Living the Christian Life – Chapter 10: Bible Reading Plan

In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus tells his disciples to pray “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11 NKJV). The literal meaning of “daily bread” is “food for the day.” We all know that we need the proper amount of daily nutrition for our physical bodies, and it is proper to pray for God’s provision of this necessity. But Jesus is also speaking of spiritual things. Just as our body needs physical nourishment, our spirit needs daily bread as well.

During what is called “the Last Supper,” the meal that Christ ate with his disciples before going to the cross, Jesus referred to Himself as spiritual bread.

“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19 ESV).

Jesus also uses the metaphor of bread after he feeds the 5,000. The crowds came out to the wilderness to hear Jesus teach, but they became hungry. Jesus prayed over five barley loaves and two fish volunteered by a young boy, and he fed the entire multitude. The next day, the crowd followed Jesus to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus said to them, “You are seeking me … because you ate your fill of the loaves” (John 6:26 ESV). Jesus then contrasted this natural bread with the spiritual bread from heaven.

“The bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to
the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said
to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger,
and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:33-35 ESV).

The Bible is the Word of God—and the Bible says that Jesus is the Word of God. They are synonymous.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God” (John 1:1 ESV).

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen
his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father” (John 1:14 ESV).

So if Jesus is the bread of life, how do we receive nourishment from this daily bread? We do so through spending daily time in prayer and worship and through daily Bible reading and study.

Daily Bible Reading

As we mentioned earlier, Jesus encouraged the discipline of Bible reading and Bible study.

“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:31-32 NASB).

If we want to walk in truth as disciples of Jesus, we need our daily bread—our daily time in the Word of God.

As with any worthwhile endeavor, it is best to start slowly and work up stamina from there. Rather than jumping right into in-depth Bible study, you may want to begin with what is called devotional reading—reading the Scriptures to learn who God is and what he wants for your life. Here is a recommended reading plan for the new believer or the Christian who wants to grow in faith: