# What is your daily Bible reading / devotional / prayer?



## Alexander Whyte (Apr 29, 2013)

What do some of you do for your daily personal Bible reading / devotional / prayer?

Do you follow a Bible reading plan?
Do you read a daily devotional?
Do you recite a creed?
Do you say a specific prayer or does you prayer respond to the needs of the day?

Just curious.


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## GoodTreeMinistries.com (Apr 29, 2013)

I do not Follow any type of reading plan. I just read straight through a few differnt kinds of versions of the Bible. I put alot of time in what every the church is reading through also.

Yes I read a few daily devotional. I change them up every day to get a different view. I usually ready a few from my page: Daily Christian Devotionals - Good Tree Ministries (Bearing Good Fruit)

I do not daily recite a creed. Not a bad idea. Maybe something to thing about.

My morning prayer usually start with how Holy and wonder God is then go to things pertaining to that day. Later prayers seem to be more about other people and thanking God.

What about you?


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## SeanPatrickCornell (Apr 30, 2013)

Currently I am following the YouVersion Bible App's "ESV Bible in a Year" plan, and I read Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening" every morning and evening for devotions.


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## Alexander Whyte (May 5, 2013)

Thanks to those who shared their daily devotional plan. 

My own plan consist of the following.

*Scripture*
Psalms (3 chapters)
Old Testament (2 chapters)
New Testament (1 chapter)
Gospel (1 chapter)

*Hymns and Readings*
Church Hymnary (Scotland, 1928)
Oswald Chambers
Matthew Henry 
Various study Bibles

*Heaven and Earth*
Sky and Telescope magazine
Astronomy Magazine
Bird Watching Digest
John Muir nature writings

*Prayer*
Praise
Confession
Petition
Thanksgiving
Intercession
Meditation

I usually spend 3 hours in the early morning hours (4:30-7:30 AM EDT) in my daily devotions.


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## Jake (May 5, 2013)

What is special about Oswald Chambers? I've now seen him here twice recently, between Bob's mention and a link on Jeremy's website to devotionals. However, I have not found him to be sound in my limited experience with him. At the church I grew up in, which was in no way reformed, he was a favorite. As I was reforming, I started to read him and found much suspect in My Utmost for His Highest.


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## Need 4 Creed (May 5, 2013)

Jake said:


> What is special about Oswald Chambers? I've now seen him here twice recently, between Bob's mention and a link on Jeremy's website to devotionals. However, I have not found him to be sound in my limited experience with him. At the church I grew up in, which was in no way reformed, he was a favorite. As I was reforming, I started to read him and found much suspect in My Utmost for His Highest.



I guess you can be ultra-orthadox but ultra-dry/dead/ (insert any suitable adjective) but you can be unorthodox in some areas but closer to God than others who are sound in their heads but empty in their hearts. Chambers reads like one who is close to God. His insights often cut to the heart.

(Oops, I think we are drifting off topic, maybe we should start a post on Chambers as a separate discussion.)


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## Mindaboo (May 5, 2013)

I am currently reading Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah, along with the chapter in Isaiah that corresponds with the commentary. I am also working on one New Testament chapter a day, currently Luke. Then I read "Before the Throne of God" for the Bible study I am doing with a friend. After I'm done with my reading I usually write in my prayer journal. I try to use Scripture to pray, but most of the time I pray for my family and our needs for the day.


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## GoodTreeMinistries.com (May 5, 2013)

What would be wrong with Oswald Chambers Devotional? We must remember that just because a church is not reformed does not mean they do not know God. Chambers seems to have a passion for God and it shows through his writings. Would you say we should not listen to M. LLOyd Jones because of some of the things he believed? God uses alot of men that I do not agree with every point but they seem to have a passion for God. My spirit rejoices with such love for God!


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## Rangerus (May 5, 2013)

I read the following and have found it fulfilling. Currently I am on day 1514.

