Welcome back! This is part three in a series about prayer. For those other posts:
31 Ways to Pray Over My Kids (Free Prayer Calendar)
And tomorrow, we will have 31 ways to pray over your man.
In the mean time, I wanted to show you how I got started praying through God’s word for myself during quiet time. It’s one thing to throw up a popcorn prayer of “God, please….” and it’s another to use S.O.A.P. Soap enriches your prayer life, grows your spirit, centers you, and draws you closer to God.
Why S.O.A.P. ?
When you learn how to interact with scripture, it suddenly comes alive. It nourishes your spirit and the words jump off the page, mingling with your life–your dreams, your hurts, your worries. You see the power in God’s word. You are able to dig deep into scripture and “see” more than if you were to simply read a verse or two and move on with your day.What is S.O.A.P.
S.O.A.P. stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. It is a way of getting more out of your time in God’s word. We did not invent it, we just decided to make a website to make it easier to do.How to Journal with SOAP
(Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer)Step 1: Locate the passages of scripture for today, whether you have a Bible Plan like or are reading through on your own.
Step 2: Ask God to show you what He would like you to focus on in today’s reading. Then read the passages with an open heart.
Step 3: When you find a verse or verses that you want to spend more time studying, open up to a fresh page in your journal.
Step 4: Write today’s date and the location of the verse(s)
Step 5: Write the letter ’S’ (Scripture) on the side of the page and then write out the verse(s) in your journal.
Step 6: Write the letter ’O’ (Observation) on the side of the page and then write what you notice about the Scripture.
Step 7: Write the letter ’A’ (Application) on the side of the page and then write how you will apply what you’ve just read.
Step 8: Write the letter ’P’ (Prayer) on the side of the page and write a prayer to God based on what you’ve just studied.
Step 9: When you finish writing, go back and give your journal entry a title to help you remember what it is all about. Then turn to your table of contents and write your journal entry date, Scripture, topic and title.
How I S.O.A.P.
S. Scripture
Psalm 66: 16- 20.Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
19 but God has surely listened
and has heard my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me! tweet
O. Observation
- God hears my prayers
- He cherishes my heart because I cherish him instead of my old ways
- The lord loves praise.
- Praise is contagious.
- Praise tells of the wonders and mysteries of God, it ignites the hearts of men
- The Lord listens when we praise
A. Application
Praising God creates a happy heart. When we praise him, suddenly our worst moments don’t seem so bad. We can find the good that comes with the bitter. It reminds me of how when I came to Christ, he took all the bad and perfected it for his good and now I get to have the humbling honor of telling other mammas about Jesus. I get to shout from the roof tops all the good he has done for me, even in my darkest moments. What I love about sharing Jesus’ word is how it changes lives. If he can change the heart of one mom, he can reach a whole family through her—WOW! Thank you, Father God!I will praise you all the days of my life. Let the bitter come with the sweet.
P. Pray
Father, thank you for this time today. Lord let me always have praises for you at the tip of my tongue. Help me to continually turn towards you, especially when my old ways of life tempt me when I least expect it. Lord when I tell of your ways, soften the hearts of mammas so they can hear YOU and open their hearts to wonder at your mystery–and to want to know you deeper. Thank you, Lord for this time. Amen.
Now if you would like a printable SOAP Card to get your started journaling: SOAP PRINTABLE or if you have a notebook and would like a bookmark: SOAP Book Mark.
