You know that feeling, don’t you?
It’s February now, and that Bible reading plan you downloaded on January 1st? You’re already seventeen days behind. The guilt sits heavily in your chest whenever you see your consistent Bible reading reminder.
Maybe you’re new to faith, and you have been told alot about Bible reading plans for beginners, but nobody’s really told you why it matters beyond the standard “it’s good for you” line.
Or maybe you’ve been a Christian for years, and 2025 slipped through your fingers with more excuses than encounters with Scripture.
Either way, you’re here because something in you knows there’s more.
This isn’t another guilt trip about what you are doing wrong. Far from it. In this article, we delve into pertinent reasons consistent Bible reading should be part of your annual planning.
We hope that this will serve as positive reinforcement to develop a consistent Bible reading routine this year and, hence, experience God’s fullness like never before.
Let’s give it a go.
Spiritual goal setting: Why you need to plan to read the Bible more this year
Annual planning for Christians is incomplete without Bible reading goals. How else is a believer to grow in the faith (1 Peter 2:2-3)?
Spiritual growth through Scripture makes daily Bible reading one of the most important spiritual disciplines.
In a nutshell, you need to read the Bible more this year to:
Remain grounded all through
As the year starts, we are always optimistic and hoping that everything will go well. That we will ace those resolutions and hit the goals, and have the best year yet.
However, life happens. Well, it always does.
You might lose that lucrative job. A doctor’s visit might end in a not-so-good diagnosis. The relationship could get into a rough patch or crumble. Examples are many, but life does not always turn out as we hoped.
When things go south, and you are not in the Word, you will be shaken. You might easily become whoever your circumstances say you are, losing your identity.
Daily Bible reading habits do something powerful: they cement who God says you are into your actual belief system. Not just head knowledge. Heart truth.
You can’t stand on truth you don’t know. And you can’t internalize the truth you only visit occasionally.
If you are to thrive and not just fumble your way through the year, you have no option but to imbibe the Word.
Yes, to anchor yourself in the strong tower Jesus’ name is by not just reading but also living out His Word (Proverbs 18:10).
Gain wisdom to make the right decisions
It’s constant: Every single day, you have to make choices.
Inconsequential choices like what to post on social media, which food to eat, which clothes to wear, which music to listen to, etc., are a breeze.
However, serious choices with long-lasting implications are harder to make.
For instance, do you take that job? Who among the prospective girls do you propose to? Which guy among worthy suitors do you say yes to? In which neighborhood do you settle? Which course do you take, and in which school? What church do you move to?
The list is endless.
Social media’s got opinions. Your feelings have votes. Self-help books are shouting advice. But what’s your framework for making decisions that actually align with God’s will?
This is where consistent Bible reading comes in handy. When you read Scripture consistently, you’re building a mental library. You’re accumulating wisdom.
So when that decision point hits, you’ve got more than just your gut feeling. You can easily recall the divine wisdom you have accumulated and make the right decision.
And even if you are not sure, you know where to refer in the Bible.
Want to live in God’s will this year? You have no option but to maintain a consistent Bible reading culture. Make sure daily Bible reading is part of your Christian goal-setting.
Experience God more than ever before
I know we have heard this so many times that it sounds cliché, but it is true. There’s a massive difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing them.
You can read someone’s bio, scroll through their Instagram, and hear stories about them, but until you actually spend time with them, they remain a stranger with a familiar face.
God’s the same way.
You can know all the right theology, you can ace a Bible trivia game, or you can quote verses like a champion. But if you’re not regularly sitting with Scripture, letting God speak to you through it, you’re missing the relationship.
Christian devotional habits aren’t about religious duty. They’re about intimacy.
If you desire to deepen your relationship with God this year, you need to read the Bible for yourself.
When you read your Bible consistently, something shifts. You start recognizing God’s voice. His character becomes clearer. You see patterns in how He works.
You notice His faithfulness across different books, different stories, different centuries, and you realize that same faithfulness is available to you right now.
The Holy Spirit takes Scripture and illuminates it specifically for your season. You read about God being a father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5) on the exact day you’re feeling abandoned. Or stumble on Romans 8:28 right when nothing makes sense.
You find Jesus saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened” (Matthew 11:28) on your most exhausted Wednesday.