Professor Horners Bible Reading


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## bookslover (May 5, 2013)

I read 1 chapter from the OT, 1 from the NT, and 1 psalm per day. So, today: Isaiah 27, Psalm 106, and Mark 8. At 1 chapter per day, it takes 8-1/2 months to read through the NT.

I also use the following devotional material daily:

"Tabletalk Magazine" (Ligonier Ministries)
"A Spiritual Treasury for the Children of God: A Meditation for Each Day of the Year" (William Mason)
"Expositions of Holy Scripture" (Alexander Maclaren)
"Expository Thoughts on the Gospels" (J. C. Ryle)
"Glorifying God: Inspirational Messages" (gleaned from the writings of Thomas Watson)
"Moments of Truth: Unleashing God's Word One Day at a Time" (John MacArthur)
"Voices from the Past: Puritan Devotional Readings" (various Puritan writers)


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## joejohnston3 (May 6, 2013)

We have family devotion every day and we firstly sing 2-3 hymns, then read from the Confession of Faith, then do a reformed study guide designed for our children, then read a section of the Bible, then pray! It sounds in-depth but truly only takes about less than 30 minutes and has produced some great results for our family.


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## Zach (May 6, 2013)

I like a slightly modified version of the Horner System. 10 Chapters a day from various books and a portion of Psalm 119. I like that it gets me into a lot of areas of Scripture at the same time.


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## Zach (May 6, 2013)

Your post, Austin, captures a lot of my frustration with all kinds of Bible reading plans. There just isn't a perfect plan! I like what you said about the key being to read a lot of the Word and enjoy the Word. I think helping us toward that end is the best that a good Bible reading plan can do for us. I notice a lot of less than ideals in the Horner plan when I do it, but I also notice a lot of pluses. I notice a lot of less than ideals when I do other plans/methods too and I notice a lot of pluses too. All the pluses come from the reality that the Word is so good for us and, I think, the minuses come the reality that the breadth and depth of God's word is so vast and deep that we can't possible take it all in even though we may want to!


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## ooguyx (May 6, 2013)

joejohnston3 said:


> We have family devotion every day and we firstly sing 2-3 hymns, then read from the Confession of Faith, then do a reformed study guide designed for our children, then read a section of the Bible, then pray! It sounds in-depth but truly only takes about less than 30 minutes and has produced some great results for our family.


What reformed study guide do you use? I've been meaning to get something like that for our family worship.


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## jgilberAZ (May 6, 2013)

I took the "read the Bible in a year" chronological plan and modified it.

The original plan was 0T for 9 months then NT for 3 months.

I took the OT readings and extended them to a year.

I tookl the NT readings, and extended them to 4 months.

I then out them together, rendering a chronological schedule that covers the OT once and the NT three time each year.

I read early in the morning, and then follow up with another book ... Currently reading 'Humility' by Wayne Mack.

Total time is about an hour.

Afterwards, I join my wife for breakfast, followed by our devotions together (which includes a few hymns each day).


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## Zach (May 6, 2013)

au5t1n said:


> Zach said:
> 
> 
> > Your post, Austin, captures a lot of my frustration with all kinds of Bible reading plans. There just isn't a perfect plan! I like what you said about the key being to read a lot of the Word and enjoy the Word. I think helping us toward that end is the best that a good Bible reading plan can do for us. I notice a lot of less than ideals in the Horner plan when I do it, but I also notice a lot of pluses. I notice a lot of less than ideals when I do other plans/methods too and I notice a lot of pluses too. All the pluses come from the reality that the Word is so good for us and, I think, the minuses come the reality that the breadth and depth of God's word is so vast and deep that we can't possible take it all in even though we may want to!
> ...



The main advantage of the Horner plan is not that you always can follow the steam of argument/narrative from beginning to conclusion but that, over time, much of scripture soaks into your brain to assist in following argument/narrative from beginning to end. From my experience, you're right that reading that 5-10 chapters in one book will give you the best understanding of what's going on in the text.


