Advent reading plan 2026: 25 chapters from Genesis to the manger
Wicklight Labs · 5 November 2026
Advent begins on Sunday 29 November 2026. This plan reads one chapter a day from 1 December to Christmas Day, following God's promise of a Saviour from Genesis to Bethlehem. It takes about five minutes a day.
The Advent wreath in 2026
Many churches light one candle each Sunday of Advent and a fifth, the Christ candle, on Christmas Day. These are the dates this year, with a verse for each:
| Date | Candle | Verse |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday 29 November | Hope | Isaiah 9:2 |
| Sunday 6 December | Peace | Luke 2:14 |
| Sunday 13 December | Joy (the rose candle) | Luke 2:10 |
| Sunday 20 December | Love | John 3:16 |
| Friday 25 December | Christ | Luke 2:11 |
The 25-day plan
One chapter a day. Days 1 to 14 trace the promise through the Old Testament; days 15 to 25 show how it was kept.
| Day | Date | Chapter | Day | Date | Chapter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Dec | Genesis 3 | 14 | 14 Dec | Malachi 3 |
| 2 | 2 Dec | Genesis 12 | 15 | 15 Dec | Psalm 96 |
| 3 | 3 Dec | 2 Samuel 7 | 16 | 16 Dec | Galatians 4 |
| 4 | 4 Dec | Psalm 2 | 17 | 17 Dec | Philippians 2 |
| 5 | 5 Dec | Isaiah 7 | 18 | 18 Dec | Colossians 1 |
| 6 | 6 Dec | Isaiah 9 | 19 | 19 Dec | Hebrews 1 |
| 7 | 7 Dec | Isaiah 11 | 20 | 20 Dec | John 1 |
| 8 | 8 Dec | Isaiah 40 | 21 | 21 Dec | Luke 1 |
| 9 | 9 Dec | Isaiah 53 | 22 | 22 Dec | Matthew 1 |
| 10 | 10 Dec | Isaiah 60 | 23 | 23 Dec | Titus 2 |
| 11 | 11 Dec | Isaiah 61 | 24 | 24 Dec | Luke 2 |
| 12 | 12 Dec | Jeremiah 33 | 25 | 25 Dec | Matthew 2 |
| 13 | 13 Dec | Micah 5 |
How to keep going
- Read at the same time each day, before your phone gets busy.
- Missed a day? Read two chapters the next day, or simply carry on. Advent is not a test.
- Read it with your family: one chapter after dinner, one person reading aloud.
- Write down one line that stayed with you. By Christmas you will have 25.
Read it in Lamp Bible
Lamp Bible has this plan built in and free: "Advent: 25 Days to Christmas". From Advent Sunday it adds an Advent wreath that lights a new candle each Sunday, an Advent calendar with a door to open each day of December, and a wreath widget for your Home Screen and Lock Screen. The King James Version and the World English Bible are both included and work offline.
Before Advent, the free "Give Thanks" plan reads seven chapters on gratitude from 20 to 26 November, ending on Thanksgiving Day: Psalm 100, Deuteronomy 8, Psalm 103, Luke 17, Philippians 4, 1 Thessalonians 5 and Psalm 136.
