Read the Bible in 2026 for Nearness to Christ

As another year begins, I find myself drawn once again to the discipline of daily Bible reading. My motivation is simple: I want to know Christ. Because I am united to him by faith, his Word becomes the place where I meet him, hear him, and grow closer to him. The doctrine of union with Christ shapes how I approach Scripture. When I open my Bible, I am growing closer to the One to whom I belong.

Why Christians Read Daily

If you are in Christ, you are joined to him in a living relationship. You share in his death, his resurrection, his life. Paul says we are "in him" and he is "in us." This union grows and deepens like any relationship, and it requires communication.

Christ speaks to us through the Scriptures. Through his Word, the Spirit shapes our minds to think his thoughts, our hearts to love what he loves, our wills to align with his purposes. Daily Bible reading maintains intimacy with the one we are already united to. We read because we are connected to Jesus and he wants to speak to us daily. 

Reading Plans Worth Considering

If you are planning to read Scripture in 2026, a good reading plan helps. Here are several options that have served Christians well.

Robert Murray M'Cheyne's plan takes you through the entire Bible in a year, with the Psalms and New Testament read twice. It requires four chapters daily, but the benefit is comprehensive coverage. You move through Scripture quickly enough to see connections and themes, slowly enough to absorb what you are reading.

The ESV Reading Plan offers a similar year-long approach with slight variations in structure. It is accessible and widely used, making it easy to find others reading alongside you.

Five-Day Plan gives you weekends off, which makes a real difference for sustainability. Life gets busy, and having built-in margin means you are less likely to fall behind and give up. Here is the PDF. 

If you want more options, Ligonier has compiled a helpful list of Bible reading plans with different structures and emphases. The key is finding something you can maintain.

My Approach This Year

This year I am continuing my work through the Corinthian correspondence by phrasing 2 Corinthians. Last year I completed 1 Corinthians using this method. Bible phrasing involves marking out the logical structure of a passage: the flow of argument, the relationships between clauses, the connections between ideas. Here is an example from 1 Corinthians 2:1-5:

And I, when I came to you, brothers,
        did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God
        with lofty speech or wisdom.
        For I decided to know nothing among you
            except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

And I was with you

    in weakness
    and in fear
    and much trembling,

and my speech and my message were not 

    in plausible words of wisdom,
        but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
    so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men
        but in the power of God.

This method forces you to slow down. You cannot phrase a passage without paying close attention to how the author put it together. That attention yields understanding. You start to see why Paul says what he says where he says it. You notice the logic, the emphasis, the progression. This slower pace allows for meditation and application. When you understand the logic of a passage, you are better positioned to let it address your life.

A Year in the Word

However you choose to read Scripture in 2025, make the choice. Pick a plan that fits your life and your goals. Remember: the Word is where we encounter the One we belong to.