Reading the Bible every day has traditionally been part of the rule of life for Christians but recent research suggests that fewer and fewer Christians are reading the Bible regularly. Often it’s because people think it’s too difficult or don’t know where to begin. That’s where Bible reading notes come in. There is a wealth of resources to help people read their Bible day by day. Some of them provide notes for a year, most cover a shorter period. They vary in style – some provide a one-off‘thought for the day’, many work through Bible passages more systematically. Some will suit some people, some will suit others. Many of them are now downloadable. Most people probably get bored with using one set of notes after a few years and need to change. You can see sample copies of many of them on the web-sites of those who produce them.
Here are some comments on some of the resources currently available.
Resources for the whole year include:
REFLECTIONS FOR DAILY PRAYER from Church House Publishing provides notes for a whole year beginning in Advent with reflections for Monday to Saturday linked to one of the readings for Morning Prayer and a collect for the day. (These are the only notes which are linked to the daily lectionary.) This year a simple form of Morning Prayer is included. The more well-known of this year’s writers include Steven Croft, Martyn Percy, Angela Tilby and Jane Williams. For 2012-2013 the cost is £16.99. It is also available as an app from the i-Tunes store or for a Kindle from Amazon. See
WORDS FOR TODAY and LIGHT FOR OUR PATH are both produced by IBRA (International Bible Reading Association). The writers come from around the world and both sometimes follow Bible texts systematically and sometimes themes, with a thought for the day linked to a Bible passage. Both cost £8-75 for the year’s notes and are available in PDF, Kindle and E book versions. Find out more at ‘Words for Today’ is edited by Nichola Slee from the Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham and seeks to ‘present a lively, fresh and often radical approach to the text’, challenging readers to act in response. ‘Light for our Path’ is intended to appeal to those new to Bible reading. See
Most resources are published several times a year.
SCRIPTURE UNION ( ) is an evangelical organisation that has produced Bible reading notes for a very long time. Most of the time they will be working through books of the Bible. They are available in e-book, PDF and Kindle formats, currently at £3-99 a quarter. DAILY BREAD is the longest running series of notes and seeks to explain and apply the text of passages. It has many older readers and is available in a large print version. CLOSER TO GOD has writers who, by and large, are younger. The notes seek to encourage contemplation and prayer and include a space for journaling. ENCOUNTER WITH GOD aims to apply the text to life today and the world we live in and articles link to things like spirituality and world issues. Scripture Union also put out WordLive as a down-load or app. See
THE GOOD BOOK COMPANY(goodbook.co.uk/ )produces EXPLOREeach quarter. It works through chunks of the Bible with a style that seeks to make the reader think for themselves about what the Bible says and how it applies today. As well as explaining the passage the notes often contain questions to make you look at the text for yourself. Boxes encourage you to take ‘Time out’ to reflect, to apply or to pray. There is an Explore app available. THE DAILY READING BIBLE is undated. Each booklet has sixty studies with the full text of the Bible passage for that reading (use it on the train or bus to work or at lunch-time, they suggest!), questions to get you thinking, points to ponder and ideas for prayer.
BIBLE READING FELLOWSHIP(org.uk/) produce a variety of notes, with writers from a variety of church traditions, many of them well-known. They are available as booklets or PDFs or e-mail or i-Phone downloads. They came our every four months rather than quarterly – most of them at £4. NEW DAYLIGHT follows themes or sections of scripture. For each day the text is included with a thought for the day. GUIDELINES seeks to provide more in depth study in weekly units with six chunks which can be read day by day or not.DAY BY DAY WITH GOD is designed particularly for women. THE UPPER ROOM is an international publication containing contributions from its readers, as such it provides an unconnected thought for the day, with ideas to link to lives and a prayer focus.
CWR (Crusade for World Revival) produce a variety of notes published bi-monthly available in booklet, e-book and kindle formats or by e-mail. Probably the most popular is EVERY DAY WITH JESUS written by Selwyn Hughes, mostly in a thought for the day format, but with a linked theme for each issue. There are videos and discussion starters for groups available too. In COVER TO COVER EVERY DAY two well-known Bible scholars look at an Old and a New Testament book in each issue and how they relate. INSPIRING WOMEN EVERY DAY is written by women to provide inspiration and encouragement for women. LIFE EVERY DAY is written by the well-known speaker and writer Jeff Lucas, with a more humorous, thought-provoking style applying Bible teaching to daily living that will probably appeal to younger adults. See www.cwr.org.uk/store/
There are some free Bible reading notes produced by missionary organisations.
RBC ( )is best known for OUR DAILY BREAD which providesa devotional one off thought for the day. Distributed in print, and by radio, podcast, e.mail, Twitter and Facebook. OUR DAILY JOURNEY is a bit heavier going. It looks at a passage with notes, often linking to other Bible passages with questions to think about. They also produce resources based on the works of two writers - MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST using the writings of the late Oswald Chambers and STRENGTH FOR THE JOURNEY drawn from the writings of Joe Stowell, an American who has been a speaker at the Keswick Convention in recent years.
UCB produce THE WORD FOR TODAY as a booklet or available by e-mail or on-line, with an encouraging thought for each day. See www.ucb.co.uk/word_for_today .