Bible reading tips and encouragement

Hello Everybody,

For those who are attempting to read their Bibles in one year let's be encouraged !!

To read 1189 chapters in one year you will need to read a little more than 3 chapters a day.

3 chapters per day = ONE year
6 chapters per day = Six months
12 chapters per day = Three months

If you are a monk, a hermit, a nun, a priest or have a lot of time for Spiritual pursuits then you could read 100 chapters per day and complete the Bible in about 12 days...but that's not for the faint of heart and probably not to be recommended to most people because we don't want to develop a distaste for the Bible.

If you have set out for a 3 chapter a day goal then I estimate that you are finishing or have finished Exodus. Those are exciting sections to read, so much going on. As you go into Leviticus do not despair of the reading. I know you are not a Hebrew priest and the Hebrew priests are the target audience here in this book. Just read it anyway and know that you will finish it in about 10 days at the 3 chpts. per day rate.

Also know that there will NOT be a test and for any "fuzziness" in comprehensive will be helped by the fact that right after Numbers Deuteronomy will repeat the data in Leviticus only this time the target audience is on the people, the laity, instead of the priests.

Once you get beyond Deut. and into Joshua you are back to what I call "story time" not that the accounts are fiction---no, no, no, they are factual but the reading is more story like as you go through the histories.

In case I get too busy to encourage you later or in case you have been more at a 6 month plan then allow me to say that you don't have to despair of I and II Kings and I and II Chronicles. I was dreading them this year ( I read the whole Bible most every year ) and as I got there I was thrilled---it was fantastic, so don't set yourself up with expectations either way and you'll be gliding through and understanding the Kings and the ways of the people including the punishments for turning away from God and turning toward idol worship.

It is well worth reading.

Any time you get a little "extra" time to read ahead of the 3 chapters a day plan -- DO IT.

Why?

Because some time in 2011 you will get sick or busy or some distraction will pop up and then you'll be glad you are a little bit ahead of schedule.

Another reason is that the size of the chapters varies A LOT. Some of the Psalms are tiny and some the chapters in the gospels are very long.

I pray for your Bible reading. I want you to be encouraged. I want you to know that YOU can do it and how happy YOU will be later this year when YOU finish.

I posted my log not to be discouraging -- no, no, no. Quite the opposite. I am average and am still raising children. I have to cook and clean and have many responsibilities. If I can read the whole Bible in 1 month then surely you can in 1 year. It is perfectly do-able and each and every year I hear from several people who had not yet read their Bibles and then they do. They are happy about it too. One of these happy people was an older man who had been a Christian leader for most of his life. He was extremely happy when he completed the entire Bible.

The Lord Jesus is the Word, the Living Word, amen?
We want to know Jesus, amen?
To know the Word of God (the Bible) is helpful to know the Word of God (Jesus).

Make sense?

One other good thing that comes from reading the whole Bible is how many cultural lies each of us has concerning the Lord God. Many Christians have a "Santa Claus" type of God that is made up. They have been influenced by everything other than the Bible and they find that when they read the WHOLE Bible that they get to know God, the real God Almighty ... not a false image they created from movies and songs and other people.

God speaks in the first person a lot in the Old Testament. You can get to know Him by what He has to say.

To get a good idea of this read Isaiah and highlight every time the Lord God is speaking. You will have a lot of highlighted sections after you finish the 66 chapters. Isaiah, if you didn't know, is sometimes called a Bible within the Bible.

I have so much more to say but I wanted to get this out before the big storm hits. Many of us will lose power so my hope and prayer is that this gets read and then you will be reading by candle light.

So many blessings await you...go in peace and be diligent to read and pray.

Finished the Whole Bible in one month

I finished the entire Bible on Friday.

I started January 1st and completed January 28th.

I kept a log because it helps me and for the very few who have a tendancy to not believe that the Bible can be read in one month. When you see the reading on a day by day basis you can see it's do-able.

I read at a normal reading pace, not speed reading. The New Testament I read as slowly as possible. I took notes, checked cross references, did some highlighting. I did not want to short change myself by speeding through it. I have read the entire New Testament within a week's time before so I had set aside the last week of January for that.

How do I feel now? Like I miss it. I can read any part, in any manner I want to...it's all wide open to me. My "read it all in month" was self imposed and I'm happy to have made it but I already do miss it.

The majority of the United States is about to have the worse snow storm of the season with 2 to 3 feet of snow and an ice storm too. This can be good news for Bible readers. Sitting by the fire with your Bible sipping a hot drink will be a good thing for quality time with the Lord.

