Read the Bible daily using S.O.A.P

One of the habits we want to cultivate is the habit of praying and reading the bible every day. A proven way to get more out of your time in God’s word is by using the S.O.A.P method.

All you need is you, your Bible, and 5-10 minutes, and you’ll be able to dig into God’s word and discover the truth for yourself! S.O.A.P stands for S-Scripture, O-Observation, A-Application and P-Prayer!

S – Scripture

Write down the Bible passage you’ll be studying.This can be one verse or several. Writing or typing it out helps us focus on each word individually and on the passage as a whole. It also helps us to soak it in and meditate on it. This really helps hone our focus on the task of studying Scripture!

O – Observations

Examine the text and write down what you notice.

• What jumps out at you in the passage?
• Who is it written by? Who is it written to?
• What’s one thing you didn’t notice before?
• What seems interesting or unusual?
• What comes before and after the text?
• Is there repetition, comparison, or contrast?

These observations may start with the obvious, but will gradually become deeper.

A – Applications

Apply God’s Word to your life in a practical way.This is the part where you personalize your study of Scripture. As you read over the text, how does it apply to you? Is there a specific action you need to take or a confession you need to make? Is there a scripture you need to obey?

If it’s an action, try to make it SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based!

P – Prayer

Respond to God’s Word with your own words.Accumulating head knowledge about God is of little use; it’s heart transformation He’s after, and that’s only possible through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Pray that the seed (the Scripture you just studied) falls on good soil in your heart, so that it will take root and produce fruit. Praise God for His attributes revealed in the passage. Confess any sin that has come to light during this time of studying.
Thank Him for His Word and His care. And ask the Holy Spirit to continue growing you into a disciple of Jesus.