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(OPINION) Last year, I wrote about the troubling findings from American Bible Society’s annual “State of the Bible” report. Every study since 2011 has shown that Bible users accounted for around 50% of American adults.

However, in 2022, things changed. There was a sudden 10% decrease in Bible users, indicating that “nearly 26 million Americans reduced or stopped their interaction with Scripture in the past year.”

The 2023 report confirmed the findings from the previous year; it showed once again that only 39% of Americans were engaging the Bible with any regularity. There is a now a notable trend of fewer and fewer people making Bible reading a regular habit.

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But it is a new year and another opportunity to break this cycle. The larger issue is not just that people are reading the Bible less, but also that the Bible is losing influence as a text that shapes us and molds our world.

For Christians, the Bible reveals the theological and moral universe that orders reality. It is more than just a nice book with good advice, it provides the beginning, middle, and end of the story of redemption that God is working out among us. When we open the Bible, we are reminded that this is God’s world, and we are the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3).

Throughout history, Christians have always prized regular engagement with Scripture. Catechesis and discipleship were always essential to a healthy spiritual life and cultivating habits of regular engagement with Scripture is a necessary ingredient. Going all the way back to the fifth century, Augustine, the bishop of Hippo, recommended giving new members of the church an overview of the Bible. He thought people of faith needed to know the basic story of the Bible beginning in Genesis and continuing to the times of the church.

Augustine lived in a volatile age. He wanted Christians to see that the story of God was much bigger than the story of the Roman Empire. Others, such as the nineteenth-century Scottish minister Robert Murray M’Cheyne, promoted Bible reading too. M’Cheyne drafted a plan that promoted regular Bible reading and saw it as an essential feature of the Christian devotional life.

Choosing a suitable Bible reading plan can be overwhelming due to the numerous choices available in different formats. Below, I offer five great Bible reading plans, each with its unique features.

These are not the only options, but if you are looking for easy place to begin reading the Bible, any one of these is a great place to start:

1. M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan 

The Bible reading plan drafted by Robert Murray M'Cheyne is an historic and proven way to read through the Bible. M'Cheyne was a minister in the Church of Scotland and designed a Bible reading plan that has been widely used and highly influential. Those who follow his plan enjoy regular, blanced portions of both New Testament and the Old Testament readings. 

New Testament Scholar D.A. Carson recommends this plan in a slightly modified form. He spreads out the readings over a two-year span. Many websites contain M'Cheyne’s charts, but this link has both M’Cheyne and Carson’s recommendations in a printable chart form. Additionally, you can use the M’Cheyne plan on Bible Gateway and choose your preferred version of the Bible.

2. The Bible Project

The Bible Project is the creation of Tim Mackie and Jon Collins, offering diverse engagement with the Bible through various mediums. They have dedicated over a decade to this project, aiming to inspire the next generation to explore the Bible through visual storytelling and technology. The project's impact is impressive, featuring over 180 videos, 350 podcast episodes, 620 million views across all media channels in over 200 countries, and over five million subscribers worldwide.

The Bible Project offers many different reading plans, but for a good place to start simply chose the one-year Bible reading plan. You can download the Bible reading app or read it online. There are videos that accompany the readings, making this a great option for a family reading plan.

3. Chronological Bible

Besides the other readings plans above, I know many people benefit from reading through the Bible chronologically. For some this helps put episodes and books in a memorable order. If you have tried other bible reading plans, perhaps this would be a good option for this year. I recommend Crossway’s chronological plan and you can find the chart here. 

To make things easier, consider picking up a copy of Crossway’s Chronological Bible. This will help you keep your place easily as you read through the bible. Crossway has several other plans that give other types of reading plans and options. 

4. 5-Day Plan

If you want a plan condenses the readings into a five-day format, then consider the Five-day Bible Reading. This plan combines Old and New Testament daily readings in a modified chronological format.

Some may even find the five-day better. It can allow you to pace yourself and catch up on weekends if you miss a day.

5. Audio

This final recommendation is anyone who wants to cultivate the habit of listening to the Bible. The Youversion app provides various “read the Bible in a year” plans, including chronological options. Download the app, click “plans,” and scroll through the options to find a plan that suits you. 

Besides the Youversion app, there are also many podcasts that offer regular doses of Scripture including the ESV “through the Bible in a year” podcast and the daily office podcast for traditional readings linked with morning prayer. 

While there are many options available, selecting a plan is just the beginning. Consistency and self-discipline are key. The best plan is a followed plan. If you miss a few days or get distracted, do not lose heart, just return to your reading plan as quickly as possible and try to catch up, or pick up where you left off. If you need some motivation or strategies for cultivating good habits, consider reading James Clear’s best-seller “Atomic Habits.”

The findings from the American Bible Society’s annual “State of the Bible” are discouraging. We are slowly becoming a society that does not read the Bible. But I hope things can change this year. I pray that we can use this year to cultivate the virtuous habit of regular Bible reading and that one of these plans will help you meditate upon the word of God day and night (Psalm 1:2).

Stephen O. Presley is senior fellow for religion and public life at the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy (crcd.net), an initiative of First Liberty Institute and associate professor of church history at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Presley is the author of a couple forthcoming books: Cultural Sanctification: engaging the world like the early church (Eerdmans) and Biblical Theology in the Life of the Early Church (Baker). Follow him on Instagram: @stopresley and X (formerly twitter): @sopresley