Many blessings of Jesus to you and your Bible reading,
Clevsea

The Bible READing Log

1-28-11 -- Fri. I Tim 1-6, II Tim 1-4, Titus 1-3, Philemon 1, Hebrews 1-13, James 1-5, I Peter 1-5, II Peter 1-3, I & II & III John, Jude and Revelation

1-27-11 -- Thurs. Acts 19-28, Rom. 1-16, I Cor 1-16, II Cor 1-13, Gal 1-5, Eph
1-5, Phil 1-4, Col 1-3, I Thes 1-5, & II Thes 1-3

1-26-11 -- Wed. John 6-21, Acts 1-18

1-25-11 -- Tues. Luke 11-24, John 1-5

1-24-11 -- Mon. Matt 16 -28, Mark 1-16, Luke 1-10

1-23-11 -- Sun. Micah 4-7, Nahum 1-3, Hab 1-3, Zephaniah 1-3, Haggai 1-2, Zech
1-14, Malachi 1-4, Finished Old Testament--and Matt 1-15

1-22-11 -- Sat. Hos 1-14, Joel 1-3, Amos 1-9, Obadiah 1, Jonah 1-4, Micah 1-3

1-21-11 -- Fri. Ezekiel 20-48, Daniel 1-12

1-20-11 -- Thurs. Jer 40-52, Lam 1-5, Ezekiel 1-19

1-19-11 -- Wed. Jer 17-39

1-18-11 -- Tues. Isaiah 60-66, Jeremiah 1-16

1-17-11 -- Mon. Isaiah 47-59

1-16-11 -- Sun. Zero---nothing at all---see it does happen--: )

1-15-11 -- Sat. Ps 146-150, Prov 1-31, Ecc 1-12, Song of Sol 1-12, Isaiah 1-46

1-14-11 -- Fri. Ps 49-145

1-13-11 -- Thurs. Psalms 45-48

1-12-11 -- Wed -- Esther 1-10 & Job 1-42 & Ps 1-44

1-11-11 -- Tuesday -- Ezra 1-10 & Neh 1-13

1-10-11 -- Monday -- II Kings 1-25 & I Chron 1-29 & II Chron 1-36

1-9-11 -- Sunday -- II Sam 23-24 & 1 Kings 1-22

1-8-11 -- Saturday -- I Sam 26-31 II Sam 1-22

1-7-11 -- Friday -- Finished Judges & Ruth & I Sam 1-25

1-6-11 -- Thursday -- Joshua 1 thru 24, Judges 1 thru 21

1-5-11 -- Wed -- Deut 1 thru 34

1-4-11 -- Tuesday -- Lev 14 to Lev 27, Numbers 1 thru 36

1-3-11 -- Monday -- Gen 23 thru Gen 50 & all of Exodus & Lev 1 thru 13

1-2-11 -- Sunday -- Gen 20 thru 22

1-1-11 -- Saturday the 1st -- Gen 1 thru Gen 20

Bible Reading Log

I read the entire Old Testament from Jan. 1st to Jan. 23rd.

I finished the Old Testament yesterday and hopefully that leaves me with enough time to read all of the New Testament before the 31st of January comes to an end. This is my "self-imposed" read through the whole Bible in one month plan. I do hope I manage to complete my goal. Below is my reading log which is intended to inspire others to know that they *can* read the Bible in one year, or one month whichever it is *you* *can* *do* *it* and don't think that you cannot. Much love, Clevsea __ : )

1-24-11 -- Mon. Matt 16 to------------------don't know yet : )

1-23-11 -- Sun. Micah 4-7, Nahum 1-3, Hab 1-3, Zephaniah 1-3, Haggai 1-2, Zech 1-14, Malachi 1-4, Finished Old Testament--and Matt 1-15

1-22-11 -- Sat. Hos 1-14, Joel 1-3, Amos 1-9, Obadiah 1, Jonah 1-4, Micah 1-3

1-21-11 -- Fri. Ezekiel 20-48, Daniel 1-12

1-20-11 -- Thurs. Jer 40-52, Lam 1-5, Ezekiel 1-19

1-19-11 -- Wed. Jer 17-39

1-18-11 -- Tues. Isaiah 60-66, Jeremiah 1-16

1-17-11 -- Mon. Isaiah 47-59

1-16-11 -- Sun. Zero---nothing at all---see it does happen--: )