It’s an open secret. To experience God more than ever before, you must develop a daily Bible reading habit.
Get a daily dose of encouragement
Recently, I read a sad story of a woman who lost her entire family in quick succession. Well, I remember hearing the story on the news, but it didn’t hit as much as when I read it.
Joyce lost her husband and two sons in a tragic road accident. Six months later, her mother succumbed to illness. On hearing the news of his wife’s demise, Joyce’s father collapsed and died.
With that, Joyce was rendered not just a widow, but now an orphan too. She clung to his only surviving child, Georgina, with all her heart.
But the cruel hand of death was not done with her.
During a Christmas getaway, they suffered a boiler accident, and both mother and child sustained severe burns. Two weeks later, her daughter Georgina succumbed to her injuries.
When the story was published, Joyce was in the hospital nursing serious burn injuries.
I cant help but wonder what was going through her mind. I would understand if she asked people to call her Mara instead of her real name, as Naomi did (Ruth 1:19-21).
Given a chance, what encouragement would you give Joyce?
Why you need encouragement
We all face sufferings which could easily discourage us. The degree varies, but as sure as the sun will rise in the east, this year will have hard days.
Days when anxiety sits on your chest like a boulder. Seasons when discouragement shouts louder than the whispers of hope.
There are times the heavens will be silent, and you will feel as though God Has forgotten you. Days when the allure of temptation will be really strong, and you might feel like just giving in.
What are you going to do then?
Woe unto you if you are in the Word. You might find yourself blinded or grounded by discouragement.
Worse, you might be swept away like the person who built his house on the sand (Luke 6:46-49).
The sword of the Word
Not so a man who has learned how to read the Bible consistently. The reservoir of God’s Word becomes a potent defense mechanism.
When the enemy comes to lie that God Has forgotten you, the Word reminds you that God sees you.
When suffering attempts to blind you to God’s love and providence, let God’s word remind you that God loved so much that He gave up all, including His only Son, for you, and nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:31-39).
If he tries to suggest you are not enough, remind yourself who you are in Christ and in whose image God made you. You are not a failure as the voices from the pits of hell are telling you; you are not just a conqueror, you are more than a conqueror in Christ.
Friend, want to thrive and live out your life fully this year?
Build your life on the solid rock Jesus is by inculcating the spiritual discipline of not just reading but also studying God’s Word, the Bible.
That way, you get a daily dose of encouragement that keeps you going.
Fuel your purpose and mission
Why are you here?
Not existentially (though Scripture answers that too). But practically. In 2026. In your specific life, with your specific gifts, in your specific circles.
God’s called you to something. Even if you can’t articulate it yet, there’s a reason you’re breathing today. And consistent Bible reading is what clarifies that calling and energizes you to actually live it out.
Look at the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20: …Teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded…
How are you supposed to do that if you don’t know what He commanded?
The truth is, you can’t give what you don’t have. You can’t share the truth you haven’t encountered. You can’t point people to Jesus if your own vision of Him is fuzzy.
Why the Word
But when you’re consistently in the Word, the stories become part of you. The truth starts spilling out naturally in conversations.
You find yourself encouraging a coworker with something from James. You text a friend going through a breakup, and Psalm 34:18 just comes to you. When you see injustice and remember Micah 6:8.
This isn’t about becoming a Bible-thumping know-it-all. It’s about being so saturated in God’s heart that it overflows into how you love people.
And here’s the other thing: regular Scripture reading keeps your why fresh. It prevents spiritual drift.
Do you know how you can go through the motions of faith but lose the plot? Lose the fire? Start wondering why you’re even doing this?
That’s what happens when you’re disconnected from the source.
The Bible reminds you constantly: God loves you. Jesus died for you and calls you to love others radically. That you are part of God’s kingdom that’s eternal, and your contribution, however minute it might seem, matters.
You want to live out your purpose in 2026? You want to make an actual difference? Start with the Word and prioritize consistent Bible reading in your Christian annual planning.
How to actually do it: Practical Bible reading tips for 2026
Okay, so you’re convinced. Consistent Bible reading matters. But how do you actually make it happen when you’ve failed before?
Let’s get practical.
Start where you are (not where you think you should be)
First, give yourself permission to start small.
