“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12 I have worked professionally in ministry with teenagers for the past 6 years and as a volunteer for many years before that. One thing that teenagers often express to me is that it is hard for them to read the Bible and connect it with their day-to-day lives. My response to that sometimes surprises them. It is a simple and honest, “Me too!”. Sometimes, we need tools to help guide us through scripture and apply it to our lives. One tool that I often come back to is the “SOAP Method.” It is very simple, yet I have found it to be very effective, and it works every time. It is an acronym, and this is what it stands for:
S- Scripture. Pick a scripture, any scripture! It could be one verse, one chapter, one book… Just pick something and read it. If you are looking for somewhere to start, I suggest the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
O- Observation. This is where you simply take note of what just happened in the scripture that you read. Who are the characters? What stood out to you? What questions do you have? What is interesting about it? What comes to mind as you read it?
A- Application. How does this scripture apply to your life right now? What might God be trying to tell or teach you, specifically, through this story?
P- Prayer. Just pray! Thank God for hand-picking this exact scripture for you to read on this precise day. Ask Him to keep it on your mind throughout the day and continue to reveal truths in your life regarding what you read. Ask Him to keep you hungry for His Word every day.
Here is an example of using the SOAP method with one of my favorite scriptures.
Here is an example of mine
S- Scripture. Matthew 14: 13-21 NLT “As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary- you feed them.”“But we only have five loaves of bread and to fish!” they answered.“Bring them here,” he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!
O- Observation. I love the line about Jesus having compassion on the crowd instead of seeing them as a burden or a problem, even though he had gone to be alone. He looked at them, loved them, and didn’t see them as an interruption. I wonder if this surprised the disciples or if they were used to Jesus doing stuff like this yet. I wonder if they had been looking forward to some downtime, too, and were in awe of Jesus’ response to the situation.
A- Application. Reading this reminds me that I’m not an inconvenience to God when I pray about things in my life. Whether it’s big or small, they matter to him, and he is willing to give me his full attention. It also reminds me that God is able to do a lot with a little. No matter what I offer him, maybe it’s just a little time, money, or energy… If I bring it to him, he can multiply it and even ensure some is left over! I love this truth about God.
P- Prayer. God, thank you for the chance to pause in my day and read your scripture. You say that all scripture is alive and active which means there is always something new for me to learn about you through it. Thank you for the truth today that I am never a burden to you and that you are able to do far more than I ask or imagine. When I am tempted to think that what I have to offer is too little, would you remind me how creative and powerful you are? That you are not only willing, but excited to do a lot with my little. Where I lack, you have abundance. Would you keep this truth on my mind throughout today? Amen
That’s it! It is simple and effective, and I believe it is really powerful. I have also found that, as the scripture says in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive,” God uses His Word to reveal different things to me each time I read it. I can read the same passage tomorrow and be reminded of another promise of God.
I pray that wherever you are in your walk with God, this will help strengthen your relationship with Him and your understanding of His Word.
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Below we have attached two printables to help you get started using The SOAP Method. The first PDF named, "SOAP Printable" is a SOAP Method journaling template. The second PDF named, "SOAP Bookmark" is a printable reminder of the acronym. These are great tools if you would like to start incorporating The SOAP Method into your quite time with Jesus.
