Both have happened to me. And even though I know how critically important daily Bible study is, there have been too many days where I ended up doing none.

While serving on staff at Camp Hye Sierra this summer, we were given a simple plan that has since worked wonders for me. So I want to share it with you.

Remove the need to figure out something good to study. This plan makes it an automatic no-brainer!

Negate the need to have references and study materials handy. You will just open your Bible—first thing in your morning, or at least early in your day—and begin your study.

Read the Psalms and Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month

If it’s the tenth of the month, read Psalm 10 and Proverbs 10. By the end of the month you will have read all of the Proverbs.

Better yet, if you’d like to also read all the Psalms by the end of the month, just read the appropriate Psalm plus the ones 30, 60, 90 and 120 higher. So on the tenth of the month, you would read Psalms 10, 40, 70, 100 and 130. It won’t take that long except on the 29th of the month, when you would end up reading Psalm 119.

According to tradition, King David wrote all of the 73 Psalms that bear his name, plus all the Psalms that name no author (another 30 or so), and then collated the remaining ones written by others (Talmud, Bava Batra 14b).

So reading the Psalms daily is a great way to become a “man [or woman] after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). And you could do a lot worse than daily study sayings by the wisest man who ever lived.

The best benefit I have learned by trying this plan is that invariably your reading will serve as an appetizer to more you are eager to study!

Bon apetit!