Personal Devotions

Psalm 119:37

All through Seminary, the professors told us that we should do devotions every day.  And everyone said that they did them.  Most people lied.  I didn’t know what “doing devotions” really meant.  After I had been a pastor for a couple years, another pastor told me at a conference that he struggled with the same thing, the he felt embarrassed to ask someone what they do, and proceeded to tell me about the SOAP method.  This isn’t the only way, but it’s been helpful for me – and may be helpful for you too.

S – Scripture
Read a portion of Scripture.  It could be a random chapter, or it could be from a Bible reading plan.  As you read, you’re looking for a word or verse that either pops out as being meaningful or answers the question “How am I going to be different tomorrow because of what I read today?”

O – Observation
Jot down a couple notes about what that verse says

A – Application
Jot down a couple notes about how you can apply those observations to your life today.

P – Prayer
Pray about that application you just wrote down.

For me, it’s simple and provides a way for me to remember what I read and share it with people.  I’ll be talking with someone who’s talking about something their struggling with, and I’ll remember what I read a couple days before and can share that Word with that person.

If you want more information about the SOAP method or want to buy a Life Journal that is based on the SOAP method, you can do that here:
http://store.lifejournal.cc/classiclifejournal-blue.aspx

Pastor David