Does the Bible feel super overwhelming and you don’t even know where to start?! Even seasoned Christians who have been in church all their life can find scripture to be intimidating. The good thing is – there’s no right or wrong way to study the Bible, especially when you ask the Holy Spirit for guidance to help you study the Word of God deeper.
I recently tried out the SOAP Bible study method and was so grateful that I gave it a try! It was a unique way to engage with scripture. I found it to not intimidate me and helped guide me into looking at a specific passage with a new perspective.
So let’s chat about what the SOAP Bible study method is all about.
SOAP, an acronym for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. SOAP offers a structured approach to engaging with the Word of God. Let’s chat about each of the letters that make up the SOAP Bible study method.
- Scripture: The Foundation
- At the heart of the SOAP method lies Scripture. It begins with selecting a passage or verse from the Bible. This step encourages readers to immerse themselves in the text, allowing it to speak directly to their hearts and minds.
- By focusing on specific passages, you can deep dive into one specific scripture or passage and examine it to find nuggets of wisdom you might have missed.
- I ALWAYS recommend writing out the scripture that you have chosen. It may seem repetitive and unnecessary but there’s something to writing out the scripture and giving your brain time to write each and every word that helps you to focus on that specific verse and start thinking about each word a little deeper.
- Observation: Digging Deeper
- The observation step helps your to explore the context, language, and nuances within the passage. This involves asking questions such as, “What is happening in this verse?”, “Who are the key characters?”, and “What themes or messages are being conveyed?” This is a great time to pull out a Bible commentary or do a quick search online to find the original meanings of words. It’s also a great idea to look at your verse in different Bible translations to see if it helps uncover the overarching theme a little better.
- Observation encourages you to connect the dots between various passages, unveiling layers of meaning that may not be immediately apparent.
- Application: Bridging Faith and Life
- The true power of scripture lies not just in its comprehension but in its application. The application stage of SOAP challenges you to reflect on how the insights gained from the passage can be integrated into your everyday life.
- How can this scripture bring you closer to God? How can this scripture give you wisdom for everyday living? Ask yourself how the scripture can be applied to your own life to help grow your faith in the Lord.
- Prayer: Communication with the Author
- Finally, the SOAP method concludes with prayer – this is direct communication with the author of the scripture. How cool is that?!! You can use this time to ask God to help you understand the scripture you just read a little more or maybe thank Him for providing you with such an amazing book of godly wisdom. When you seek Him with an open heart, He will guide you into being able to understand your scripture reading even more.
How do I specifically use the SOAP Bible Study Method?
It’s no secret that I LOVE using my iPad for doodling scripture and integrated it as part of my daily bible study routine. I enjoy using the GoodNotes app on my iPad for the SOAP Method.
Here’s a step-by-step of my scripture study process from start to finish:
- Select a scripture to study – I either flip through my Bible or look up things online. There’s no right way to find a scripture to study. My advice is….take less than 5 minutes to decide on a scripture to study. Don’t think too much into it. Just pick something and dig in.
- I grab my iPad and open my GoodNotes app and start with a blank sheet (I prefer the sheets that have a dotted background) and I write out the scripture at the top.
- I then highlight important words using the highlighter feature within the GoodNotes app.
- I observe the important words and read the whole passage in my Bible so that I can get the full context of the verse. I then will either pull out a Bible commentary or just write out what I think is important from the verse.
- I then think how does this apply to my own walk with the Lord and then write that down on my GoodNotes sheet.
- Lastly, I write a short 1-2 line prayer on my GoodNotes app that relates to the scripture I just read and how I want it to transform my life.
- I then grab my Bible and highlight the verse and write any important takeaways that I want to recall later.
- That’s it! It’s an easy way to study scripture without the overwhelm and intimidation.
I invite you to try out the SOAP Bible study method. It doesn’t matter if you are new to reading your Bible or a lifelong avid reader of the Word. I truly believe it has the power to transform your daily bible study and help you understand scripture on a deeper level.
If you have tried any other methods of daily bible study, I would love to try it out. Put your suggestions in the comment section. I’m always looking for new and exciting ways to engage with scripture and ultimately learn the heart of God on an even deeper level.