Reading the One Year Bible

Audio By Carbonatix

The Simple Habit That Changed My Life

I didn’t grow up reading the Bible, and it wasn’t something modeled at home. My mom became a Christian when I was in elementary school, and Bible reading wasn’t a habit in my growing-up years. Yet when I became a mom, I wanted this to be part of my day. Let me rephrase that. I needed it to be part of my day. But there was a problem … my Bible sat on my shelf. And on the days when I did pick it up, I didn’t know what to read. Where would I even start in this great big book?

Then I was given a One Year Bible. My daily readings were laid out for me. I loved the flow of the daily readings. Soon, Bible reading became part of my routine.

Of course, there were days that I missed—when we went on vacation or when a child was sick. Yet, with my bookmark in place, I knew just what to read. 

Sure, it always took me longer than a year to do my Bible reading, yet that didn’t matter. That one small, ordinary habit that suddenly becomes holy ground.

For me, reading the One Year Bible gave me a solid foundation of truth to stand on.

Year One turned into Year Two. I didn’t start on January 1. I didn’t wait for a perfect moment. I just started. 

I also didn’t have a color-coded plan or a beautifully curated morning routine. I was simply a woman seeking God in a chaotic season. (Okay, the truth is that almost every season seems chaotic!) As a mom of ten, my kids need me. More than that, deadlines press in, and laundry piles grow into a mountain range. I kept reading because I was a mom who desperately needed anchoring. God’s Word became my anchor.

So I opened my Bible, one day at a time. Slowly, quietly, beautifully, my whole year began to shift. The best part is, my heart did too.

When Life Feels Chaotic, the Bible Becomes a Lifeline

Did you notice above that I’m a mom of ten? Yes, ten. I didn’t have all ten in the house at once, but we did have eight kids under one roof. I’ll let you pause and picture just how noisy that is. Yet, I discovered that when the world feels loud, God’s Word can become the quiet that steadies you.

There were mornings when my house was loud enough to register on the Richter scale. There were days when my emotions were scattered like Legos on the living room floor—sharp, unexpected, and painful to step on. But every morning, the One Year Bible took me by the hand and led me back into truth.

One day’s reading. One simple invitation. One steadying word from God.

As Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (NLT).

Some days it was a floodlight. Other days, a spotlight. Many days, God’s Word was just enough light forthe  day’s step. And it was enough.

The Habit That Builds a Heart of Expectancy

The Bible is not a book to read once and place on the shelf. It is a book to use, to live, to love. Bible teacher Henrietta Mears once wrote: “Let the Bible fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet.”

And that’s what the One Year Bible gave me:
• a rhythm,
• a framework,
• a gentle daily push toward the presence of God.

Each day’s small faithfulness builds to big expectations. As I sat with my open Bible, I knew that God would meet me there. And instead of wondering where to read, I simply showed up.  Ten to fifteen minutes a day—just like these Bibles were designed for. 

And something surprising happened. My little habit created a big hunger. I began waking up excited—yes, excited—to open God’s Word, because it felt like God was already waiting for me there. 

Scripture Quieted My Emotions and Re-ordered My Days

There were days I cried over the Old Testament prophets. Days when Proverbs read me more than I read it. Days when Jesus’ words in the Gospels felt like soft hands on my shoulders, lifting me up again. My heart and mind need the constant cleansing of the Word of God. Without it, I am in danger of losing perspective.

That’s exactly what happened to me.

The One Year Bible became a daily cleansing—a spiritual reset before the world could pile on its weight. And slowly…

• my stress softened,
• my perspective lifted,
• my reactions grew gentler,
• my heart felt steadier.

The Bible doesn’t just change your day. It changes the way you live your day.

Approachable Habit-Building (Even for the Busy and the Weary)

Here’s what surprised me most as I read my Bible each day: I didn’t fail if I missed a day. I didn’t need long stretches of time. I didn’t need deep scholarly understanding. I just needed to begin. It’s the Bible we turn to again and again that roots us in the truth. In other word, you don’t have to master Scripture overnight. Just return to it. Daily. Simply. Honestly.

And the One Year Bible makes that possible—one small reading, every day, with passages from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs organized so you can jump right in. This is good news for all of us. You don’t fit your life around Bible reading—you invite Bible reading into your real, messy, beautiful life.

A Habit That Can Start Today

Friend, I’d love for you to join me in reading the One Year Bible! You don’t need a new year. You don’t need a fresh journal. You don’t need a detailed plan. You can just begin today.

If you want structure… it’s there. If you want simplicity… that’s there, too.  If you want spiritual transformation… it starts with a single step. Reading the One Year Bible was my way of coming close. God did the rest.

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” —James 4:8 (NLT)

Ready to Start the Habit That Could Change Your Year Too?

Open the Bible. Open your life.

I’ll be reading right alongside you.  Let’s grow together—one day, one reading, one simple habit at a time.

Additional Resources

Journal Through the Bible in 2026

Have you ever wanted to read through the Bible but found yourself giving up? Or even worse, you read the chapters and at the end question how they apply to your life. Tricia Goyer understands. For years she felt frustrated that she couldn’t stick to her commitment to read God’s Word all the way through. Things changed when she found a doable plan and wrote out a daily prayer. Tricia’s heart changed. Her life did, too.

God can bring real transformation into your heart and life when you daily commit to reading your Bible and praying through God’s Word. Praying through the Bible in One Year offers a guided reading plan and a daily prayer starter to help you make God’s Word applicable to your life. Discover the inspiration for real-life transformation.

Purchase a copy of Praying Through the Bible in One Year HERE.