A few days ago I suggested that you consider skipping journaling and writing about your journey through the Bible in 90 days. It’s not that I don’t want you to keep a record of what you are learning and share with others. It is that I don’t want you to get overwhelmed and caught up in the writing and not get your reading completed each day. I want you to cast off anything that hinders you from running and completing this race.
Today I’m going to share a tool with you in case you really want to keep a chronicle of your Bible reading.
If you are a regular at MomsToolbox, this is nothing new to you. If you aren’t, I hope you will begin to embrace SOAP, too.
SOAP is a simple acrostic I use to listen and make better sense of the scripture I am reading.
After I read the day’s passage (for any Bible reading plan), I pray and ask the Lord to reveal to me one nugget that is especially for me that day and then I write about it.
S is the Scripture, the one or maybe 2 verses that especially spoke to me.
O is an Observation, or what that bit of scripture is saying. Often it is the verse re-worded.
A is my Application for that particular verse.
P is my Prayer as that verse has struck me.
Next I title the entry in a few words so I can see even more clearly God’s message for me for the day.
If I was using a spiral notebook or traditional journal, I would then keep a list of the titles and dates so I could go back and see any themes or repeated messages through my life.
After I complete my reading each day I think through and write out my SOAP for the day and share it with my readers here on MomsToolbox. I have this done almost daily since July 2008 and, if you would like to write about your reading, I would encourage you to find a spiral notebook or use your blog to do the same. It is a great way to get a personal, more meaningful message out of each day’s reading, whether you use the Bible in 90 Days plan, a one year schedule or any daily devotional guide or reading guide.
Yes, I just told you a few days ago not to write about your reading. But I know some of you will want to anyway. This is an excellent tool you can use to track your reading whether you share it or not. I’d rather you have a great, simple tool if you want to journal. But, please, don’t let the journaling get in the way of your reading.
Wanna see an example of SOAP in action? Here is my SOAP for today, July 2, 2010.
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