Do you start the year making new year’s resolutions? Are you good at keeping them? A majority of us say we make them. A whopping 73.7% of men, and 74.26% of women plan to make resolutions in the coming year. An even more impressive figure, 141.1 million Americans, or roughly 55% of the people, say that keeping the resolutions are within their reach. Was daily Bible study on your list?
For many of those with a faith background, there is a passion to also make resolutions for a deeper spiritual commitment during the coming year. Many of us attempt to read through the Bible in a year, to improve our church attendance, or even to increase our giving, but often we fall short of those goals. May I encourage you this year to join with us in forming some habits to improve the way we study and understand the Bible? I have put together a daily plan of Bible reading that will help you build a way of understanding the historical context of Scripture, making appropriate applications of the Scripture, all the while forming good habits of daily Bible reading.
Your habit could drastically improve your biblical literacy.
Research has shown that it takes about 21 days to form a habit. Then to make it a real life-style change, continue the habit for another 90 days. Several psychologists refer to this as the 21-90 rule. If we start reading from the Bible now, in just over 100 days, we will begin forming the habit of daily Bible study. The days are not tied to the calendar, so you can start today! Are you up for the challenge? Invite your friends to join in.
The First 21 Days
We will start our journey slow and easy. We will read one verse each day, think about how the verse applies to our life, and ask God to bless us in the reading and hearing of His Word. The main version of the Bible listed will be the New International Version.
Links provided make twelve other [popup_anything id=”5951″] available to you, including a Spanish version. English versions are available as either [popup_anything id=”5944″].
By participating, you are creating several important components that will make your habit last. We will build fellowship with each other by offering our thoughts in the reply tab at the bottom of this page. Each day, you can answer the thought question yourself, or you can comment and respond to the post of someone else. Not only are you learning to read Scripture for daily Bible study, but you are reflecting on it and communicating your understanding of it to others. You are building your own understanding of your personal [popup_anything id=”5943″] of the Bible.
week one
| Day | Scripture NIV | Scripture NASB | Scripture MSG | Daily Thought Question |
| Day One | Psalm 111:10 | Psalm 111:10 NASB | Psalm 111:10 MESSAGE | What does it mean to fear the Lord? How is that the beginning of wisdom? |
| Day Two | Romans 1:16 | Romans 1:16 NASB | Romans 1:16 MESSAGE | How can you show that you are not ashamed of the gospel? |
| Day Three | Isaiah 40:31 | Isaiah 40:31 NASB | Isaiah 40:31 MESSAGE | How does the Lord renew your spiritual strength? |
| Day Four | John 3:16 | John 3:16 NASB | John 3:16 MESSAGE | John 3:16 may be the most well-known verse in the Bible. Will you explain what it means to you? |
| Day Five | John 4:24 | John 4:24 NASB | John 4:24 MESSAGE | What does it mean to worship God in spirit? |
| Day Six | Romans 1:20 | Romans 1:20 NASB | Romans 1:20 MESSAGE | What can you learn about God by looking at His creation? |
| Day Seven | Psalm 90:2 | Psalm 90:2 NASB | Psalm 90:2 MESSAGE | What do you learn about God from this Psalm? |
week two
| Day | Scripture NIV | Scripture NASB | Scripture MSG | Daily Thought Question |
| Day Eight | Hebrews 4:12 | Hebrews 4:12 NASB | Hebrews 4:12 MESSAGE | How is God’s word alive and active in your life? |
| Day Nine | Psalm 119:105 | Psalm 119:105 NASB | Psalm 119:105 MESSAGE | How does God’s word provide light and direction to the path that you walk? |
| Day Ten | Romans 15:4 | Romans 15:4 NASB | Romans 15:4 MESSAGE | Name a lesson that you have learned from the pages of the Old Testament. |
| Day Eleven | Proverbs 3:5-6 | Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB | Proverbs 3:5-6 MESSAGE | What does it mean to trust God with all your heart? |
| Day Twelve | 1 Thessalonians 5:16 | 1 Thessalonians 5:16 NASB | 1 Thessalonians 5:16 MESSAGE | What does it mean to “pray continually?” Is that really possible? |
| Day Thirteen | Psalm 119:11 | Psalm 119:11 NASB | Psalm 119:11 MESSAGE | Will you memorize Psalm 119:11 as you start to hide God’s Word in your heart? |
| Day Fourteen | James 1:22 | James 1:22 NASB | James 1:22 MESSAGE | Is there a verse in the Bible that you have listened to but not obeyed? What should be your first step toward obedience? |
week three
| Day | Scripture NIV | Scripture NASB | Scripture MSG | Daily Thought Question |
| Day Fifteen | 2 Corinthians 5:17 | 2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB | 2 Corinthians 5:17 MESSAGE | What is new about you since you have become a Christian? |
| Day Sixteen | Galatians 2:20 | Galatians 2:20 NASB | Galatians 2:20 MESSAGE | What does living by faith in the Son of God mean to you? |
| Day Seventeen | Colossians 3:9-10 | Colossians 3:9-10 NASB | Colossians 3:9-10 MESSAGE | What part of the “new self” have you put on that marks your new life in Christ? |
| Day Eighteen | Romans 6:4 | Romans 6:4 NASB | Romans 6:4 MESSAGE | What imagery of baptism stands out the most to you? Why? |
| Day Nineteen | Psalm 133:1 | Psalm 133:1 NASB | Psalm 133:1 MESSAGE | In what way is it possible for Christians to actually be united? |
| Day Twenty | Acts 2:42 | Acts 2:42 NASB | Acts 4:42 MESSAGE | To what aspect of the Christian faith would you consider yourself “devoted?” What does it mean to you to be devoted? |
| Day Twenty-One | 1 Thessalonians 5:11 | 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NASB | 1 Thessalonians 5:11 MESSAGE | What Christian in your life is an encouragement to you? Who do you encourage in the faith? |