Should You Read the Bible in a Year?

Have you ever read the whole Bible in one year? Or have you wanted to?

I did this for the first time in 2023 and it was one of the most significant things I’ve ever done for my faith. 

It was so transformative that I repeated it again in 2024 using a different translation… until November when I hit a wall and fell off the plan. Eventually though, I finished those last two months of reading in June 2025. Don’t ask me why it took six more months to read those last 60 days of passages! 

Based on my experience, I recommend every person of faith reads the Bible in a year at some point in their life.

If you’re considering this challenge, here’s a few reasons you may or may not want to this year.

1. You should read the Bible in a year if you’re ready to release perfectionism.

This is a challenge you can’t do perfectly. 

There will be days you skip and have to catch up on the next day. There will be times you read and won’t “get anything” out of it. Some days you’ll read a verse that is used in a popular worship song, which will get stuck in your head and distract you from remembering the rest. 

If you are ready to release perfectionism–or ready for some exposure therapy on being imperfect–then yes, this reading plan is for you.

2. You should not read the Bible in a year if you want to understand it all. 

Reading and understanding are not at all the same. 

Do you remember taking a reading comprehension test in school? I find myself as an adult re-reading iconic books from my school days like The Great Gatsby or any John Steinbeck novel and realizing I completely missed the lesson in it. I remember the words and the overall plot, but the comprehension wasn’t there. 

In the same way, we approach Scripture with too many biases or previous understandings to be able to clearly understand it without deeper study. The stories we remember from childhood Sunday School classes are hijacked by how we learned them the first time, rather than through a lens of biblical literacy. For example, the book never says that Eve ate an apple. It says “fruit.” And I’m not sure apples even grow in the part of the world Adam and Eve lived in!

If you want to understand the Bible in a year, it would require more time than a full-time job. It would require hours of reading and study. And you still probably wouldn’t get far–theologians have been debating its meaning for centuries and still don’t agree, which is why we’ve ended up with so many denominations.  

You will gain understanding, but you won’t understand it all in one year. 

3. You should read the Bible in a year if you want to more clearly see how God moves.

Reading the whole of Scripture in a condensed amount of time will undoubtedly grow your trust in God. 

There are threads from Genesis through Revelation tying the story of faith all together. And I’m not just talking about connecting Old and New Testaments. Evangelicalism tends to highlight the Hebrew Scriptures as a supporting text to prove who Jesus is. We read the gospels and notice prophecies foretold or ancient laws repeated and redefined. 

But allowing the books of the Old Testament to shine on their own introduces you to a God who is continually making a way for his people to flourish. You’ll see God’s character of love and truth be proven over and over again, across time, place, and culture. 

If you’re asking yourself, “Can I trust God?” then yes, definitely read the Bible in a year and meet a God more worthy of trust than you could ever imagine!

4. You should not read the Bible in a year if it’s not the right season of life to do so. 

This is a challenge every person should take at some point in their life, but not at every point in their life. There are some seasons of life that I recommend a more flexible Scripture reading plan:

• During large transitions, like getting a new job or moving
• During caretaking years, like in the trenches of newborn, toddlers, or aging parents
• During seasons of immense grief or depression–be kind to yourself when the daily goal is just to get out of bed

It’s too easy to let the pressure of a 365-day plan rule your life when the point of it is to enhance it. The Word of God is not meant to be a burden. Embrace the challenge, but release the heaviness. 

God isn’t going to love you any less if you never read the Bible in a year. 

Other Considerations

Feel free to pick one version or bounce between a few. I typically read a combination of the NRSVUE, NIV, and the First Nations Version, with a smattering of The Message when I want a more pastoral reading. This mix of tradition and modern while maintaining the most accuracy to the original text is what works best for me.

I recommend a chronological reading plan rather than one that goes book by book. But my preference is to have some Old Testament, some New Testament, and some Psalms or Proverbs each day. Try this one from Nicky Gumbel (or the express version) or The Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble.

If you’re looking for more depth, try a Bible-in-three-years reading plan instead of in one year. This gives you more time to study each passage each day. Something like the Lectionary also follows the pattern of the church calendar, so you’re reading about festivals and holidays as they come up in the world. 

Lastly, no one said you have to start in January and end in December. Who wants to read Revelation while you’re celebrating the birth of Jesus anyway? Start on March 1, or June 4, or your birthday! No matter what day you’re reading this, you’re not too late to begin. 

So, should you read the full Bible in a year? Yes! At some point. But maybe not in 2026. Pick a time that works for you and begin. If you have to stop, just try again later. 

It’s a challenge, but it is definitely worth it.