Read Through Your Bible In One Year with Your Spouse

When looking at a new year we see it as a fresh start.  What do we want to accomplish in the coming year?  What do we want to change from previous years and do differently in the coming year?

My husband and I don't sit down formally to review the past year and look to the next year but we both did have one desire to do together this year.  We wanted to read our bible together more this year.

Our pastor at our church was giving the challenge to read your bible everyday and to get through the entire bible within one year.  So we decided that this would be a good way to read the bible more together.

Ok I will be totally honest with you on this blog I have not officially ever read through the whole bible.  There I said it!  Now you again can compare your expectations to my actions and we are all feeling confident to take on the challenge of reading through the whole bible in one years time!

Getting back to it then, our pastor had a hand out that broke the bible up into a reading schedule for the entire year.  I have tried to do this before (reading through the bible in one year) and have not really liked the reading schedules that take you all over the bible so that you are reading the same amount everyday.  Those types of schedules tend to lose me.  I have a hard time following the content that I am reading when it is so broken up.  The schedule we received from our pastor is one that I am loving!  It is very simple and straight forward and reads through the bible how it is laid out.

To start the reading schedule, every day of the year you will read two chapters of the old testament starting in Genesis chapter one.  Along with the two chapters in the old testament, you also read every weekday a chapter in the poetry books (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon) starting in Psalms chapter one and a chapter in the new testament starting with Matthew chapter one.  That means on the weekends you only read the two chapters from the old testament which is nice because a lot of times it is Saturday and Sunday that throw off a good commitment with the busyness of life.  It looks like we will finish the old testament at the end of the year, the poetry books in the beginning of November and the new testament at the end of the year.

You will read more on some days then other days but on the shorter chapter days it won't take much time to read at all.  One other bonus now that I am looking at the schedule, Psalm 119 is broken into 22 days!  That is why I love this schedule, I can actually focus my attention on what I am reading when I don't have to read 176 verses in one sitting.

My husband and I started this reading schedule on January 1 and have not missed a day so far.  (Yes I know it is only the 9th, but it only takes two weeks to form a habit I have heard!)  I thought we would get up earlier and start our day with reading God's word.  We found for our family and work situation that we have clearer minds and can focus more together in the evenings before we go to bed.

I believe this is one of the best goals or challenges to take on for the new year.  To read your bible everyday or to read with your spouse everyday is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your marriage. 

If you have any questions how much you are suppose to read each day just send me an email.  (Sorry, I threw out the company information that was on the reading schedule.)  If you really are wanting the schedule for yourself I can find out from our church where they can be purchased.

Here's to happy reading and spiritual growth!!!