My Bible Study Plan for 2021

I’m excited to share with you today about my Bible study/devotional plan for this year. I’ll be sharing links to all my resources and I hope we can share some ideas and encourage one another in faithful and meaningful devotional plans. My “Word of the Year” is faithful, and being faithful in my devotional life is a priority for me.

Click here to read: Faithful | Word of the Year 2021

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Bible Study Plan: Read Through the Bible

How many of you have read through the entire Bible? I have done this for many years, beginning in high school. Our pastor’s wife shared that this was her habit, and it inspired me to begin. Thank you, Jennifer Russell–you never know how those stray comments you make to someone may take root.

I took a break from this practice for the past couple years and focused on doing community studies with She Reads Truth. I still recommend this Bible study community and plan to participate in some of their studies this year. Here’s the link to their website if you’re interested: She Reads Truth website.

I realized that I really missed reading through the Bible, so I searched for daily reading plans and decided to follow the Chronological Reading Plan. Here’s a link where you can download multiple reading plans as pdf: Bible Reading Plans.

Color Coding My Bible

I recently purchased a New Inductive Study Bible and am gradually adding color coding and symbols as I read. The benefit to this is that I’m much more attentive as I read. The tricky part is that I want to figure out all the color coding and marking and get it just right before I begin–perfectionist problems. Ugh. I’ve decided instead that I’m just going to do it. So I’ve jumped in, realizing that my marking system will evolve. My Bible has extensive tips for marking and color coding.

Here’s the Bible I’m using. It’s large print: New Inductive Study Bible, ESV Large Print

Here’s a more economical choice:

New Inductive Study Bible, ESV

And here are the pens and markers I’m using! I’m slightly pen-obsessed, as you will soon realize. These pens write fine and don’t bleed through the Bible pages, and the highlighters are the only ones I’ve found that don’t have major seepage; they are more like grease pencils than highlighters. (Remember grease pencils? We used them for photographs in Yearbook class.)

Micron Inductive Bible Study Kit

Accu-Gel Inductive Bible Study Highlighters

Gratitude Journaling: My Bible Study Plan for 2021

My daily devotional times always include Gratitude Journaling, which has been life changing for me. I was introduced to this concept by Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts, which I highly recommend and will link below. Of course, you can just pick up any old notebook or journal to use for Gratitude journaling. I’m also a Journal lover, so I think your journal should be beautiful!

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Beautiful Journals

Write the Word: My Bible Reading Plan

In the past few years, I’ve begun using Write the Word Journals, and they have truly enriched and deepened my devotional time. Each day has space to record the date, a gratitude, a suggested Bible passage to copy out and space to do so, a spot to select a word to focus on for that day, and another blank page where you can take notes, add artwork, or write out a prayer. I love beginning my day in this manner, and highly recommend it to you!

Write the Word Journals are frequently available through Amazon, or you can go to CultivateWhatMatters.com

You will probably not be surprised to discover that I have a favorite pen set I use to write in my Write the Word journals. I rotate the colors each day so I have a beautiful, colorful journal. Laugh if you will, but I really look forward to this each day. These pens write so smoothly and the colors are vibrant.

Energel Liquid Gel Pen Assorted (happiness in a cylinder)

Bible Studies

I also plan to do some individual Bible studies this year: I always like to do a seasonal Easter study and a Christmas study. Recently I purchased Ruth Chou Simons’s new Bible study Truthfilled, and I plan to begin it soon.

Truthfilled by Ruth Chou Simons

Christian Nonfiction: Bible Reading Plan 2021

Since I’m an avid reader, I enjoy having a Christian nonfiction book in-progress at all times. I like to read a chapter or so after I finish my daily devotional time when I am able. I enjoy Christian biographies as well as other sub-genres of Christian non-fiction. Here are links to my current read and the one most recently finished–both highly recommended!

Saints, Sufferers & Sinners by Michael R. Emlet (currently blowing my mind!)

Sensing God by Joel Clarkson

Bible Study Plan Devotional Extras: Music, Podcasts, Art Journaling

I enjoy adding in extra experiences to heighten my devotional time. Sometimes I light a candle, if my current state of asthma suffering will allow for it. Using Spotify or Pandora, I listen to Christian playlists: I tend to favor instrumental hymn arrangements during my Bible study time.

While I am not an aural learner, I do often enjoy these podcasts as I go about my day: