Using SOAP
What’s the best tool you have in your arsenal?
Verse of the Day
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”
Today’s Devotional
We have started off this year talking about renewal. We have looked at the cleansing power of God, discipline and correction, that we are made new because of Jesus, that we need to allow God to transform our thinking, and that our new nature must be intentionally “put on” each day. But if there is ONE THING that we could all embrace this year, it’s the power of the Word of God.
Today’s verse tells us that all of God’s Word is useful to us. It shows us truth, helps us to see where our thinking or actions are wrong, helps us to see the correct path, and shows us what is right. Most importantly, it is all inspired by God Himself.
So why don’t more of us read the Bible every single day?
The answer I hear from people most often is that the Bible is intimidating.
Imagine for a moment that you are in a war. A really nasty war that is constantly life-threatening. And then imagine that someone shows you a huge weapon. This weapon is yours to use, and is guaranteed to defeat your enemy. But the weapon is big and has many components and you don’t know how to use it. What do you do? Do you choose not to use this powerful and effective weapon because you are intimidated by it and aren’t sure how to use it?
If this scenario was real, I would bet that most of us would grab this weapon and just start pulling triggers and pushing buttons and doing whatever we could to attack our enemies.
Friends, we ARE in a war and you DO have access to the most powerful weapon that exists.
Today, I’m going to share a simple method for engaging the Word. It’s called SOAP.
- Scripture
- Observation
- Application
- Prayer
For anyone who wants to learn a practical way to read and study the Bible, this is a great method to use. So how does it work?
- Scripture: Choose a passage of the Bible. Usually no more than a few verses. Most Bible translations are divided into sections, but you can use as many or as few verses as you are comfortable with. (If this is your first time to study the Bible, I recommend starting with one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) or the book of Ephesians.) Read the passage of Scripture, and really think about what you are reading. Make note of any key words and phrases either by underlining or highlighting in your Bible, or by writing these in a journal.
- Observation: What stood out to you in this passage? What is the main theme? Who is the author of this book and who is the original intended audience? To find these, it’s helpful to use online tools such as bibleref.com or enduringword.com.
- Application: How can you apply this passage of scripture to your life? Are there any commands? Are there any promises? Is there any encouragement from these verses? How could your life change for the better because of the truth presented in this passage?
- Prayer: Ask God to help you apply whatever application you found. Ask for insight as you are studying His Word. Ask that you always remain open and teachable to God’s instruction. Ask God to show you how to put His truths into practice in your life.
Tomorrow we will look at an example of using SOAP to learn how to use the most powerful weapon we have. It’s just one method of many for learning to engage the Word of God. No matter which method you use, there is no more powerful tool than the Word of God.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
Are you now or have you ever been intimidated by the Bible? Why or why not?
Does it feel like you are in a war? How?
Try using the SOAP method on any passage of the Bible today.
Do you believe that all Scripture is useful for you personally? Why or why not?
What are you willing to do to engage the Bible?
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