The end of the year is upon us and with one year ending and another beginning, we tend to look to the future and make plans. We set goals for how we want to look, feel, and behave in the new year. Many times, for believers, this means setting goals for our spiritual lives, too. One of the more popular goals among Christians is to read the Bible more.
We think it’s best to start with a clear goal in mind. We think it’s even better to have help. If your goal is to run a marathon in 2016, you’re probably going to need some good shoes. If your goal is to dive into God’s Word more, we suggest the following tools.
- Open Your Bible Bible Study. This study is the perfect way to start reading the Bible more. In seven weeks, you’ll learn how the Bible is for you and it is for now. You will not only learn how to read God’s Word, you’ll also learn why it is important to do so. Because we think opening your Bible is even better in community, we’d love for you to join our Open Your Bible Online Bible Study starting January 7 (all the details about that are right here).
- Foundations: A 260-Day Bible Reading Plan for Busy Believers. If you’re looking for a devotional to last all year, we recommend Foundations. In 260 days (five days a week for one year), you will read passages from all 66 books of the Bible, along with a short devotional. By using the H.E.A.R. journaling method, you will be guided through Highlighting, Explaining, Applying, and Responding to passages, allowing for practical application throughout the year-long plan.
- DevoHub. Ask your church leaders about getting DevoHub for your church. With DevoHub, you will have access to several daily devotions from Lifeway, including Journey for Women, right on your phone.
- Online Bible Studies. We’ll be studying Open Your Bible in January, but you can access all of our past online Bible studies at any time! Just head to this page to see all the studies we’ve had online so far and to access the free online study videos. We’d love for you to join in!
- War Room Prayer App. When you are in God’s Word, it is important to maintain an active prayer life, as well. We love all the features on the War Room Prayer App—you can ask for prayer from your friends, add reminders to pray, and learn passages of Scripture to read and pray. Click here to download for iOS and here for Android.
When deciding to study the Bible more, it is important to set clear, achievable goals. We think the tools listed above are a great way to start.
Let us know in the comments what your goals for the new year are. How are you studying the Bible in 2016?