New Year's resolutions often start with good intentions and fold as our schedules fill up. Here's the one resolution you'll want to keep this year.

Deciding to read the Bible, whether completely or in parts, is one resolution that will continue to benefit you well beyond this year, and won't cost you more than a few minutes each day.

A Bible reading plan is one way to help yourself stay committed to a plan to read any amount of the Bible this year, Baptist Press reports.

One popular Bible-reading app, YouVersion, has reported 1.1 billion Bible plan days were completed in their app, a 25 per cent increase from the previous year.

Unique Bible-reading plans are a key feature within YouVersion. The app provided more than 10,000 choices in plans to users in 2019, with 1,500 in languages other than English.

But why does it take a Bible plan to be more successful in following through on your resolution?

According to YouVersion Founder Bobby Gruenewald, plans make it easier for people to read the Bible more and in a way that daily Bible-reading habits are developed.

Gruenewald calls it the "daily rhythm of reading the Bible, which we know leads to a deeper, more intimate relationship with God."

Beginning the year with a plan to delve into God's word is a great way to harness the energy of a new year, gearing towards a spiritually beneficial goal.

Gruenwald recommends developing a community to find greater motivation.

"It's a great time of the year to find friends who have similar goals and commit to cheering one another on throughout the year," he says.

A variety of resources exist online and on your phone to assist you in planning for and committing to a reading plan in 2020, including YouVersion and Bible Gateway.

Pastor Moses Falco from Sterling Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba says it is vitally important for people of faith to read the Bible.

"The Bible, as the word of God or the story of God, tells us what we need to know about God's revelation to us," says Falco. "If we want to know who Jesus is, who God is, then we need to read the Bible."

As followers of Jesus, it is imperative that we know who God is. From the perspective of spiritual discipline, Falco says regular time dedicated to reading your Bible is transformative.

"When we open ourselves to the word of God in our lives, we never know how God is going to speak to us and what word we might get from God in certain situations. Reading the Bible ... is a way for us to listen to God's word in our life."

For those planning on using the New Year as a time to reset some of their Bible-reading habits, Falco makes a few recommendations.

Commit to spending time according to your goal

Setting aside 20 to 30 minutes a day to read the Bible will easily allow you to read the book cover-to-cover in a year, Falco says.

If you have the goal of reading the whole Bible in 2020, a reading plan will help you considerably. Determining a number of chapters to read each day, or even separating the Bible into sections and reading some from each daily will help you stay on track and reach your goal.

Going cover-to-cover requires more dedication some days than others, Falco says. Exciting narratives in Genesis and Exodus compared to the more list-like format in Leviticus and Numbers will show two very different parts of the Bible, and where more patience will be needed.

"If you don't understand the context behind those books, it may be really hard to get through, and I feel like at that point a lot of people might just give up," explained Falco.

"I would encourage them to really push through and commit themselves for the first few months. Once you're past the first three months of daily Bible reading, it starts to become a habit and it becomes easier for the rest of the year."

Allow yourself freedom in your reading schedule

It can be challenging to read the Bible in a regular way. Falco says he experiences this difficulty even as a pastor.

"One of my challenges is that I work as a pastor and every day I'm reading the Bible but most of the time I read it for work ... I struggle with having my own personal devotional time."

Falco says allowing yourself more freedom when it comes to reading the Bible. Making a plan can be an excellent motivator for some, but a reading schedule is not always the best way for everyone to consume God's word.

"I used to think I needed to have a plan," Falco explained. "If I missed a day or if I didn't keep up with it the way I wanted to in the beginning then I was so disappointed in myself."

Recognizing your own pacing and ability to pay attention and learn from your reading will maximize what you take away from your quiet time with God.

For some, it means using a plan. For others, it means allowing yourself time and grace to reach your reading goal.

Read in community

As a teen, Falco says he read the Bible alongside a church small group."

Tackling the Bible alongside a friend, spouse, or members of your church community can make a big task seem less daunting and help keep you accountable to your goal, Falco advises.

"If you want this to be your resolution and you know it's going to be hard to keep it, I think it would be a great idea to find a friend," the pastor says. "Do it as a community where you have at least a little bit of accountability with each other."

A community format to the task of reading the Bible also gives you an opportunity to discuss your reading and ponder questions with, as well a provide encouragement.

"Then you're not alone in the thing," Falco says.