Daily reading Bibles are a great way to read the Bible through in a year. They have the Bible arranged for you, separated by day, so you can just pick it up and read the days’ reading without having to put any thought into the reading plan itself. There are many choices. The hard part is knowing which one would work for you.
There are several choices for the plan in daily reading Bibles. You can read the Bible in Biblical order, chronologically, have a morning and evening reading, or read portions from various books (Law, Prophets, Psalms/Proverbs, Gospels, Epistles, etc.). These Bibles often have a devotional, topical index, or sometimes no other features. Most are paperback and well worth their money. Here is a sampling of what is available. All of these Bibles are in double-column, paragraph format with poetry set to verse
ESV Daily Reading Bible
This one presents the text in Biblical order. The date appears in the margin to show that day’s reading. The bottom of the page shows you the other readings for that day. There is a reading plan in the front that gives you a reading from the Old Testament, Psalms, and the New Testament. It takes you through the OT once, and Psalms and the NT twice. In the back there is an introduction to each book and a short topical index. This one also works as a regular Bible.
ISBN: 9781433527302
NKJV The Charles Stanley Life Principles Daily Bible
This is one of the most complex of the daily reading Bibles. Rather than showing the Bible in Biblical order, it shows all of the readings in a daily order. A day’s reading includes the OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs, and Life Lessons. There are also and Life Principles, Life Examples, Answers to Life’s Questions, and God’s Promises. The Bible reading is given in Biblical order – so you pick up each section where you left off the day before. It’s easy to just read the Bible if you want to skip the extras. This one would be difficult to use for anything but a daily reading Bible.
ISBN: 9780718020101
HCSB Reading God’s Story – A Chronological Daily Bible by George H. Guthrie
This one breaks the Bible up into Acts and Scenes and presents the Bible text in chronological order rather than giving a date it give the week and day (Week 1, Day 1), so it’s easy to pick it up anytime of the year and start at the beginning. It gives you a six day reading and ends each week with a summary and prayer. Acts 1 is God’s Plan for All People. Act 2 is God’s Covenant People, and Act 3 is God’s New Covenant People. The only downside to this format is you don’t get a daily reading from OT, NT, Psalms, etc. You get the portions as they fit chronologically. This Bible also works well just as a chronological Bible.
ISBN: 9781433601125
NIV Once a Day Bible
This one gives you a daily reading that includes the OT, NT, and Psalms or Proverbs (every fourth day is Proverbs). At the end of each day there is a reflection on one of the verses from that day’s reading. The days are numbered (1-365) and that day’s reading is presented under that day’s number, so you get a mix of OT, NT, and Psalms or Proverbs. There is a chart in the front that shows what verses will be read on each day. It would be difficult to use this Bible for anything but daily reading.
ISBN: 9780310950929
Conclusion
These are just a few reading Bibles that are available. Daily Reading Bibles make it easy and they’re inexpensive, and you don’t have to think about your reading plan. Another good option is using a reading plan that will work with any Bible. I especially like the reading plans that are printed in the back of Bibles because your reading plan is always handy (and difficult to lose). The main point is to read the Bible daily. So for the coming year, please pick up your Bible every day and spend some time in God’s Word with prayer.
What is your favorite daily reading Bible or reading plan?