Matthew alternates stories of Jesus’ life and sections which provide his teachings. These provide context relating Jesus to prophecies in earlier Biblical books. Mark is a fast-paced account of Jesus’ life. This dramatic narrative culminates in the crucifixion. Luke has larger blocks of stories and teachings. It focuses on Jesus’ relationship with people. John is often set apart from the other (Synoptic) Gospels. It focuses on the character of Jesus and contains stories not told in the others.

Matthew 1028-33 or Philippians 4:4-47 if you are struggling with adversity. Psalm 91:9-16 or Joshua 1:9 if you feel bullied. Luke 15:11-24 or Psalm 107 4-9 if you are feeling lost. Psalm 100 or 2 Corinthians 9:10-12, 15 if you want to express thanks.

Check your study Bible or online guides for charts that tell you what order the books were written in.

Services like the Bible Project can give you guidance with each part of the Bible as you read it through. This can help you understand what you read. [12] X Research source

For instance, a group called Gideons offers a plan (online or via their app) for reading each of the Bible’s chapters within a year. Some plans will couple the daily reading with a Psalm or excerpt from Proverbs for variety. You will need to read about 3 chapters a day to read the entire Bible in a year, but only about one a day to read it within three years.

For instance, each day you can read a chapter from the Old Testament, and one from the New. You could instead read one whole book from the Old Testament. Then read one from the New Testament, then back to the Old, and so on. This technique is most useful if you are trying to read the whole Bible in a certain amount of time, and want some variety rather than reading cover to cover.

The King James Version (KJV) was created in the 1600s for the Church of England. It sounds old-fashioned, but many readers still enjoy its powerful style. The New International Version (NIV) is a translation done in the 1970s. It is readable while still conservative in its interpretation. The New Living Translation, isn’t a direct translation, but it conveys the Bible’s message in a clear, inclusive way. You can also read and compare several translations to get a sense of how the original texts have been interpreted differently.

There are also numerous versions of the Bible available as ebooks and apps. Some app and ebook versions of the Bible have nice features that let you highlight and make notes.

Reading on the way to school or work. Listening to an audio version of the Bible while you are doing something else. Downloading a Bible ebook or app and reading while you are standing in lines, waiting for a bus, etc.

As you read, take notes about ways to apply what you read to your own life, or jot down questions that come up.

Bible study groups often set a schedule for what to read, and devote time to questions that members have.