Welcome back to Time in the Word! Last week we started our 2022 Healthy Spiritual Habits adventure talking about Bible Reading and Bible Study. You can catch part 1 here. Today we will take a deeper dive into reading and studying the Bible by discussing a few “helps” you can use to make your time enjoyable and enriching.
We are privileged to be blessed with multiple Bibles in our homes. At one time having your own Bible was unheard of. Being able to read was in itself, a luxury, afforded to the wealthy. Many European churches chained the Bible to the pulpit; if you wanted to read it, if you could read, it was to be read right there.
The Guinness Book of World Records lists the Bible as THE BEST SELLING NON-FICTION BOOK. The Bible has its own rich history that goes behind its age, authors, and development.
Discipline
Ask anyone who has been a student of school and life and they will tell you the keys to learning are repetition and discipline. Knowing your learning style is important as well, but don’t get all rolled up in a ball and spend hours researching your learning style.
Let me share the S.O.A.P method with you. SOAP might not work for you. You’ll need to find a method that works best for you. God didn’t intend our Bible reading and study to be rocket science.
Ready? Here we go! Get yourself a notebook and grab your Bible. Pick out a verse from a book of the Bible you like. Here is where the SOAP starts.
SOAP
S- Stands for Scripture. Writing your verse down has great value. You are not only visually reading, but your hand and mind are connecting as well. We are more likely to remember the verse if we physically engage pen to hand and write about it.
Write your verse down.
O- Stands for Observation. We are going to make observations about the verse. We observe things like:
- Context- Context, simply put, is the circumstances in which something is said. Who said it? How did they say it? Where were they? Who were they speaking to? What background does this person have? Was the speaker honest, a liar, afraid, angry, sad..? I also write any questions I have about a verse.
–It is necessary to read the whole chapter the verse resides in to understand its context.
Write your observations and questions down.
A- Stands for Application. As you quietly think about this verse, ask yourself:
- How can I apply this to my life and Christian walk?
- What is God saying to me/trying to tell me? Remember, scripture is living and breathing!
- Is there something in my life that needs changing as a result of reading this?
Be sure and write everything down that God lays on your heart. It will be a great testimony to your personal walk with Him.
P- Stands for Prayer.
We’ll have to stop here, as I have run out of my allotted writing space! We will tackle prayer next week. Till then friends! Thank you for joining me here today in Time in the Word.
Michele Bruxvoort is sure to draw you in with her delightful sense of humor and love for living life. She enjoys reading, repurposing, as well as remodeling the family home with her husband. Drawing from her life experience as wife, mom, and follower of Jesus, Michele brings you a very honest and real perspective on life. When you don’t find her writing, you can find her mowing lawns, stocking shelves, taking care of her grandbaby and tackling her latest life adventure.
Wisconsin native and empty-nester, she now makes her home with her husband of 27 years in the South West Prairie plains of Minnesota.
