Bible in 90 Days: My Personal 10 Tips

I could never say before with 100% certainty that I had read the entire Bible.  I was pretty sure I had.  At some point.  In bits and pieces.

I knew I had read through many of the books of the Bible.  But all of them?

One thing I know for sure.  I had never done it in order or any type of organized fashion.

Mrs. Pear then read through it front to back in 87 days.  She introduced the 90 day challenge to my own heart.

I began the challenge the beginning of Oct.  I can't think of a better way to now end my year.  I can know for sure, I have read through the Bible.  And I did it in 89 days!


Why do I share this?  

This in no way makes me better, more spiritual or more holy.  Instead, I share this to say that I am one in desperate need of my God.  I also share this to say... if I can do this then you can too!

Just this last week I learned that Shawntele and Michelle, two of my blogging friends, have committed to begin this 90 day journey with this new year.  Having just come to the end of my own 90 day journey, I can't begin to tell you how excited I am for them!

I was asked to share a few tips I learned in my own personal journey and thought maybe some others might like to give the challenge a try and would like to read these as well.

So, here they are...

My personal 10 tips to make it through

1.  Read in story form, not study form:  This was a new approach for me.  Do not stop to study, compare or linger on any given section.  Instead, underline, highlight, or take quick notes of what you want to come back to.  

2.  Make it your book of choice:  I quickly realized that I would not get much other reading done during this time.  I had to be okay with that.  When there was time for reading, the Bible was my book of choice.

3.  Be determined:  I'll be honest, the amount of the reading was difficult some days.  It is a lot!  However, I believed that God would honor the time I was spending in His Word.

"You will never waste time in God's Word" - Beth Moore

4.  Keep reading:  If you get behind, do not quit!  To stop for even a few days may leave you feeling discouraged and that there's no way to catch up.  Just read, read, read.

"This is one of those things where the victory is not to the fast, the flashy or the fancy.  This is one of those things where the victory is to those who are faithful and persevere!"  -- Mrs. Pear

5.  Make it your anytime priority: Use small snippets of your time.  I often used 5 minute chunks throughout my day to read a chapter or two.  Do not think it all has to be read in one setting.  (When I did read in one setting it would take an average of 45-60 minutes.)

6.  Get ahead:  If you can do it, read ahead!  I found there were days I was able to read more than the reading for that day, and was glad I did.  There were other days where life just happened and I couldn't get the full amount of reading in.  I was also shocked at how quickly my buffer from reading ahead disappeared.

7.  Don't predict the fast read:   Do not slow the reading in some areas assuming you will catch up and gain ground in a book to come.  I thought Leviticus and Numbers would be struggles for me.  I actually found them to be fairly quick reads.  My personal struggle to get through came in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekial. 

8.  Find Accountability:  This was key for me.  Not only did I commit to myself to do this, but I facilitated a small group of 9 other adults reading it with me.  Knowing we would be meeting weekly kept me on top of my reading.  Tell someone you are doing it.  Ask them to hold you accountable.  Ask them to cheer and encourage you along the way.

9.  Enjoy the process:  Remember this is God's story of extending His very self to us, His creation.  Look for Him!

10.  Pray:  Ask God to help you.  Ask God to reveal Himself to you.  Ask God to make you hungry for Him.  Thank God for inviting you to know Him. Pray, Pray, Pray

BONUS TIP:  Recognize true success:  Even if you do not keep the pace to get through it in the 90 days, keep pushing forward!  The process will keep you very conscious to be in God's Word much more than you would have been otherwise, or maybe ever have been.

Spending an abundance of focused and intentional time with God... now that's true success!

  

Have you ever read through the Bible?  Have you done the 90 day challenge?  What tips would you offer?  Are you thinking you might like to give it a try?  What is keeping you from it?

(I will answer questions related to this post here in the comment section so that everyone can benefit from the dialogue.)