The New Testament in 21 Days Bible Reading Plan

I have read the Bible through before but not for some time. Inspired by the Holy Spirit and motivated by a recent teaching on the Word of God at my church, I decided to read through the New Testament. I did not use a Bible Reading Plan but jumped straight into reading for an hour a day. Around three days in, I started to put a Bible Reading Plan together to help me record my intention and track my progress. I found that reading the New Testament for an hour a day meant I could complete it in 21 days. I am a busy mum with a full-time job. I was surprised that I could find an hour a day. Initially, I simply woke up earlier, but I have also found time to read during breaks from work or before bed.

I am determined to actively listen to the Bible, so reading it while dozing off will not count! Reading the Bible before I do anything else helps me feel like I am prioritising it, and I am. An early start also usually means I am reading when interruptions are less likely.

When I say read, I mean listen and read. I like to use the Dwell Bible app. I know that one way to learn anything is immersion and listening while reading is a tried and tested way to immerse oneself in a text and increase understanding. I do not want the Bible to be background noise that I am semi-aware of so usually I listen and do nothing else. Occasionally, I do the dishes while listening, but the kitchen sink has long been a place I meet with God. I place the phone on the sill near the sink and keep my eyes and ears on the Word of God while washing up becomes the background activity.

Why I Like Listening to the Bible

Have you ever been reading something and then realised you have no idea what you just read? I find that reading while listening greatly reduces the likelihood of this happening. I concentrate far better and more consistently when I read the Bible this way. Dwell has several Bible Reading Plans but not one for reading the New Testament for 1 hour a day. I used the 'My Playlists' feature to create my own in the app.

The text on the screen moves up as the audio progresses and the current verse is highlighted. If I am looking at the screen and reading while listening and my mind wanders then my attention will be drawn back to the written text quickly by the upward movement of the text.

I think there is something about engaging physical hearing as well as sight that makes the words sink deeper into my memory and aids understanding. I like the Dwell Bible app because there are several translations to choose from and I can also remove the verse and chapter markings making the text flow more naturally.

Highlights from Reading the New Testament in 21 Days

At the time of writing I have not yet completed the New Testament in 21 Days Reading Plan but here are a few things I have found so far: Reading longer portions of Scripture at a time improved my ability to see the whole story. Reading the 4 Gospels across 10 days gave me a rich picture of the humanity of Jesus Christ as well as His deity. Earlier in the year, I listened to the Book of Acts in one go - while doing the ironing. Hearing the letter read from start to finish brought the Scripture to life in new ways. There are things about Paul's character and confidence that I noticed and the pace at which the Gospel spread was more noticeable. It was captivating, a real adventure. Prison, storms, snake bites, court, anointing, healings and other miracles, death threats and more!

The letters (or epistles) in the New Testament were not written to be read in bite-sized pieces and serialised around the busy lives of the recipients. They were created to be read in one go. If never read this way I think we miss out. The Bible is to be studied and pondered, but just as we benefit from considering context and looking up words in the original language, we also benefit from reading each letter of the New Testament in the manner in which it was intended. It does not take as long as you might think. Click to see how long it takes to read each book of the Bible in minutes

The New Testament in 21 Days Bible Reading Plan

Click here to receive the New Testament in 21 Days Bible Reading Plan I am using. I hope you find it useful!

You can try out the Dwell Bible App here.

Blessing in Action: The New Testament in 21 Days

It can be interesting to read about other people's experiences and move on without it leading to action. Is the Holy Spirit prompting you to read through the New Testament? It does not have to be for one hour a day. Perhaps you feel led to read or listen to certain letters of the Bible in one sitting. Whatever it is, decide to start now, be consistent and expect God to bless you with understanding, revelation, direction, growth and more! Share this post to inspire others and consider reading through the New Testament together.