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## joejohnston3 (May 6, 2013)

ooguyx said:


> joejohnston3 said:
> 
> 
> > We have family devotion every day and we firstly sing 2-3 hymns, then read from the Confession of Faith, then do a reformed study guide designed for our children, then read a section of the Bible, then pray! It sounds in-depth but truly only takes about less than 30 minutes and has produced some great results for our family.
> ...



It is called - "Studying God's Word" Book B, by Michael J. McHugh through Christian Liberty Press. Our church hands it out to parents in order to have a common teaching guide and we do a children's lesson on Sunday to ask question concerning the unit we learned that week.


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## GulfCoast Presbyterian (May 6, 2013)

For "bible reading" I do a modified version of the Horner plan. For my more in-depth "bible study" I work through comentaries on what we are studying in Sunday School, and the class materials.


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## Pilgrim (May 6, 2013)

GulfCoast Presbyterian said:


> For "bible reading" I do a modified version of the Horner plan. For my more in-depth "bible study" I work through comentaries on what we are studying in Sunday School, and the class materials.



Out of curiosity, what modifications have you made to the Horner plan?


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## baron (May 6, 2013)

1) Do you follow a Bible reading plan?
I was reading whole books in a setting, but since I came home from hospital about 3 weeks now I have not been doing the whole books. I read The One Year Chronological Bible right now. maybe next week I will add the whole book back to my reading plan. 
I also use, Know Your Bible: All 66 Books Explained and Applied by Paul Kent.
How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens by Michael Williams.

2) Do you read a daily devotionals?
My wife and I use:
A one year Great Songs of Faith.
The Daily Bread.
The J. I. Packer Classic Collection.
Come to the Waters by James Montgomery Boice (who is my favorite).

3) Do you recite a creed?
I started following the advice of Martin Luther in A Simple way to Pray using creeds and the bible to pray.

4) Do you say a specific prayer or does you prayer respond to the needs of the day?
I have been using: 
A Simple Way to Pray.
Take Words With You by Tim Kerr.
Reading and studying Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorties From Paul and His Prayers by D. A. Carson.
Also I use the classic The Valley of Vision.

My prayers are always basically the same to me. This is one area in my life I'm trying to develope.


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## Zach (May 6, 2013)

Pilgrim said:


> GulfCoast Presbyterian said:
> 
> 
> > For "bible reading" I do a modified version of the Horner plan. For my more in-depth "bible study" I work through comentaries on what we are studying in Sunday School, and the class materials.
> ...



I'm also curious. I like hearing about how others tweak the Horner plan. I added a portion of Psalm 119 as a daily reading and grouped the Epistles a little differently than the original plan.


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## MichaelNZ (May 7, 2013)

I am currently going through Wellington Boone Ministries' 6 Month Bible Reading Program, which involves reading 8 chapters of the Bible every day. You can get it here. I am using the ESV Study Bible, which is an excellent Bible to use.


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## GulfCoast Presbyterian (May 7, 2013)

Pilgrim said:


> GulfCoast Presbyterian said:
> 
> 
> > For "bible reading" I do a modified version of the Horner plan. For my more in-depth "bible study" I work through comentaries on what we are studying in Sunday School, and the class materials.
> ...



I skip Proverbs reading every other day (since you read a chapter of it daily, or read the whole book through each month) and add another reading or two in Psalms, so I get through Psalms more times in the 250 day cycle. After about 3 cycles through the Horner system, I found I was giving Proverbs and Job a super quick skim. This works better for my attention span.


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## Branson (May 7, 2013)

GulfCoast Presbyterian said:


> Pilgrim said:
> 
> 
> > GulfCoast Presbyterian said:
> ...



I do basically the same, except I usually substitute Proverbs and Job with a couple of extra chapters of whichever gospel I'm reading at the time. I also enjoy taking a smaller book like Ephesians and reading the first 3 chapters the first day and the last 3 the second day. I'll keep doing that for 10 or 15 days, and read Matthew Henry or another commentary alongside it. It's a good change of pace from the Horner plan.


