I've made a commitment to read the Bible each day. Do I read the Bible through from cover to cover, or is there a better plan? Ideas to develop time with God.

Tell me how to get started with a daily Quiet Time

Here are some ideas to get you started:

A Proverb a Day for Wisdom

There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs. This book contains the most profound wisdom man has ever known.

Plan to read a chapter each day, one for each day of the month. Read the one that corresponds to that day. For example, on the 17th of the month, read Proverbs 17.

If you miss a day, you don't have to try to catch up. Just read the Proverb for the appointed day. You may want to read these Proverbs in a different translation each month.

A Psalm a Day to Drive the Devil Away

Years ago a pastor shared this item. I have no idea where the original source is, but it has been helpful to many. Just read the Psalm listed each day, and start over the next week. You will read the same seven Psalms every week. These Psalms were selected because they are so meaningful to the issues we face today.

A PSALM A DAY TO DRIVE THE DEVIL AWAY

MONDAY	Psalm 73	"Problem of the prosperity of the wicked"
TUESDAY	Psalm 103	"Praise for all God's blessings"
WEDNESDAY	Psalm 37	"Cool it! Walk by faith"
THURSDAY	Psalm 139	"God's all-seeing eye"
FRIDAY	Psalm 122	"Joyful anticipation of God's house"
SATURDAY	Psalm 51	"The need for cleansing"
SUNDAY	Psalm 43	"Cleansed, and ready for worship and service"

Ideas for Branching Out

Don't limit yourself to only Psalms or Proverbs however. You need a plan that will nurture you from all the Spiritual food groups of God's Word. Here are some ways to accomplish that:

• Use the concordance in the back of your Bible or a Bible promise book (several types of these are available in Christian bookstores) to find all the promises you can in the Bible. Determine which promises are unconditional and which ones are based upon a condition that we must meet.

• Use your concordance to study the lives Bible people. Try to determine what made them great, or what made them fall short. Notice how God worked in their lives, and their responses. Learn from their examples.

• Read and study one book of the Bible at a time. Read a chapter, or just a few verses each day. If you are new to Bible study, try starting with the book of St. John, then read Acts and continue on through the New Testament. Then go back to Genesis and begin reading the Old Testament.

• When you come to the "begets and begots" and other passages which seem boring, just skip over these for now. God has them there for a reason, and some day you will want to go back and explore the truths hidden underneath their surface.

• If you come to something you don't understand, just try to apply the things you do understand. None of us understands the Bible completely. It has very simple as well as very profound truths in it. God will gradually teach us more and more as we read it. The things that are hard to understand at first will become easier to understand as we study the Bible as a whole.