Fairlawn West UCC Logo and Name
scripture, observation, application, prayer

How to SOAP

  1. Start with your Bible, journal (any kind of notebook will do), pen and your daily calendar/to do list.

  2. Go to the Daily Bible Reading list to find today's readings.

  3. Before you start to read, pray to God how to apply the reading to your life today.

  4. Read today's readings. As you are reading, underline or write down anything that impresses you as a personal word to be applied.  When you read with an open heart, God will give you words of encouragement, direction and correction.  When ideas about other things "to do" crop up, write them down in your planner/calendar and go back to reading.

  5. When you are through reading, go to your journal, write down at the top on one side the date and on the other side a page number. Then begin SOAP on about the 4th line down.

    Scripture:  write down the portion of scripture you will journal on.  This is usually a short section that you have underlined or marked...as you were reading.
    Observation:  write down your observations on the passage
    Application:  write down how you will apply this passage to your life today.
    Prayer:  write down a prayer to God about your experience today  

  6. On the second line at the center top of your first page, write down a topic that describes what you urnaled for today. Then above it, write a title like a title for a newspaper article. Have a page where you keep a Table of Contents and write in the date, the name of the book, chapter and verse, the topic, the title and the page number so that you can find this writing in the future.

  7. Conclude your daily devotional time by using a sheet for a Prayer List. On this page write down all the people and situations you wish to pray for this day. Write down the date which you listed them.  In the future write down the date you believe the prayer has been answered. Pray a prayer of intercession for what you've written.  

    Choose the best time of day that works for you.  If you aren't able at first to get to it regularly, just keep working at the discipline and it will come.

Thank you to Wayne Cordeiro and the people of New Hope Christian Fellowship Oahu for sharing this idea.