The Bible is an incredible tool that God gave us. It is used to help us understand life and live well as Christians. Reading the whole Bible is a great idea, but to commit a whole year to it is a pretty big commitment. That is why many people choose to read the Bible in a month.
The Bible is a huge book that covers centuries. It is full of great narrative stories and powerful teachings for our lives. Committing a month to consume the Bible is a great decision that has plenty of benefits.
In this article, we will discuss the challenges, benefits, and some tips to help you read the Bible in a month.
The Challenge of Reading the Entire Bible in a Month
The Bible is a great resource for Christians, but reading the entire book in a month can be a daunting task. It comprises 66 different books and 1,189 chapters. That breaks down to a ton of reading every single day.
Here are some challenges that you will probably face along the way. I share these challenges to help you understand the things you can expect. If you don’t have realistic expectations, you might not make it through the challenge.
You’ll Face a Number of Chapters Each Day
One major challenge is the number of chapters you will be reading each day. On certain days, you’ll even have to read multiple books of the Bible.
When it comes to volume, it is a lot of reading. Combine that with the difficulty of the reading, it won’t be an easy task. The multitude of chapters you will have to read in one day will be immense.
There Will Be Difficult Passages
Another challenge that you might face, when reading the Bible in a month is the difficulty of some sections. Not only will you be reading a lot of chapters, you might have to read some difficult chapters.
For example in the Old Testament readings, the content can be difficult to consume. Old Testament history is full of rules and regulations that God gave to the Israelites. Those rules are not always fun to read.
While reading the Bible in a month, you will come across difficult sections, but keep pressing on. It’s worth it!
I am currently doing a year Bible reading plan, and I am in the book of Numbers. Numbers is not what I would call “a pleasure read” but it is good. It reveals truth about faith and God.
It Will Take A Long Time Each Day
Not only will you face long chapters, difficult sections, and different books, you’ll also face a time crunch. There are only 24 hours in a day, and these readings might take you 2-3 hours to do, depending on your reading speed.
As you read the Bible in a month, it will take over 90 hours worth of commitment. Everyone is busy too. You’ll have this challenge on top of everything else you do, and that creates for a busy schedule.
However, if you do take the time, I believe God honors our time. He will help you to find time and do this if you commit to it.
Benefits of Reading the Whole Bible in a Month
Now that we’ve looked at the challenges we’ll face on this journey, let’s look at the benefits of reading the whole book. Reading the Bible in a month helps you to get the big picture of scripture, will help you feel accomplished, and will help you in your personal growth.
You’ll Get the Big Picture of Scripture
One major benefit of reading the Bible in a month is that you will get the big idea of scripture. Although God’s word is full of deep meaning, waiting to be uncovered, it is also beautifully connected.
When you read the Bible in a month, you get the chance to see scripture holistically. You can understand the themes better. It will help you to realize how different stories fit into the narrative of scripture.
Understanding the totality of the Bible will help you to understand God better. His character will be revealed to you while you read.
You’ll Feel Accomplished at the End of the Month
Another benefit is the you will feel accomplished at the end of the month. Just like an athlete completing an ironman race, you’ll feel the weight of your accomplishment.
For the reasons stated above, reading the Bible in a month is not easy, but it is a big deal. Once you finish this challenge, you’ll be able to confidently say you’ve accomplished a challenging feat.
It Will Help You in Your Spiritual Growth
One of the most important benefits of reading the Bible in a month is that it boosts your spiritual growth. As mentioned before, you’ll understand the Biblical narrative and God’s character more. That will lead to spiritual growth.
Beyond that, statistics prove that spiritual growth is improved through reading the Bible. Specifically, when we read the Bible 4 or more times per week, our spiritual life drastically increases.
The health of our soul is improved, because we’re going to God for guidance. This type of daily Bible reading might make it difficult to apply the content we’re consuming, but it will still help us grow spiritually.
It Will Help You in Your Personal Growth
Another great benefit of this type of Bible reading is that it can help personal growth. Outside of the realm of our spiritual health is our person health.
The Bible is not just good for us spiritually, it is also good in the area of wisdom and discipline. By putting the discipline of reading everyday, we are improving our personal value.
The Bible can reveal to us ways we can live more effectively. God is the creator of everything, so he knows how things work. Therefore, he can help us to make choice that are beneficial for our lives.
The Bible can help you improve personally, relationally, and professionally.
It Is Not As Much Time As The Year Plan
The final benefit of this plan is that it is not as long of a commitment as the year plan. Many people like to read the Bible in a year. It is a good plan, but it is 365 days worth of commitment. Whereas, reading the Bible in a month is only a 30 day commitment.
Truth be told, the 30 day plan is more taxing day to day, it does not take as many days to complete. That is a plus.
That frees us the other 335 days to intentionally study scripture in depth.
Tips for How To Read the Bible in a Month
So now that we’ve covered the difficulties and benefits of this form of reading, I want to give you some tips to help you accomplish this large tasks.
Here are some ideas about how to go about your daily reading to maximize your chances of completing the challenge.