1-15-11 -- Sat. Ps 146-150, Prov 1-31, Ecc 1-12, Song of Sol 1-12, Isaiah 1-46

1-14-11 -- Fri. Ps 49-145

1-13-11 -- Thurs. Psalms 45-48

1-12-11 -- Wed -- Esther 1-10 & Job 1-42 & Ps 1-44

1-11-11 -- Tuesday -- Ezra 1-10 & Neh 1-13

1-10-11 -- Monday -- II Kings 1-25 & I Chron 1-29 & II Chron 1-36

1-9-11 -- Sunday -- II Sam 23-24 & 1 Kings 1-22

1-8-11 -- Saturday -- I Sam 26-31 II Sam 1-22

1-7-11 -- Friday -- Finished Judges & Ruth & I Sam 1-25

1-6-11 -- Thursday -- Joshua 1 thru 24, Judges 1 thru 21

1-5-11 -- Wed -- Deut 1 thru 34

1-4-11 -- Tuesday -- Lev 14 to Lev 27, Numbers 1 thru 36

1-3-11 -- Monday -- Gen 23 thru Gen 50 & all of Exodus & Lev 1 thru 13

1-2-11 -- Sunday -- Gen 20 thru 22

1-1-11 -- Saturday the 1st -- Gen 1 thru Gen 20



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Bible Reading Log 2011

I'm in Ezra today on this 11th day of January.

I really enjoyed I and II Kings and I and II Chron. far more than usual this year. Sometimes I feel a little bogged down in those books and I was ready for a bit of a fight with myself -- however, it was not one bit a drain on me. I loved it and it was GREAT.

Each year when I get to Ezra I feel like I've climbed the mountain and now I'm on the easy side on my way down to the gentle pasture of Psalms. After Psalms it's all so easy to read and all the while you know that the New Testament is there waiting to be the cherry on top. What a reward for a job well done. And spiritually it is very rewarding to read the New Testament directly following a read-through of the Old.

I had thought about blogging my daily reading log on a daily basis but I lacked the time to check in here daily so a 10 day log report will have to suffice.

My reading plan this year includes reading all of the entire Bible during January.

One recent year I read the whole Bible in 5 weeks. I had stopped during January to read a Christian non-fiction book which took me a week to read. When I returned to the Bible and finished it during the first week of February I realised that I could have completed in one month had I not read that book.

At least one person did not believe me so I thought that I would share my daily reading log and perhaps my daily reading will look more believable. It ought to be believed because it's true.



1-10-11 -- Monday II Kings 1-25 & I Chron 1-29 & II Chron 1-36

1-9-11 -- Sunday -- II Sam 23-24 & I Kings 1-22

1-8-11 -- Saturday -- I Sam 26-31 II Sam 1-22

1-7-11 -- Friday -- Finished Judges & Ruth & I Sam 1-25

1-6-11 -- Thursday the 6th -- Joshua 1 thru 24, Judges 1 thru 21

1-5-11 -- Wed. the 5th -- Deut 1 thru 34

1-4-11 -- Tuesday the 4th -- Lev 14 to Lev 27, Numbers 1 thru 36

1-3-11 -- Monday the 3rd -- Gen 23 thru Gen 50 & all of Exodus & Lev 1 thru 13

1-2-11 -- Sunday the 2nd -- Gen 20 thru 22

1-1-11 -- Saturday the 1st -- Gen 1 thru Gen 20

Bible Reading Tips

It is still very early in the year and there is plenty of time to read through the Bible.

Remember this to help you make a plan:

Read 3 chapters a day to get through in ONE year

Read 6 chpts a day for a 6 month read

Read 12 chpts a day for a 3 month read

Read 24 chpts a day for a 6 week plan

and if you read 50 chpts per day you'll finish in 24 days.

About now you may be thinking..."50 chapters a day!!??!!"

That is the lenght of Genesis. Do you think you could read Genesis daily for 24 days? If you think that is possible and still live your life then you've just discovered the truth that it's possible to read the whole Bible in 24 days. Yesterday I read 90 chapters because I was not feeling well.

Many times Genesis reads very comfortably over the course of 2 day's time. That would translate into reading the entire Bible in less than 2 months without much of a strain.

Don't underestimate your ability to read through the Bible. You've read magazines, text books, novels and made it through.

It's not so much the speed at which you read, in fact I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about setting aside the TIME needed to read for 1 hour a day, give or take. It's amazing what you can do if you'll turn off the television and set aside the novels.

What can motivate you?

Your desire to read the whole Bible
or
Keeping a Bible reading log or diary

What can help you?

Keeping a Bible with you
Reading it while waiting for people
Reading it standing up at the kitchen counter
Prayer

There are many ONE year reading plans and even Bibles designed for getting through the Bible in a year. So many Christians tell me they have never read the entire Bible and yet so many set off to do just that every January.

You can do it, I know you can.

Set a goal, turn off the TV, figure out when you are awake enough to read and start.