Lent Devotional in YouVersion

I am currently going through the Lent reading plan of YouVersion, which started last March 9.  I was a day late, so I only knew today that the 46-day plan ending on Easter Sunday will allow me to go through the book of Mark, as well as a considerable amount of readings elsewhere in the Bible.  That will complement my regular reading plan and get me through more of the Gospels.  Since the plan does not have a reading on Sundays (because the counting of Lent days likewise do not include Sundays), you can still catch up if you start it today.  

The concept of Lent is not very familiar to me, particularly because I associate it simply with the "Ash Wednesday" practice.  I didn't understood its real concept of commemorating Jesus' forty days of tempting in the desert.  I guess that's a glimpse of my understanding of the Bible and God as well.  It really is an opportune time of discovery for me.

While I am at it, I find that the 21-day reading plan about fasting also from YouVersion is quite a related area of study.  I am doing both reading plans together, although I picked them up on different days and for totally unrelated reasons.  The reading plan on fast is intended for someone who is going through a fast, but I find that even though I am not doing a fast right now, it can prepare me when I do one.  

One thing to keep in mind when going through a topical reading plan is that you should not neglect your primary reading plan, which should be one that takes you through majority of the Bible in a given period of time, such as one year.  The topical reading plans can add color and variety to your readings, but it should not be a replacement to a read-through-the-Bible reading plan.  

Check out these reading plans at YouVersion, as well as others that may be of interest to you.  Have a blessed Sunday.

A 21-Day Devotional on Fasting

Just signed up with YouVersion for a 21-day devotional on fasting.    I was trying to sign up for either of the two Lent devotionals, but it seems like it's having some problems lately.  In any case, I hope this would be a good devotional to take on.  Already finished the first day reading from the Book of Daniel and the accompanying notes, and I must say it's been informative already, not to mention raising some questions.  Which is a good thing.  


Head on over to YouVersion's website and check out this reading plan and others that they have.

Psalms everyday?

Did some changes in my reading plan.  I just thought it would be better to read the Psalms everyday, rather than just once a week.  So I am reading one chapter of Psalms a day, with no reduction in the required reading for the other categories as well.  That would allow me to read the Psalms more than twice a year, while keeping to the schedule for the rest of the other categories.


Let's see how this goes!  

After Two Months - An Update

It's been almost two months since I started to read the Bible using a personal reading plan that I think will work for me.  As I indicated in another post I've decided to read through the Bible by dividing it into 6 categories.  I should read 3 chapters per day for each category, except for one where I should read 5, for a total of 20 chapters per week.  Since there are 6 categories, Sundays will be used as a way to catch up or simply take a break from the routine.  If all goes according to plan, on average I would be able to finish the whole Bible in about 60 weeks.  Some categories I would have read more than once (like the Gospels and Old Testament history), while the other categories I would have read more than halfway into.  Which means by the next cycle, my weekly readings would be composed of different chapters or books compared to this cycle.  

Now for the update:  I should have read 154 chapters as of yesterday, but I managed to read 159, or 5 chapters more.  This despite of not being able to read the Bible for about a week straight, as I tried to recuperate from some physical stress, plus not being able to read the required number of chapters per day (or at all) in some days.  What compensated for it are the times I read the Bible on Sundays, and reading more than the required number of chapters in a day when my senses are up.

From these two months I learned a couple of things that I would like to share to maybe help you out or encourage you:

1.   Have a plan that fits you.
2.  Don't get side-tracked by questions that may arise.  Take note of them and spend    time studying them.  But keep moving in your reading plan.
3.   If you missed a day (or even a week), just resolve to get back on track.
4.   Read the Bible whenever and wherever it's possible. 
5.  Read thoughtfully, but don't be bothered if you don't seem to recall much.  It will come eventually.  
6.   Pause to consider what you are reading.  This is not a speed-reading contest.
7.   Don't push your limits just to keep to the schedule.  The plan is not your master.
8.   Most importantly, discuss it with the Author as you are reading and throughout the day.

Have a blessed day everyone!

My Plan for a Reading Plan

As far as I can remember, I've always been trying to follow a Bible reading plan. It was the same old story: I will try one, get along with it for a while, then lose steam. You can say I pretty much know how it's NOT supposed to be done. The latest attempt I can recall was when a friend sent me a link from Grace to You about a 9-week reading plan to jumpstart a person who is either new to the Bible or have not been reading it regularly. It is designed as a weekly schedule, which should allow a person to catch up within the week should he missed a day or two of reading. I've gotten through 2 weeks before I ended up a week late and ultimately I dropped off the system.

It was around this time that I discovered Youversion. It's essentially a site that provides a couple of Bible versions that one can use in one or more of its recommended Bible reading plans. Once more it kindled the spark in me, and after trying one or two plans, I settled with a plan that would take me through the Old Testament in the order of the books as they are arranged (the plan is for one year but I intend to finish in two years). I managed to finish Genesis before I, once again, got myself behind and behind that I eventually lost interest in continuing.

By this time I was beginning to understand some things. My idea of going through the books as the original readers might have gone through it (meaning, finishing one before proceeding with the next) might not be actually the real case. Regardless, going through one book after the other gives me a feeling of monotony. I then start to wish to go through the other parts of the Bible. Which makes me even less inclined to proceed with my current reading plan. Until I realize I'm already behind too much that I need to restart or try something else.

And so it was around this time that I learned of a reading plan by Professor Grant Horner. It calls for reading 10 chapters a day, with one chapter for one of the ten books for the day. The premise behind the reading plan is to have an interplay of the different books and through that provide a clearer picture and interpretation of what one is reading.

The reading plan makes sense, but I think that for myself 10 chapters a day might be too much to chew. A weekly reading plan like that of Grace To You also makes sense, but I feel I need to improve on it by providing some sort of a daily goal, with a way to catch up within the week should I have some backlog. Plus I need one that provide some variety.

Since Bible books can be categorized into different type of materials, I thought of a plan to go through the Bible. My plan calls for reading 3-5 chapters per day for 6 days, from one of these categories:

1. The Law - from Genesis to Deuteronomy

2. History books - from Joshua to Esther

3. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs

4. The Prophets

5. The Gospels

6. The Letters

Since Revelation doesn't exactly fit or feel like one of the Letters, I can choose to include it with the Psalms.

The minimum should be 3 chapters a day for all categories except for History books at 5 chapters per day. The 7th day is intended to help me catch up. That would allow me to go through all the books in at least a year, and most of the books I will be able to read more than once during the year.

Of course, there's a lot more than a system and human will to go through the Bible in any given length of time. Even more the ability to understand it. May God bless me with the knowledge and understanding of His Word this year.


p.s. check out here how I improved my reading plan..