Studying the Bible - How to? Part 1

I am often asked how one should go about studying the Bible. They realize that it's important to do so and want to study the Bible, but no one's ever showed them how to do it. In the next two days, I will suggest two ways which you can study the Bible everyday.

The way I currently do my daily quiet times and study the Bible is by using the acronym S-O-A-P. I keep a journal on the computer. I used to use a note book to do it, but since I travel so much and since my computer is always with me, it's easier to just type it in. In my journaling, I use the SOAP acronym to help me organize my thoughts.

Here's how.

S - Scripture.

I go through the entire Bible in nine months and the Bible reading program I am using helps me keep track of what passages I am to read and study that day. You can find these pretty easily on the web.

Here are some sites you can check out.

• http://www.heartlight.org/devotionals/reading_plans/
• http://mountainretreat.org/schedit/schedit.cgi
• http://www.bibleplan.org/
• http://www.wholesomewords.org/family/bibleread/biblerea.html
• http://www.studythebible.com/daily.htm

These are just five of hundreds of sites that can help you with a daily reading plan. If you're not reading the Bible everyday, it's not because there aren't enough resources, it's just simply because you don't want to. If you want to grow and mature as a person of faith, there is no other way to do so without making daily reading one of your spiritual habits.

As I am reading, I simply write down the Bible passages or words that jump out at me.

O - Obervation

This is the section where I ask myself, why did these words or this passage make an impression on me? What is God trying to say to me? What am I supposed to "see" or learn from these passages?

A - Application

What is God asking me to do?

P - This is my prayer section. I write out my prayers because I find that this helps me to concentrate better than if I were to just sit and pray. But this is the time where you are communicating with God about what is going on in your day and what God is showing you.

I will share in the days to come about different ways to study the Bible and have a daily quiet time.

Why not start today to begin the greatest habit you can ever start?