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## reaganmarsh (May 7, 2013)

I have tried various methods/plans over the years and always seem to come back to simply reading through books. I think I pay better attention that way. I'll pick one book and read it straight through 5-10 times, in large chunks. Depending on the book, sometimes I'll read 20+ chapters in a sitting. But I'll usually end up finding a few verses that grab me with a particular sweetness regarding the Covenant or God's character or some divine attribute or the like, and I'll stop there and enjoy the Lord. 

My preaching prof at SBTS (Russell Moore) spoke of doing much the same thing, so I didn't feel like I was quite so weird after that! 

This has been a helpful thread.


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## Lindsay (Jun 5, 2013)

I tried the Horner plan and fell off. My eyes had tracking problems this winter, so I'd fall asleep a few chapters in or get headaches. The Lord seems to have answered my and a friend's prayers on this, though. Recently I've been faring much better. So maybe I will try it, or my own version (of 4-5 books at once), again.

Right now: 
Acts (no specific plan; just haven't read it recently and last read a gospel, an OT book, and an epistle) 
The Valley of Vision (for reading and listening, plus bringing prayer topics to mind)
The Fountain of Life: A Display of Christ in His Essential and Mediatorial Glory by John Flavel
plus on the Sabbath: The Confession of Faith and Catechisms of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church with Proof Texts

In addition to the night, I get some reading time in during my workday (it's allowed) and on lunch. And I'm listening to the Bible here and there, planning to plow straight through.


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## sevenzedek (Jun 5, 2013)

I am going through a book entitled, Search the Scriptures. It goes through the whole bible in about three years. The daily readings consist of a small section of verses with two to four thought provoking questions designed to get one to think about what has been read. So far, the book has been quite useful. I highly recommend it as a daily aid to meditation.

After spending about thirty minutes on this book, I have several points of application that I use to help me pray for myself and others.

Then I spend about about twenty minutes to a half hour memorizing the WSC and other scriptures from Berkhof's Textual Aid to Systematic Theology.

Then, if I have time, I spend about fifteen minutes reading the Bible at about 600 wpm while using an audio-bible on my iPod that allows me to adjust the speed. I use the audio as an aid to speed me up in my reading.

Then there are days that I only get through the book I mentioned and prayer; missing my other reading memorization. I'm not perfect.


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## JM (Jun 6, 2013)

- three chapters a day more or less
- use a prayer card that is updated weekly or as needed
- Gadsby's Hymns
- often J. C. Philpot or Robert Hawkers devotional portions

("My Utmost for His Highest communicates a fairly radical version of the Keswick's movement's stress on self-denial. It lacks joy and some even term it 'morbid.'" source)


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## augustacarguy (Jun 29, 2013)

I've done Mc'Cheyne for several years. I'm doing a Chronological plan this year. As for a prayer organizer, I use an iPhone app called Prayermate. LOVE that little app!


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## nick (Jun 29, 2013)

Rangerus said:


> I read the following and have found it fulfilling. Currently I am on day 1514.
> 
> Professor Horners Bible Reading



I did this for a season and really enjoyed it. The variety you encounter daily and the always changing interactions between the books was very interesting.


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## a mere housewife (Jun 29, 2013)

I have trouble reading a large portion of Scripture a day: not that I don't consider it the most important book in life, but I feel that I am not understanding it very well without time to think about it. Sometimes I will read a chapter and have to reread the next day, and the next, because it is so wonderful and I don't feel able to leave it yet: I don't feel that I have understood it well enough. I wish I were more reasonable in this regard, but it is a struggle I've had since as a child, we were to be reading all sorts of Scripture and commentaries which I read through without any comprehension simply to cross them off a list. It is also typical of some people that we reach 'system overload' very quickly with all sorts of experiences/data/sensory stimuli, and this contact with the Word of God is the most significant. I am not by any means *advocating* that others do as I do (I wish rather that I could do as others): I just wanted to add an encouragement to those who struggle with reading a large amount daily at least to read something: not to feel overwhelmed and overcome with frustration and guilt and avoid the Bible altogether. Read what you can and treasure it every day.


