Our church community has a blog that we use for message notes, articles, updates and encouragement. We posted something this morning to help our community with daily devotion.
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I’ve recently engaged in some books that have highlighted some practical help in the area of spiritual devotion.
In his book The Divine Mentor, Wayne Cordero suggests using the acronym SOAP. Here is his practical advice in spending significant daily time with Jesus.
1. Read a chapter of the Bible.
2. Underline what sticks out to you.
3. Pick one verse and then S-O-A-P.
S: Scripture. Write out the 1 verse you chose, long hand in your journal.
O: Observation. Simply write what you observed in the verse that made you want to write it down. Remember, you don’t have to be a theologian, just write what you saw.
A: Application. Write down how this verse applies to your life? Nothing fancy, just apply it.
P: Prayer. This is where you turn your Observation and Application into a Dedication. Once again, don’t try and be over-spiritual, just simply write a prayer to God of how your life will be different today because of what He’s spoken to your heart through this verse.
That’s it! SOAP. It’s as simple or deep as you want it to be. The goal of our Spiritual Life from God’s perspective is that you and I learn to be Self-Feeders and SOAP is an amazing way to do that.
In his book Leaders Who Last, Dave Kraft shares that he practices the four R’s in his bible reading:
Read: Reading and marking the words and verses that speak to me.
Reflect: Thinking about hat I have marked.
Respond: Focusing on truths I marked to pray about and obey.
Record: Capturing what God has said in writing (a journal).
It’s not about a formula, yet maybe you’re in a place where you need practical help in your daily devotion. Cordero and Kraft both give insight to help us in the daily devotion of our spiritual lives. Apply some of these ideas and see where God takes you!
