Every Wednesday I go to Bible study at my church. I had never gone before so I wasn't sure what to expect.
I was nervous but because my brother was there, I quickly got over that.
Each week we are assigned a S.O.A.P. to do. It's where we take a scripture, any scripture and more or less, dissect it to understand it better.
I have a hard time reading the Bible because it's so hard for me to understand. I sometimes just get lost while reading it that by the time I'm done reading a chapter, I have no clue what I just read cause it's just so hard for me to follow.
So with this weekly assignment, I feel this helps me grasp God's word, little by little so that I don't overwhelm myself.
It's helping me and perhaps it can be a tool that would be helpful for others in avoiding spiritual dryness, per se. A method for daily devotions.
I hope you find it as helpful as I have!
S - Scripture - First relax. Be still. Be quiet. Slow down and prepare your heart. Pick a book and start at the beginning of a chapter in the Bible and read until you feel God has told you something. Then stop and think about it. This might be a passage that “makes you go, hmmm.” I usually read until God speaks to me. If He doesn’t speak in one chapter, I just keep reading. That’s ok. It’s not how much you cover, but what does God say to you? You want to write the Scripture down in your journal.
O - Observation – Be a detective. Are there certain words that are repeated? What does the verse previous and after your selected Scripture say? Who wrote the particular book that you are reading? Who was the audience? What is being said? What is emphasized? You want to write your observations down in your journal.
A - Application – How can you apply the Scripture to your life? What did it mean to the original hearers? What is the underlying timeless principle? Where or how could you practice that principle today? After you’ve discovered the principle, then you want to write out a sentence that describes a project or action you’ll take to apply the truth.
P – Prayer – Conclude your devotion time by talking to God about what He has shown you and making your requests know to Him. Ask God to help you with applying your application statement to your life on a daily basis.
