme overall.
A second method for topical reading is to choose a particular theme and look for that theme as you read through the entire Bible. You may start in Genesis and go through Revelation, or you may use this in conjunction with another plan. The goal is to read through every verse of the Bible with that theme in mind. Some people like to highlight or underline all the verses they find that have to do with the topic. And by the end of the study, you should have a fairly comprehensive view of what Scripture says about that topic.
3. The Read-Through-the-Bible-in-a-Year Plan: 
This type of plan guides you through reading the entire Bible within a year. It divides the Bible into 365 relatively equal portions that, if read daily, permit you to read every verse of Scripture in the course of a year. This type of plan typically has you read from a variety of different books every day. For example, one day, you might read a passage from the history section, a passage from the writings section, and a passage from the New Testament. 
This type of plan is a bit more of a time commitment every day because it covers so much text. You might expect your daily reading to take between 20 to 30 minutes to complete. It is good for those who want exposure to the whole Bible and for those who want to keep the entirety of Scripture close to the forefront of their minds. But it is not conducive to deep study.
4. The Psalms and Proverbs Plan: 
A Bible-reading plan of the Psalms and Proverbs divides the Books of Psalms and Proverbs into relatively equal portions to fit within a specific time that you decide. Your goal may be to read through all of the Psalms and Proverbs in a month or year, for example. This plan is often used alongside a spiritual discipline of praying the Scripture. As you read the daily portion of Scripture, you look for the main themes in the text. Then, you imitate the prayers of the biblical authors as you pray through those same themes in your own life.
5. The Deep Study of One Book at a Time: 
With this Bible-reading plan, you choose a book of the Bible and work your way slowly through that entire book. You may choose to divide the book into sections that span a week, a month, or a few months. Or you may choose to simply read a little at a time every day and go at your own pace. The purpose of this plan is to give you the opportunity to focus on the details of the text and meditate on small portions of Scripture in a deep way.
6. The Bible Highlights Plan: 
A Bible highlights reading plan is a plan that compiles the main Bible stories and passages that are essential for the Christian faith. These often look like abbreviated versions of a chronological Bible-reading plan. The F260 reading plan on the Youversion Bible app, for example, starts in Genesis and has 260 days of the most important Bible stories laid out in chronological order.
7. The Audible Plan:
An audible plan is more of a Bible-listening plan than a Bible-reading plan, but it is no less valuable. An audible plan traditionally follows one of the same kinds of plans as the Bible-reading plans mentioned above, but it is read aloud to you instead of you having to read it. This kind of plan works great for those who learn better by listening, for those who cannot read, and for those who have a long commute. 
And while we should try to prioritize and dedicate a specific time to studying the Word, this method allows us to listen to God’s Word while also doing other things. Listening to the Word is ideal for late-night feeding sessions with a baby or long hours spent taking care of the yard work. We should never get to the point where we ignore the Bible entirely because we are too busy or don’t have time. With so many plans to choose from, there is certainly one that fits our needs in the stage of life in which we find ourselves.
Reading the Bible doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With so many plans to choose from, we have the privilege of staying in God’s Word and reveling in His truth in a way that provides accountability and growth. Choose which plan works best for you, and dive into Scripture today!