Top 5 Bible Reading Plans for 2026

Reading the Bible is a vital rhythm of discipleship. If you follow Jesus and call Him your Savior and Lord, spending time in the Scriptures is an important, regular practice. It is one of the primary ways we maintain an intimate relationship with God. How can we know who God is and what He wants for us if we don’t read His Word? Prayer is also an important part of following Jesus each day, and prayer is closely connected with Bible reading.

The Bible is a wonderful gift to be enjoyed, not a dusty textbook to be begrudgingly studied. It is easy to find plenty of reasons to not read the Bible—life is busy, work is stressful, and more. But if we want to be serious about walking closely with Jesus, we have to see the central role Bible reading plays in our lives.

If you are unsure of where to start reading the Bible, that’s okay! Perhaps you have a renewed interest heading into the new year—that’s great! A Bible reading plan can be helpful to get you going in the daily habit of reading Scripture. Using a Bible reading plan isn’t about being super legalistic about reading the Bible, making it a sort of “chore.” The point of using a Bible reading plan is to effectively have the decision of “what to read” taken out of your hands so that all you have to do is show up, read the plan like you’d read a menu, and feast on the Word.

So, here are five Bible reading plans I love and would recommend you check out to kickstart your Bible reading in the coming year:

1. The Five Day Bible Reading Plan

This has historically been my favorite Bible reading plan, and I believe it is the one I will be using as we head into 2026. I tend to spend one year reading less Scripture each day with more journaling, and then the following year with more Scripture each day and less journaling. This past year I did just one chapter per day with lots of journaling, but in 2026 I would like to get back to reading a few chapters each day, and this plan is wonderfully digestible for that.

This Bible reading plan will take you through the whole Bible in one year, and it provides two days each week to take time off from reading. This means that each day’s readings may be a bit longer than in other plans, but it allows for some grace if you miss a day here or there.

If you are interested in reading through the whole Bible in a year, and you think you may need a grace day or two each week, this is the plan for you.

2. TGC Two-Year Bible Reading Plan

Does reading the whole Bible in a year seem too intimidating to you? I understand! It can be difficult. Perhaps you would like this reading plan from Stephen Witmer and the good people at The Gospel Coalition, which walks you through reading the whole Bible in two years instead of just one.

Stephen Witmer, the designer of this plan, says this Bible reading plan “is designed to take you through the Old and New Testaments in two years, and through the Psalms and Proverbs four times during that period.”

Check out this Bible reading plan if you’d like to stroll through the Bible at a bit more of a leisurely pace, perhaps doing some more journaling or commentary-reading alongside your reading each day. It even has a couple of catch-up days each month, which is helpful!

3. 52 Weeks in the Word by Trillia Newbell

In November 2022, Trillia Newbell published 52 Weeks in the Word: A Companion for Reading Through the Bible in a Year. In it, you’ll find the following:

• A reading plan—not too big or too small
• 52 Reflections—one per week
• Prayer prompts for each Scripture reading
• Built in rest and catch-up days
• Space for your own reflection or study
• Easy instructions so you can begin throughout the year!

Here’s a bit more about the book:

52 Weeks in the Word guides you through God’s sacred and trusted Word, all while helping you organize your reading and pausing for deeper meditation. The result? Greater knowledge of God, by grace and the power of the Spirit, can lead to wisdom and worship of God. You’ll discover treasures—some old to you, some new—help for daily living, hope in times of suffering, and a deep abiding relationship with the God who loves you.

This is the Bible reading plan included with that book, and you’re welcome to give it a try!

4. ESV Chronological Reading Plan

You may not know this (and that’s okay), but the Bible is not organized chronologically. The events on page 135 of your Bible didn’t necessarily happen before the events on page 356 of your Bible. I remember being shocked the first time I learned that!

Do you want to read through the Bible chronologically, as the events themselves unfolded, instead of just starting at the front of your Bible and ending at the back? Then a plan like the ESV Chronological Reading Plan is for you.

I am grateful for the ministry of Crossway, and they are always so generous to provide a number of Bible reading plans, but this one is surely one of their most popular. I remember reading through the Bible chronologically for the first time and how it opened my eyes to understand the Scriptures in some new ways.

Try this kind of Bible reading plan if you never have before!

5. The Navigators Bible Reading Plan

Are you familiar with The Navigators? If not, here’s a bit about who they are and what they do, in their own words:

We are The Navigators—a Christian ministry that shares the gospel of Jesus and helps people grow in Christ through Life-to-Life^® discipleship, creating spiritual generations of believers. Since our founding in 1933, we’ve remained committed to our calling: “To know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same^®.”

We believe discipleship happens person-by-person and by encouraging spiritual growth across all life stages. A disciple is someone who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, intentionally seeks to learn from Him, and desires to live more like Him. For us, discipleship accomplishes this by walking alongside others: praying together, studying God’s Word, sharing life, and equipping them to do the same with others. As spiritual generations multiply, we’ve seen God transform lives in powerful ways.

To reach and disciple all people in all places, The Navigators includes a wide variety of ministries and a broad family of missionaries, supporters and volunteers. We engage people where they live, work, worship, and play—on college campuses and military bases, in inner cities and workplaces, in churches and neighborhoods, and even in places where the gospel is hard to reach.

As part of their discipleship efforts, The Navigators provide a well-known and well-loved Bible reading plan. Here’s a bit about it, again, in their own words:

• Adapts to your Bible study needs: you can start whenever you like and don’t have to wait for January 1.
• Includes 25 Bible readings each month, which allows for three to six free days to catch up, if needed. Or you can return to passages where you want to spend more time.
• Adds variety in your daily Bible readings that include both the Old and New Testament. No more dragging your feet through a section of the Bible you find difficult to understand before you move forward.

If this kind of Bible reading plan appeals to you, check it out!

Like Eating a Meal

A couple of years ago, one of my friends wrote about how regular Bible reading really is like eating a meal. Sometimes you show up and you’re starving, and the turkey sandwich in front of you may not be a steak, but it satisfies your famished feeling. Other times, you really don’t feel like eating, but you sit down and have your soup, even if it just doesn’t hit the spot—you know you have to eat. And yet other times you sit down to an amazing steak dinner that you’ll remember forever—a meal goes above-and-beyond simply filling your stomach.

Bible reading is like this. Sometimes it may just seem like a bland turkey sandwich to us that doesn’t do much more than get the job done. Other times, insight from God may strike our spiritual taste buds like the best steak we’ve ever eaten. Regardless, we need to show up to the table and eat, lest we spiritually starve ourselves.

If you’re looking to sit down at the table to feast on God’s Word in the upcoming months, check out one of the plans recommended here, or even consider crafting one of your own!