Reading through the Psalms and Proverbs 12 times in a year? Is there a better way to spend 15 minutes a day?
In 2021, our congregation is invited to use a monthly pattern of reading, to read the entire Psalter and book of Proverbs every month. The Psalter (the whole book of Psalms) has been used since the time of ancient Israel in both public worship and private readings. It was a hymn book (though we don't have information about the specific tunes used) and a prayer book that expresses the full range of human circumstances and emotions, while always remembering the hope that we have in God. The Proverbs are full of practical sayings centred on the wisdom that is found in God.
In general, our calendar lends itself well to this reading pattern, since the number of days fit well with the number of books/chapters in both the Psalms and the Proverbs. For almost all the months, reading five Psalms and one chapter of Proverbs each day fits well, as there are 150 Psalms and 31 chapters of Proverbs. February is a little trickier. For those looking for some specific guidance, here's a suggestion for how to approach each month:
31-day months (Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Aug, Oct, Dec)
5 Psalms each day (none on day 31)
1 chapter of Proverbs each day (31 chapters total)
30-day months (Apr, Jun, Sep, Nov)
5 Psalms each day
1 chapter of Proverbs each day (two on the 30th - that way it's easy to remember on which day you read which Proverb until the 30th)
February
5 Psalms each day, except for 2 days:
1-10 on Feb 1
121-130 on Feb 24
1 ch. of Proverbs each day, except for 3 days:
1-2 on Feb 1
4-5 on Feb 3
13 on Feb 11
If you're interested in a printable PDF calendar that can help make it easy to follow what to read on what day, just click the link below!