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## deleteduser99 (Jun 29, 2013)

I go consecutively through the Bible. A year ago I was trying to do 2 OT/1 NT/1 Psalm per day but wasn't profiting. Went down to 1 OT chapter per day, and thinned it out even more. Just so you know, I take notes when I read, so I might produce a handful of notes on a small passage. I decided to revert to Proverbs as it's the most profitable for me at this stage of life. I go through bit by bit, and just work at pressing the passages on my conscience.

I pray over the passages that I've read, or the insights I've gained, in addition to praying over other matters.


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## sevenzedek (Jun 29, 2013)

No. You're supposed to read this many chapters per day; or that many chapters per day. It would give me a frowny-face to hear someone talk like that!


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## Vladimir (Jun 29, 2013)

The reason people use reading plans and stick to a routine is need of discipline. Oftentimes I need to power through to love Him with my mind, and knowing that I have a system to stick to really helps.


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## a mere housewife (Jun 29, 2013)

Vladimir, I think you and Austin both make very good points. Discipline in our walk with God is important. My pastor was remarking a few weeks ago that the virtue of 'self control' is one involving the mastery of our hearts, in which our desires are primarily set on God, and where we guard that in the way we seek Him first in our routines of life. Ruben is often telling me just what Austin said about the grasp that reading large tracts of Scripture gives you. I have an easier time, with large portions, listening rather than reading: the reader continues even though I may feel like I am not understanding very well, and so one is inevitably carried along. I did not at all wish to say anything against reading large portions. Yet I have in the past given up on reading at all at various times, because of an inability to read as much as I felt like I *ought* to be able to in a day. It is better to read even a portion of a chapter and think about it, to listen to God speak and speak with Him every day, than to feel an additional barrier of guilt in approaching Him because of aiming for something it is sometimes not possible circumstantially (as with mothers kept running with little ones) or psychologically to perform. I can listen to large tracts of Scripture occasionally, but even that I simply can't do daily at present (unless it is the same book over and again for awhile): I can't do that with any kind of literature, or even any kind of experience (I don't watch much media, and mostly what I do is rewatching: I relisten to a lot of music fairly regularly). It takes me a long time to work through and think about and feel that I have 'processed' contact with anything. I have struggled against it, but I function better coming to terms with it. God made me that way. People are all different; it is not always possible to do what works best for another, or even for everyone to achieve a desirable balance. We are here to walk with the God who made us each uniquely for Himself.


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## AlexanderHenderson1647 (Jun 29, 2013)

Mc'Cheyne's reading plan, Greenville Seminary's WCF/WSC/WLC reading plan, Psalms for Singing rehearsal a couple times a week in preparation for the Sabbath.


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## AndrewOfCymru (Jun 29, 2013)

I am using the M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan for the third time. I find that I am able to pick up a broad view of the scripture and am gaining more of an appreciation for some of the similar themes that are present throughout the passage that have been chosen. Prayer time is usually before, but never near enough time it seems.

Recently, I've been thinking of incorporating the personal singing of Psalms.


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## Vladimir (Jun 30, 2013)

Heidi, I simpy spoke against treating the systematic reading approach as something artificial. I was not saying that reading less is being mentally lazy or somehow failing. Dr. Joel Beeke once spoke about the way he reads the Scriptures: read one verse, pause, is there something to meditate upon? Pray about? Then go to next verse. Your approach sounds similar to that. You can never gulp down 9 chapters a day reading like this! So God bless you and your studies, no matter how many verses a day you do.

I also love reading Scriptures out loud even by myself. So sweet to mind, mouth and ear.


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