Why Read the Bible in a Year?

Perhaps you’ve heard the news reports: Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Bible sales surged. In fact, the month of September marked a 36-percent jump in Bible sales compared to the same time last year. The devastating loss of Charlie Kirk has heightened public interest in the Bible.  

This news surrounding Charlie’s legacy reminds me of another “influencer” we can read about in the Old Testament. During one of the most sinful times in the divided kingdom of Israel, Josiah became king of Judah at eight years old. King Josiah set about restoring the temple of the Lord eighteen years later. In the process, he discovered the Book of Hebrew Law. If you’re familiar with the story, you keenly feel the horror of the young king. How is it possible that Israel had misplaced the sacred words of God?  

• God's word, which revealed to Israel exactly how to live in right standing with Yahweh;
• God's word, which was required to be read by the priests every seven years to the entire population, including women, children, and aliens (Deuteronomy 31:9-13); 
• God's word, which was commanded to be hand-copied by the kings of Israel for personal reading and reference all the days of their lives (Deuteronomy 17:18-20)

Like the kingdom of Judah, our society is rediscovering God’s word, and we stand at a similar crossroads. How will we respond?  

At iVoterGuide, as we considered how to prepare for the midterms in 2026, a Bible read-through was the first thing that came to mind. Will you join us? Even if you’re studying smaller portions of scripture, we encourage you to pray about reading the whole counsel of God’s word in 2026. Countless resources exist to help us in this endeavor, and I’m confident you can find a solution for every preference and schedule. Here’s a quick overview of some options: 

• The Bible in 365 was started by Erika Kirk in 2016, long before her husband’s death accelerated interest in the Bible. The Bible in 365 offers a tried-and-true reading plan that explores daily passages in the Old Testament and New Testament, accompanied by scriptures in the Psalms or Proverbs.
• The Bible Recap offers a one-year reading plan with daily commentary by founder Tara-Leigh Cobble. I did this a couple of years ago with the women’s ministry at my church and really enjoyed the chronological reading plan. I loved reading the Psalms and Prophets alongside the historical events that correspond with them.
• The One Year Praying Through the Bible For Your Kids is a meaty devotional book by Nancy Guthrie that provides a one-year Bible reading plan with reflections and prayers focused on praying for your children at every age and stage.
• Bible Study Together includes a fabulous set of study workbooks at limited cost. BST provides a two-year reading plan if you want to read through the Bible more slowly, or double up on readings to finish the Bible in one year.
• If you just can’t fit a Bible read-through into your schedule, consider The Action Bible, written and illustrated as a graphic novel. This offers an excellent, contextual complement to anything else you’re studying in scripture.

Why read the Bible in a year?  

There’s something powerful about returning to the full biblical narrative as often as possible. The Bible has been described as a library of 66 books, where each book can stand alone. However, the Bible also serves as the complete revelation of God to mankind, so we can fully know God’s character. Reading the whole Bible gives us the full context of His-story (that is, history).  

In addition, there’s no issue in your life or on the political horizon that’s not addressed in God’s word. When you bump up against scriptures that seem scandalous or contradictory, you can examine them against the full landscape of scripture. Here's some advice from our iVoterGuide staff members who’ve read through the Bible as a regular practice: 

Consider starting your Bible read-through with the New Testament. With this strategy, you can hone your practice and build some momentum before tackling the Old Testament.

Focus more on finishing than catching up. If you get so behind in your reading plan that it’s overwhelming to catch up, let it go. Just get back in step with your reading plan and keep going.   

Learn to dialogue with God as you read. Consider trying out one of the new spiral journaling Bibles. It lays flat, provides thick pages (so your pen won’t bleed through), and offers lots of writing space. You can purchase spiral Bibles as a set or separately. 

Share your journey with a friend. (But don’t wait for a best-case scenario!) I loved reading through the Bible with the ladies at my church because the accountability kept me on track. But if you can’t get with someone regularly, or even read the same passages, make a plan to share what you’re learning. Biblical truths are meant to be shared! 

We’re less than one year away from the mid-term elections, and you can be assured: God can use your Bible reading in miraculous ways to guide your vote. But our Wonderful Counselor has far more to give us than that. We must not delay in following the ancient wisdom of King Josiah. Like the young king demonstrated in 2 Kings 22, we must humble ourselves, seek like-minded sojourners, obey God’s message, and lead others to His truth. 

King Josiah wasted no time for his generation. Neither can we.