You don’t need to read three chapters a day. Or to get through the whole Bible this year. You don’t need to understand everything immediately.
Ten minutes of consistent Bible reading is better than zero. One verse pondered deeply beats three chapters skimmed mindlessly.
If you’re new to faith, start with a Gospel. Mark’s a great choice—it’s short, action-packed, and gets you to the heart of who Jesus is quickly.
Or John, which is deeply theological but incredibly beautiful.
If you’re coming back after time away, don’t shame yourself. I mean it. The enemy loves to pile condemnation on you for not reading your Bible, which then keeps you from reading your Bible.
Break that cycle. Just start today.
Again, remember that quality beats quantity, especially at first. Better to read one verse, ask the Holy Spirit what He wants to show you, and sit with it than to race through a chapter and retain nothing.
Lock it into your annual planning
Here’s where most believers, both beginners and veterans, mess up: they treat Bible reading as something they’ll get to when there’s time.
There’s never time. You make time.
This is why planning matters. If you’re serious about this being part of your 2026, treat it like any other non-negotiable appointment.
You wouldn’t skip a work meeting because you didn’t feel like it. Don’t do that with God either.
Best practices for scheduling:
Morning: Sets the tone for your entire day, as the Psalmist says (Psalm 5:3). You’re processing life through a biblical lens from the jump.
Evening: Lets you process what happened through Scripture. You’re ending the day with truth instead of Netflix or doomscrolling.
Lunch break: A midday reset. When work’s overwhelming, or stress is building, fifteen minutes with Scripture can recalibrate everything.
These are just the times many people say they read their Bibles. Go with the time that works best for you.
But only pick a time when you’re alert, not when you’re already exhausted. Don’t give God your leftovers.
Put it in your calendar. Set a reminder. Make it as automatic as brushing your teeth.
Spoiler alert: the time you have chosen might not work throughout the year. Changes happen that necessitate adjustments, so be flexible and build a daily Bible-reading habit that works for you now. In this season.
If you find Bible reading constantly clashing with other activities of the day so that you start missing your quiet time with God, then it is time to adjust.
Pro tip: pair Bible reading with an existing habit. Coffee and Bible. Commute podcast and Scripture. Morning workout and audio Bible. When you stack a new habit with an established one, it sticks better.
Choose an appropriate method
There are several methods for consistent Bible reading you could consider. The common ones are:
Reading plans:
Apps like YouVersion or the Bible Project offer plans for everything from chronological to topical, book-by-book, and even ones that get you through the Bible in a year, two, or three. They send reminders and track your progress.
Topical study:
The reader picks a topic, say anxiety, identity, prayer, relationships, etc., and studies what the Bible says about it.
Book-by-book:
Deep dive into one book of the Bible at a time.
Devotional-based:
Resources like The Daily Bread, Jesus Calling, She Reads Truth, or The Daily Grace Co. combine Scripture with reflection and application. Great for people who need a little structure and guidance.
Chronological:
Read the Bible in the order in which events happened. Helps you see the grand narrative more clearly.
Find what works for you right now. Again, switch methods as the season demands.
Build accountability and community
Maybe you have failed at other attempts to read the Bible consistently because you went about it alone.
Here’s the truth: you’re way more likely to stick with making time for Bible study if someone else knows about it.
Tell a friend your goal. Join a Bible reading challenge. Use a group plan on YouVersion. Text someone one thing you learned each week.
Community gives encouragement and gentle accountability. On the days you don’t feel like reading, knowing someone’s going to ask helps you push through.
And when you miss a day (because you will), the community gives you grace and helps you restart instead of quitting entirely.
Get moving: reasons consistent Bible reading should be part of your annual planning
So here we are.
You came to this article probably feeling a mix of guilt and hope. Guilt because you know you should be reading your Bible more. Hope because maybe this year could be different.
Let me leave you with this: consistent Bible reading isn’t about earning God’s love. You already have that, fully and completely, because of Jesus. Nothing you do or don’t do changes that.
So, get moving confidently. Start reading today. If you had quit, take this as the cue to pick up from where you left off and keep moving.
That way, you will be equipped for whatever 2026 throws at you.
2026 can be different. But it requires intentionality now, in the planning stage.
What’s been your biggest obstacle to consistent Bible reading? Drop a comment below and let’s encourage each other in this.