Read the Bible in Chronological Order
There are a few different ways to read the Bible. One prominent way to read the Bible is chronologically. This is more of a traditional plan, and might look like this:
Day 1: Genesis 1 – Genesis 33
Day 2: Genesis 34 – Exodus 22
Day 3: Exodus 23 – Leviticus 23
Day 4: Leviticus 24 – Numbers 32
Day 5: Numbers 33 – Deuteronomy 34
Day 6: Joshua 1 – Judges 15
Day 7: Judges 16 – 1 Samuel 24
Day 8: 1 Samuel 25 – 1 Kings 3
Day 9: 1 Kings 4 – 2 Kings 12
Day 10: 2 Kings 13 – 1 Chronicles 26
Day 11: 1 Chronicles 27 – Ezra 3
Day 12: Ezra 4 – Job 10
Day 13: Job 11 – Psalm 32
Day 14: Psalm 33 – Psalm 106
Day 15: Psalm 107 – Proverbs 21
Day 16: Provers 22 – Isaiah 16
Day 17: Isaiah 17 – Isaiah 61
Day 18: Isaiah 62 – Jeremiah 32
Day 19: Jeremiah 33 – Ezekiel 13
Day 20: Ezekiel 14 – Daniel 3
Day 21: Daniel 4 – Obadiah 21
Day 22: Jonah 1 – Malachi 4
Day 23: Matthew 1 – Matthew 28
Day 24: Mark 1 – Luke 7
Day 25: Luke 8 – John 10
Day 26: John 11 – Acts 16
Day 27: Acts 17 – 1 Corinthians 8
Day 28: 1 Corinthians 9 – Colossians 4
Day 29: 1 Thessalonians 1 – James 5
Day 30: 1 Peter 1 – Revelation 22
Reading the bible chronologically can help you to see the full narrative of scripture. It is a tried and true way to go about reading scripture.
Read with Topical Bible Reading Plans
Another popular choice as a way to read the Bible in a month is to read through different genres. There are many different genres in scripture. By grouping scriptures together, you can feel a boost of confidence once you finish different sections.
Here is a list of the different genres and the books in each genre:
Historical narrative/epic
- Joshua
- Judges
- Ruth
- 1 and 2 Samuel
- 1 and 2 Kings
- 1 and 2 Chronicles
- Ezra
- Nehemiah
- Esther
- Genesis
- the first half of Exodus,
- Numbers
- Jonah
- possibly Acts
The Law
- the last half of Exodus
- Leviticus
- Deuteronomy
Wisdom literature:
- Job
- Proverbs
- Ecclesiastes
Psalms
- Psalms
- Song of Solomon
- Lamentations
Prophecy:
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Ezekiel
- Daniel
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos,
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai,
- Zechariah
- Malachi
Apocalyptic literature:
- Daniel
- Revelation
Gospel:
- Matthew
- Mark
- Luke
- John
Acts of the Apostles:
- Book of Acts
Epistle (letter):
- Romans,
- 1 and 2 Corinthians,
- Galatians
- Ephesians
- Philippians
- Colossians
- 1 and 2 Thessalonians
- 1 and 2 Timothy
- Titus
- Philemon
- Hebrews
- James
- 1 and 2 Peter
- 1, 2, and 3 John
- Jude
Doing it this way can help you to see the themes of each genre. It is an organized way to understand scripture thematically.
Read the Bible with a Bible Study Group
Another great tip is to do this challenge in a group. As you study the book of the Bible, it is helpful to have other people doing it with you.
When you get discouraged, your group can help you. The Bible talks about the importance of community, and this is one way to put it into practice.
Plus, you can share thoughts on the reading together. It will help you process the content better and apply it to your life.
Listen instead of Reading
One thing I have found helpful in my Bible-reading journey is listening rather than reading. Although it might feel like cheating at times, listening is a great way to consume scripture.
The Bible App has narrators for many major translations of the Bible. You can listen to the Bible on your car ride to work or while you’re doing chores.
Before the Bible was printed, most people consumed the Bible through church services. Listen to the audio of the Bible is similar in benefit.
Have Realistic Expectations About the Amount of Time Per Day It’ll Take
As you read on a daily basis, it is helpful to have expectations. They might not be fun to set, but if you recognize that it will be 2-3 hours of reading per day, you will feel more confident about your reading.
Lean on the Holy Spirit When You are Having a Hard Time
To read the Bible in a month is difficult work. Make sure you lean on the Holy Spirit to help you.
You might be tired of reading, but if you lean on the Holy Spirit, He can give you the strength to keep going.
Use Nathan Finochio’s Youversion Bible App Reading Plan
There is a Bible reading plan on the Youversion Bible app that can help. It has the reading plan laid out, and makes it satisfying to check off as your read.
Nathan Finochio has made this plan popular. He is a teaching pastor, who even teaches at TheosU. Following along this way is satisfying and easy.
At the End of the Month Study Books in More Detail
Once you complete the challenge, I encourage you to study each book more intently. There are many valuable resources that can help you understand the Bible.
YouTube accounts like the Bible Project can help you to uncover the meaning of the things that you read in this challenge.
Try To Get As Much Reading Done as You Can Before Work
The second to last tip is to get your reading in before work. Although you might have to wake up early, your success is more likely if you spend an hour before work reading.
You might not be a morning person, but this challenge can help you to put that discipline in your life. Once you finish your hour in the morning, you’re already ⅓ the way done for the day.
It will give you a confidence boost, and the headstart you need to accomplish the day.
Adjust Your Amount of Reading To Your Schedule
The final tip is to adjust the amount you read to your schedule. If you have an extra hour one day, get an extra chapter in. Each day of the month will be different, so if you have extra time one day, you might not the next.
Depending on the day of the week, you might have different obligations. Try to plan around your obligations by anticipating which days you’ll have more time to read.
Final Thoughts
I’m proud that you are making the decision to take the challenge to read the Bible in a month. It will be challenging, but with these tips and the Holy Spirit you can do it.
It might be hard, but it will help in so many areas of your life!
