Why A Bible Reading Plan Might Not Be the Best Way to Start the New Year

Somewhere along the way, we picked up the idea that finishing a Bible reading plan equals spiritual success. And if we fall behind, we’re somehow failing God. But what if a Bible reading plan, especially at the start of the New Year, is actually keeping us from truly digging into God’s Word? What if speed reading Scripture is leaving our souls underfed.

What if speed reading Scripture is leaving our souls underfed?

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The Problem With Speed Reading The Bible

I’ve used Bible reading plans. Many times. And while I started with good intentions, they often left me feeling rushed and pressured. I was constantly trying to keep up, checking boxes, and stressing about falling behind. I ended up feeling like I wasn’t giving God my best.

When life got busy or hard and I missed a day or two, guilt crept in. Not because God had moved away from me, but because I had quietly turned my reading plan into a measure of my faithfulness. See that? I made it about me!

Choosing Slow Bible Study Over Keeping Up

And that’s when the realization hit me. I would rather spend twenty minutes slowly studying a chapter or a few verses, really listening and really reflecting, than twenty minutes reading chapters I would have a hard time recollecting.

I don’t just need to read the Bible. I need God to speak to my soul.

Why Slowing Down in Scripture Leads to Spiritual Growth

Scripture was never meant to be consumed like a task list. God’s Word is living and active. It invites us to linger, to meditate, to ask questions, and to let it sink deep into our hearts. Slowing down is not laziness. It’s often where transformation happens.

A single verse, prayerfully read and thoughtfully considered, can shape your faith more than pages rushed through with a distracted mind. Depth often does more for our spiritual growth than sheer volume.

Speed Focused Bible Reading	Slow Meditative Bible Reading
Goal is to finish chapters	Goal is to meet with God
Feels rushed and pressured	Is peaceful and unhurried
Easy to feel guilty when you fall behind	Experience grace on days you have missed
More difficult to retain information	Easier to retain information
Focused on progress and completion	Focused on depth and relationship

How Deep Bible Study Helped Me Engage God’s Word

And the best thing about slowing down is that it gave me time to mark keywords, figure out the chapter theme, the key verse, the main characters of the chapter, the application, attributes of God and important lists. (Read more about how I color code my Bible HERE)

it’s okay to go against the grain. It’s okay to opt out of the pressure and the spiritual comparison. You are still a faithful believer if you don’t follow a Bible in a year plan. You are still honoring God if your quiet time looks slower, quieter, and simpler than someone else’s.

You are still honoring God if your quiet time looks slower, quieter, and simpler than someone else’s.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Psalm 1:2-3

Delight in God’s Word Through Slow, Meditative Bible Study

Psalm 1 reminds us that the blessed is the one who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night. Not races through it. Not keeps up perfectly.

Slow study. Meditative reading. Soaking in Scripture.

God is not asking you to hurry. He’s inviting you to dwell, to delight, and to be nourished by His Word.

Questions of Reflection

Here are a few gentle questions to sit with as you prayerfully consider whether this season calls for a Bible reading plan, or for slowing down and savoring God’s Word.

• When I think about my current Bible reading rhythm, do I feel peace or pressure. What might that be revealing about my approach?
• Am I reading Scripture primarily to finish something, or to meet with God. How can I shift toward relationship rather than completion?
• What usually happens in my heart when I miss a day or fall behind. Do I respond with grace, or with guilt?
• If I allowed myself to slow down, what might God be inviting me to notice, meditate on, or linger with right now?