What is SOAP? (Or How do I journal my journey?)

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My church’s senior pastor shared a simple, yet meaningful journaling format called SOAP back in December to help us get more from our daily reading. It took me a few months to fully adopt it, but since I have, it has made a tremendous difference in my prayer life.

I am applying it to a Bible in a year reading plan, but you could apply it to any study or reading format to go one step deeper and really listen to what God might have to say to you through your reading. And by logging your entries, it will be a snap to look back later on and see what you have learned.

All you need for your study/ journaling time is your Bible, a notebook, pen and about 20 minutes, depending on the length of your passage.

Here’s what I do:

Pray, asking God to guide me through His Word and clear my mind of distractions.

Read the passage and find the one thing I believe God is telling me that morning. Then I journal about it using the acrostic SOAP as a guide.

S: Scripture-Write the ONE scripture that I feel God is using to speak to me in today’s reading

O: Observation-What might He be telling me with that scripture?

A: Application-How can I apply it to my life?

P: Prayer-What is my prayer to ask God in helping me to make that application?

When I am finished, I look back over the entry and come up with a short title and write it on the top of the page. Then I go back to the front of my journal and log the title. This way, I can easily look back and find the messages God has sent me.

As you try this out, feel free to get as detailed as you like, but simple answers are perfectly acceptable. This journal is only between you and God and whomever else you may want to share it with, no need to try to impress. Just write from your heart. And try your best to really listen to Him. Clear your mind and listen. Then write.

I log all of my entries in a spiral-bound notebook and then I expand on them here in my blog. Yes, blogging about it probably does change my responses a bit because I am inviting an audience to join me. But by journaling on paper first, I can get out all of my thoughts without worrying what all of you might think. Then I listen to what God is directing and type away.

If you haven’t read any of my entries, just scroll through my blog or do a category search for SOAP. You’ll find one for each day and see how simple it can be… and yet also very enlightening.

This journaling format has really worked for me. I hope that it can lead you, too, to experience a fuller relationship with Christ and our Heavenly Father.

And if you’d like to check out all sorts of real-life solutions to all sorts of other things, check out Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in my Dryer.

Tagged as: Christian Living