The new year often ushers in a renewed and refreshed outlook for what lies ahead, whether because you’re returning from a relaxing holiday or determined to make this year different from the rest. Because of this, so many people see the new year as the perfect opportunity to start working on new year resolutions.
One of the most popular resolutions for Christians is to read the Bible more. Many attempt to read the Bible during the year, only to be caught up in the business of life, and one day without reading turns into two, turns into three, and so on.
Yet any Christian who is not actively reading the Word of God is not living in the fullness of God. This is because the Bible is where we discover God and His character, where He makes Himself known to us. Where the Holy Spirit can reveal things to us.
So, while we can still have a relationship
with God in prayer and trusting Him, not reading our Bible stunts this relationship, which will never grow to its full potential.
It will also eventually falter and wither because we’re not finding out more about our Lord and discovering new, unique things that draw us closer to Him.
To avoid this and to experience proper spiritual growth, we need to read our Bibles.
61% of Christians in the US say they wish to read their Bible more. In SA, those stats are likely to be very similar.
January is the perfect time to start a resolution to do this more and to connect more with God’s Word during the year ahead. Not only is it because it gives you a metaphorical ‘starting point,’ but because January is statistically proven to be when your mind is most focused and accepting of forming new habits.
Starting a habit can take only 18 days—just over half of the number of days in January. Therefore, beginning in January is the best time to start. There are other reasons for this, too:
January is often the month of Prayer and Fasting
If your church enters into seasons of prayer and fasting, this will likely occur during January. Whether it be one week or two, join your church in entering the season.
While participating in prayer and fasting, increase your prayer and focus on spending more time reading God’s Word. If you do this as part of a routine during prayer and fasting, you’ll find it much easier to continue once the season has passed.
January is when we realign and focus for the year.
Another reason January is the best time to start reading your Bible is that, as mentioned, it is the time of year when we rethink our priorities and realign our focus for the year. If you ensure that reading your Bible is a priority while doing this, you’ll find it easier to continue doing so further into the year.
Not making your Bible a priority means that, even if you try to make time to read it consistently, you’ll more than likely allow that time to be stolen by other things (that you have consciously made a priority).
Many great Bible reading plans begin in January
One of the greatest things about the modern age is our access to incredible Biblical resources. These include Bible reading plans that help focus on either a specific topic/point/person in the Bible or on ensuring you read the Bible throughout the year.
One of the best resources for this is the YouVersion Bible app. Here, you can find hundreds of curated Bible reading plans, many of which take the form of a year-long plan that systematically moves you through the Bible.
These plans are great, not only because they help guide you through the Bible without you needing to randomly pick a book to read or move from cover to cover, but because they are often also accompanied by daily devotionals that help explain what you’ve read.
Although January can be a hectic month—with work, school, and studies all starting up again—prioritising God’s Word and spending time studying it can drastically change one's outlook for the rest of the year.
So, as the year kicks off, consider committing to reading your whole Bible during 2025. Whether using a Bible reading plan (some of the best can be found below) or going through it yourself, use January as the launching pad to get deeper into God’s Word.
Disclaimer: Randfontein Baptist Church is not affiliated with the YouVersion Bible App and this post is not endorsed by the YouVersion Bible App. The following links are only provided because we feel they are valuable resources to be shared.
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