Reading the Bible according to a plan
Wenn we have realized that reading and studying the Bible every day positively affects our spiritual growth, our steadfastness in Jesus and our everyday life in the power of Jesus (more on this elsewhere, still to be done), we will look for a suitable practice supporting this goal. Bible reading plans of different kinds, often combined with interpretations within special devotional books that are usually designed for use in an everyday "quiet time" with Jesus are playing an important role in accomplishing that goal. Other Bible reading plans are designed for the purpose to lead once through the whole Bible in a reasonable period of time while having relatively extensive daily Bible readings. The narjesus Bible Reading Plan which is described in the paragraph below belongs to this group. Its specialty is the manner by which the daily Bible readings are combined from several distinct source areas.
The narjesus Bible Reading Plan
is based upon a method introduced by Christian Breuers, then co-worker of GlaubensZentrum Bad Gandersheim, on a conference held in Hamburg-Volksdorf in 1995. The daily Bible readings are taken consecutively by the chapter from five different areas of the Bible according to the following principle:
OT1 | 1 chapter from Psalms - Song of Songs |
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OT2 | 2 chapters from Genesis - Job |
OT3 | 1 chapter from Isaiah - Malachi |
NT1 | 1 chapter from Matthew - Acts |
NT2 | 1 chapter from Romans - Revelation |
This Bible reading plan is not intended for use in daily devotional "quiet time" (its Bible readings are much too vast for that purpose), but to be considered a completely independent, supplementary Bible reading, with the selected sections being read at normal reading speed (5-7 minutes each chapter, 30-40 minutes total).
Advantages of this method:
- leads us through the whole Bible once in approx. 6 months - and not just to our favourite Bible passages
- helps us to receive from the whole will and plan of God every day
- yields a great variety in reading the Bible; we daily get in touch with all kinds of literature in the Bible: poetry and wisdom literature, Old Testament history and the Law (Torah), Prophets, Gospel and New Testament history, the Apostles' letters and Revelation.
- we receive a pretty balanced "spiritual menu" (a healthy spiritual diet without imbalance)
- gives aids in practising constancy and reliability