One-Year Bible Reading Plan: What Should I Choose?

Have you ever wanted to read the Bible consistently but just couldn't keep it up? A one-year Bible reading plan might be for you! Instead of a hit-and-miss system like opening your Bible and reading, reading the Bible in a year can breathe new life into your Bible study time.

How? Read on. We've outlined several systems that can help you break the monotony of failed reading plans.

Before we get into the content, we've prepared a few widgets for you to help choose the best one-year Bible reading plan for you. Experiment with them until your heart's content. They are there for you to use. Use them!

And if you don't like any of these plans, we have a custom Bible plan widget. You can create your own plan!

Let's get to it.

What Is a One-Year Bible Reading Plan?

Woman Thinking About Bible Reading Plans

Before we get into the plans themselves, let's define terms.

A one-year Bible reading plan is a great tool that helps you read the whole Bible in 12 months. It provides you with structure, momentum, and clear daily goals so that you don't get sidetracked.

Instead of guessing what to read next, you simply follow the schedule and finish Genesis to Revelation in a year. It doesn't take long either. Often you can accomplish it in about 15–20 minutes a day, depending on how fast you read.

A one-year Bible reading plan can accomplish several goals. Use it to:

Read the entire Bible in one year.
Add variety to your daily reading by adding Psalms or Proverbs to your routine.
Enjoy the Bible more by choosing a plan that fits your learning style (canonical, chronological, genre‑based, or mixed OT/NT).

So what's available? Let's look at that now.

Plan 1 – Canonical Bible in a Year (Evenly Paced)

Want simple? Here it is. This one-year Bible reading plan takes you straight through the Bible in canonical order. What does this mean?

From Genesis to Revelation, you'll read through the entire text in a year while keeping each day’s reading fairly even. This plan shouts consistency.

How this plan works:

Read the whole Bible in 365 days, following the standard book order.
Use verse counts (not just chapter counts) to keep most days around the same length, usually about 80–90 verses.
Group shorter chapters together and break up unusually long chapters like Psalm 119 using their natural internal sections.

Why readers choose this plan:

Simple structure: You always know what’s next as you just keep moving forward.
Big‑picture focus: You see the storyline of Scripture unfold from creation to Christ to new creation.
Manageable time: At an average reading speed, it usually takes 15–20 minutes per day to stay on track.

Plan 2 – Old Testament + New Testament + Daily Psalm

If you want balance, here's the plan for you. This Bible in a year plan gives you three daily readings: Old Testament, New Testament, and a Psalm (or short wisdom passage). It is ideal if you want variety and a steady diet of both covenants plus daily worship.

Daily structure:

Old Testament reading: 2–3 chapters, progressing through an OT book.
New Testament reading: About 1 chapter per day, completing the NT within the year.
Psalm / Proverbs reading: 1 psalm, a portion of a long psalm like Psalm 119, or a brief section from Proverbs.

Benefits of this plan:

Balanced intake: You read Old Testament narrative, law, and prophecy alongside Jesus and the apostles every day.
Daily worship tone: Psalms and Proverbs shape your prayers, emotions, and decisions with Scripture.
Great for beginners: The variety helps newer believers avoid getting bogged down in one difficult section.

Plan 3 – Genre‑Based Bible Reading Plan (Weekly Rhythm)

Wondering what a genre is? Yeah. Not a word we use every day. It simply means a kind of literature. Since the Bible is structured mostly by genre, this Bible plan goes by sections of the Bible.

A genre‑based Bible reading plan assigns different parts of the Bible to different days of the week (for example, law on one day, epistles on another). You still finish the whole Bible in one year, but you regularly rotate through major genres.

Sample weekly rhythm:

Monday – New Testament Letters (Romans–Jude)
Tuesday – Law (Genesis–Deuteronomy)
Wednesday – Old Testament History (Joshua–Esther)
Thursday – Psalms and Wisdom (Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs)
Friday – Prophets (Isaiah–Malachi)
Saturday/Sunday – Gospels and Acts (Matthew–John, Acts)

Why consider a genre‑based plan:

Better Bible literacy: Regular exposure to every major genre trains you to read each type of literature in context.
Built‑in variety: You are not spending months in just one section because each week includes law, history, poetry, prophecy, and Gospel.
Easy to customize: You can add a short Psalm reading to any day or keep Thursdays as your main Psalms day.

Plan 4 – Chronological Old Testament + Daily New Testament

This is by far one of the most interesting plans. A chronological Bible reading plan arranges the Old Testament in roughly the order that events occurred. It adds a New Testament passage every day. This helps you follow the storyline of redemption in historical sequence without losing touch with Christ and the apostles.

How this chronological plan works:

Old Testament in historical order: Read Job alongside the patriarchs, psalms in connection with David’s life, and prophets in the context of the kings they addressed.
New Testament daily: Read through the entire New Testament in order, while the Old Testament readings move chronologically.
One‑year schedule: Read a manageable portion each day to finish both OT and NT in 12 months.

Strengths of this plan:

Storyline clarity: Seeing the prophets and psalms “in place” makes Scripture’s history easier to follow.
Christ‑centered reading: Constant New Testament exposure keeps the person and work of Christ in view throughout the year.
Optional Psalms add‑on: On lighter days, you can add a psalm or part of a psalm as a devotional supplement.

Plan 5 – Daily Psalms (Complementary Psalms Track for Any Plan)

This Psalms reading plan is designed as a companion track that you can layer onto any one year Bible reading plan. It helps you pray Scripture and keep your heart engaged, even when your main readings are in law or prophecy.

Ways to use a Psalms track:

One Psalm per day: Read Psalms 1–150 over the year, with long psalms (like Psalm 119 with its 176 verses) split into several days using their acrostic stanzas or natural sections.
Psalms + Proverbs: Combine psalms and short Proverbs readings through the year, similar to shorter “Psalms and Proverbs” plans but spread across 12 months.
Add‑on only: Keep your main plan (canonical, chronological, or genre‑based) and simply add this daily Psalm reading to the end of whatever else you read.

Why a Psalms add‑on helps:

Scripture‑shaped prayer: The Psalms teach you how to bring joy, sorrow, fear, and hope honestly before the Lord.
Emotional balance: Songs and laments balance narrative and teaching sections, especially on spiritually dry days.

So What's the Best One-Year Bible Reading Plan for Me?

So have you figured out what you want yet? If not, use these questions to pick the plan that fits you best:

Do you want to read the Bible straight through, or in historical or genre order?
Do you prefer one main reading per day, or multiple short readings (OT, NT, Psalm) each day?
Would a daily Psalm track help you stay engaged and prayerful throughout the year?

Here's the best piece of advice you can follow. Find something that works for you. Then stick to it.

Any of these one-year Bible reading plans will take you through all of Scripture in 12 months if you simply keep going. If you get sidetracked, no problem! Start again when you fall behind and ask the Lord to speak through His Word day after day.

After all, that's the purpose of a one-year Bible reading plan. It's so that you can gain the Lord's help daily. If you're diligent, you will grow.

God bless.