Every December the same question shows up in church groups and Facebook threads: “What Bible reading plan are you doing this year?” And every year there’s a long list of answers. Chronological, M’Cheyne, five-day plans, apps, podcasts, a different plan from every person who replies.
Here’s what took us an embarrassingly long time to learn. Almost any plan will get you through the Bible. The question that matters is which plan you’ll still be reading on a gray Tuesday in late February, when the excitement of January has worn off and you’re somewhere in the middle of Leviticus.
So instead of ranking plans, here are three questions that will tell you which kind of plan fits you. Answer them honestly and the choice gets a lot easier.
Get our free printable 2027 plan →
Question 1: Have You Tried Before and Stopped?
If this is your first time reading the whole Bible, a straight read from Genesis to Revelation is a beautiful way to do it. You see the whole story in the order it was put together, and there’s a real sense of arrival when you get to the end.
If you’ve started before and stalled, though, it’s worth asking where you stalled. For most people it’s the same place: the long stretch of law and census in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. On a straight-through plan, that section lands right around the time New Year’s motivation runs out.
That doesn’t mean you should skip it. It means you might want a plan that doesn’t make you face it alone. A plan that pairs the Old Testament with a daily chapter of the New gives you something to hold onto on those days. You read two chapters of Leviticus, then a chapter of Mark, and the day still ends with Jesus.
Question 2: Do You Like Variety or Depth?
Some people love moving between books every day. It keeps their attention, and the mix of old and new helps them see how the two connect.
Other people find that jumpy. They’d rather stay in one book long enough to get into its rhythm, then move on.
Neither is more spiritual. It’s just how your mind works. If you like variety, a daily Old and New Testament mix suits you. If you like depth, read straight through or try alternating whole weeks between the testaments.
Question 3: What Does Your Day Actually Look Like?
Be realistic here, not hopeful. If mornings are chaos, a plan that needs 40 quiet minutes before 7 a.m. is a plan you’ll quit. Most one-year plans run about three or four chapters a day, which is usually 15 to 20 minutes. That fits in a lunch break, the car-pickup line, or right before bed.
Also think about the weeks you know will be hard: travel, a new baby, a busy season at work. Pick a plan with a built-in way to catch up, or decide now which day of the week is your catch-up day. We wrote a whole post for busy moms on fitting reading into a full day, and most of it applies to anyone with a packed schedule.
Three Plans, Matched to the Answers
We make three one-year plans, and they line up with those questions.
Bible in Order is for the first-time reader, or anyone who wants the whole story start to finish. Genesis 1 on day one, Revelation 22 on day 365, about three or four chapters a day.
Daily OT + NT Mix is for anyone who has stalled before, or who likes variety. Each day pairs a couple of Old Testament chapters with one chapter of the New Testament. Day one is Genesis 1 and 2 with Matthew 1.
Alternating Weeks is for the reader who likes depth. You spend one week in the Old Testament and the next in the New, back and forth all year. Expect the Old Testament weeks to run longer (five or six chapters a day) and the New Testament weeks shorter (one or two).
All three are on a printable checklist with a box for every day, and you can have all three free. Try one for a week. If it doesn’t fit, switch. Nobody is grading you.
For a deeper side-by-side, see our comparison of all three Bible-in-a-year plans, or start with the big-picture guide on how to read the Bible in a year.
A Word About Starting
You don’t have to start on January 1st. Our plans are numbered by day, not by date, so day one is whenever you begin. If you’re reading this in the middle of December, you could start this week and be a few days ahead when the new year comes. If you find this in March, start in March.
Pick one tonight, print it, and leave it inside your Bible for the morning.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Bible reading plan for 2027?
The best plan is the one that fits how you read and how your days actually go. If you’ve quit before, our Daily OT + NT Mix is the most forgiving. If it’s your first time through, Bible in Order is a great choice.
How many chapters a day do I need to read the Bible in a year?
The Bible has 1,189 chapters, so it works out to about three or four chapters a day, roughly 15 to 20 minutes.
Is a chronological plan better than reading in order?
Neither is better. A chronological plan rearranges books into the order events happened. Reading in order follows the Bible as it’s arranged. Our plans don’t follow a chronological order; we offer Bible in Order, Daily OT + NT Mix, and Alternating Weeks.
Do I need a special Bible?
No. A printed checklist works with any Bible you own. If you’d like the full text, notes, and questions all on one page, our guided journals use the Berean Standard Bible.