Do you want to know how to hear God speak to you?
Learn the step-by-step process how to pray to God, how to engage with God's Word, and how to apply the Bible to your busy life in just 10 - 15 minutes, or for a more in-depth Bible study in 30 minutes to an hour a day, but how much devotional time you spend is completely up to you.
For new beginners (NB), I will give specific hints just for you.
S.O.A.P. Bible Study Method: An easy way to study the Bible for both new beginners and daily Bible readers alike, so you can find the answers that you are looking for, grow in your faith, and learn how to respond to what the Lord is speaking to you.
The Soap method is: S = Scripture, O = Observation, A = Ask questions and Apply to my life, P = Prayer.
List of items needed for this Bible Study Guide:
1) Quiet place to sit
2) Bible in translation that you understand most clearly (w/o study notes) that you can markup
(NB- I suggest New Living Translation NLT or Contemporary English Version CEV)
3) A specific Bible-reading plan (NB- I suggest the Book of John in 21 days)
4) have a few other Bible translations handy (www.BibleGateway.com)
(NB- New American Standard Bible NASB 95, English Standard Version ESV, New King James Version NKJV)
5) Strong’s Concordance for your chosen translation (NB- The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance can be used with any modern Bible translation)
6) spiral notebook or hardbound journal (NB- typing your study notes in a computer is the less-preferred option. It is highly recommended to write notes by hand on paper, because the physical act of handwriting will help you make the connection in your brain that is necessary to process the information into your memory and understanding.)
7) your favorite pen to write with
8) highlighters, pencils, or pens in several different colors to mark up your Bible.
For specific examples of my Bible study using the SOAP method:
STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS: Here are the 7 easy soap steps all laid out for you, with a shorter option and a more in-depth option:
Step 1: Schedule an appointment with God every day to pray and to read and study His Word, approximately 10 minutes to an hour, but the amount of time and the time of day are totally up to you.
Step 2: Follow a specific Bible-reading plan that is either, 1) reading the Bible in some sort of logical order in a certain measure of time, or 2) by a certain topic of your choice, such as salvation, forgiveness, finances, work, anxiety, fear, depression, health, humility, identity, or purpose.
Step 3: Before you begin your daily reading of Scripture, you must pray first. Ask God to help you to understand what you are going to read because it is a way of God speaking to you. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what God is saying and to help you draw closer to Him.
Step 4: S = Scripture: Read the passage that is scheduled for today’s reading. Pick a verse that stands out to you the most in today’s reading and highlight it. Write this Bible verse in your notebook.
*** Here is my example for this lesson:
S: He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Step 5: O = Observation: This is the step that can take as little or as long of time as you need. Let God speak directly to you and do not use any study notes or commentaries or ask anyone for help with this step.
Shorter time option: Write some or all these observations down in your notebook:
What is the context of the passage?
Is there a logical flow in the main idea of what came right before your verse and what came right after your verse?
Look up definitions and/or synonyms to a word or two to gain more insight.
Color code any repetitions by using a different colored pencil for each set:
underline in red the same word repeated,
circle in blue the same name repeated,
star in green every time you see words like therefore, thus, if, then,
put an orange checkmark over any time words (subsequently, immediately),
order words (first, above all, finally),
comparison words (like, as),
contrast words (but, however, whereas).
Read the verse out loud and emphasize a different word each time you read it aloud to see if it changes the meaning, to give you a different perspective.
Break up a long verse into smaller chunks to focus on and write each chunk in a different way in your own words.
Can you summarize what the verse means? What can you learn from this?
***Here are my observations about Ecclesiastes 3:11:
O: Context- King Solomon is writing about what he has learned, that there is a time for everything, about the futility of seeking happiness in our busyness, and that we should be content and take pleasure in the work He has given us. The repetition is what God has done. Time words beginning, end, eternity. Eternity = unending time. God created everything in the beginning. God created beauty. God made everything beautiful. God created my heart. God has a plan and already knows how everything is going to end. But time is unending? It’s okay that I don’t understand because no one can understand.
More in-depth version: Write some or all these additional observations down in your notebook:
Who wrote this passage? Who was this written to? When was it written? Where was it written? Why was it written?
What is the historical context?
What is the main idea?
What is the central theme?
What style was it written?
Use scripture to interpret scripture by reading other Bible translations of the same verse, looking up words in the concordance, and any footnotes of Bible cross-references?
Interpretation: What does the verse mean? What can be implied from the text beyond what it says? Reread the passage a few more times as you need to glean from it.
NB- It can be frustrating if you don’t know what it means, but allow yourself to have that moment where you don’t understand and be open to hear what God has for you. It’s okay because God has a plan and a purpose that He is preparing you for, and as you mull over it, it may just be the buried treasure you need to dig up in the future at a crucial time when you need to find the answer that you're looking for.
Step 6: A = Ask questions and Apply to my life.
Shorter time option:
Ask God questions to help you understand better.
Summarize what you learned from your observations and turn it into an action statement.
What is God’s part? What is my part? If God _______, then I _________. So, what can I do today, this week to apply this to my life? Is there something that I need to stop doing? That I need to start doing?
***Here is my example for Ecclesiastes 3:11:
A: If God knows how it’s going to end, then that means God is in control of everything that He created. If God created me and He made everything beautiful, then God says I am beautiful. If God created my heart, then God knows my heart. If God was in the beginning and the end of His creation, but time is unending, then God is unending, and time is eternal. I learned that God knows a lot more than I do. God is in control of everything that He created, and I need to trust Him. So, I need to trust God because He has a beautiful plan and purpose for my life. Even though I don’t understand why I am going through this difficult time in my life, I need to stop worrying about my situation and trust God because He has a plan. I trust you God because You are in control, and You will work everything out even better than I could ever imagine. Thank you, Lord!
More in-depth option:
What is most surprising or impactful to you? How does it impact your perspective?
How does your verse point to God? Point to Jesus?
What did you learn about God and His character? Jesus and His attributes?
Now that you have learned more about God, you are better equipped to listen to Him.
What did God speak to your heart? What is that inner voice whispering to you?
Is God revealing a hardness in your heart? Give yourself time to reflect, step back and look from a different viewpoint at what God is doing in your life. What has he brought you through? What blessings has He given you?
Think about a time in your past where this verse would have been helpful for you.
Think about how you can use this verse to help someone else.
Step 7: P = Prayer: Pray the Bible verse you read, your summarized observation, and action statement back to God. Thank God for what you have learned. Ask God to help you to do what you have learned. Affirm what you learned as truth that it is already done.
***Here is my prayer:
P: Dear God, You created everything in the beginning. You made everything beautiful. You created me and you know my heart. You already know how everything is going to end. God, you are in control of everything, and I need to trust you Lord that you have everything well in hand. Thank you, God, for creating me and making me beautiful in your eyes. I know that you are going to take care of me because you love me and you have a plan for me. Please help me to not worry Lord. Please help me to trust you God. I know that I don’t have to worry because I trust you God because you are in control. “Be still, and know that I am God,” says the Lord. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
Thank you for spending this time with me to learn about how to study the bible and apply it to your life. I pray that this helps you grow in your faith and grow closer to God. If you would like me to show you a soap on a specific verse, please comment below. God bless you!
