Bible Reading Plan Focused on Women of the Bible
Matt · May 23, 2026
A Bible reading plan focused on women of the Bible takes you through the stories of figures like Eve, Hannah, Deborah, Ruth, Esther, Mary, and Priscilla. Over roughly 30 days, you read the passages where these women appear and notice the larger pattern: God using ordinary and overlooked people to carry His story forward.
Most reading plans run cover-to-cover or follow a calendar. A thematic plan like this one zooms in instead. It is shorter, more personal, and easier to stick with when you are returning to Scripture after a break or want something different from your usual rhythm.
Why Read About Women of the Bible
Women appear in nearly every major moment of Scripture, but their stories are often scattered across long historical books. Reading them in sequence makes the through-line obvious: faith under pressure, leadership in unlikely seasons, prayer that changed nations.
A few names you'll encounter and what each story shows:
- Eve (Genesis 2–3) — the first woman and the first hint of redemption
- Sarah and Hagar (Genesis 16, 21) — waiting on God's promise
- Miriam (Exodus 15) — worship after deliverance
- Rahab (Joshua 2, 6) — faith from an outsider
- Deborah (Judges 4–5) — leadership in chaos
- Ruth (the whole book) — loyalty and quiet faith
- Hannah (1 Samuel 1–2) — honest prayer
- Esther (the whole book) — courage at the right moment
- Mary, mother of Jesus (Luke 1–2) — surrender
- Mary and Martha (Luke 10, John 11) — two ways of loving Jesus
- The woman at the well (John 4) — the first evangelist
- Mary Magdalene (John 20) — first witness of the resurrection
- Lydia (Acts 16) — hospitality that planted a church
- Priscilla (Acts 18) — teaching alongside her husband
A Suggested 30-Day Structure
You can pace this however you like. A workable rhythm:
- Days 1–7: Genesis and Exodus women (Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, the Hebrew midwives, Miriam)
- Days 8–14: Judges through Kings (Deborah, Jael, Naomi, Ruth, Hannah, Abigail, the widow of Zarephath, Huldah)
- Days 15–18: Esther — read it as one sitting if you can, then revisit the key chapters
- Days 19–24: The Gospels (Elizabeth, Mary, Anna, the bleeding woman, the Syrophoenician mother, Mary and Martha, the woman at the well)
- Days 25–28: Resurrection witnesses and the early church (Mary Magdalene, Tabitha, Lydia, Priscilla)
- Days 29–30: Reflection — re-read your two favorite passages and journal what stuck
If you use the Bible In A Year app, you can pause your regular plan and run this one as a parallel track. The streak and reminder features work the same whether you're on day 47 of the chronological plan or day 6 of a thematic one.
How to Get the Most Out of It
Keep a notebook nearby. After each reading, write one sentence on what that woman did and one on what it shows you about God. That habit turns a story you've heard before into something you'll actually remember next month.
Also resist the urge to draw a tidy lesson from every passage. Some of these women — Tamar, Bathsheba, the concubine in Judges 19 — appear in stories that are hard. Sit with the difficulty. Scripture includes those accounts on purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is a women of the Bible reading plan?
Most plans run 21 to 31 days, with each day covering one woman or one passage. You can stretch it to 60 days by adding study notes, or compress it to two weeks by grouping related figures.
Is this plan good for a small group or book club?
Yes. The short daily passages make it easy to discuss weekly, and the named figures give a natural structure — each meeting can focus on two or three women without anyone falling behind.
Can I do this plan alongside reading the Bible in a year?
You can. Many people add a thematic plan as a second short reading or a Sunday devotional, separate from their main chronological track. Apps like Bible In A Year let you set extra reminders so the two plans don't compete.
What translation works best for studying women of the Bible?
Any major translation works. The NIV and CSB are readable for everyday reading, while the ESV and NASB are closer to the original text if you want to dig into specific words.