SOAP Bible Study Method

There are so many Bible Study methods to consider.  In this post we’ll review how to use the SOAP Bible Study method.

Our Bible Study time is all about spending time with God.  We want to learn about Him.  We also want to learn to apply what we learn in the Bible to our lives today. 

This is our second post in a series of Bible Study methods.  In the first article we reviewed how to use the Read, Write, Meditate and Pray Bible Study method.

Bible Study Purpose

The purpose of any Bible Study should be to help us draw close to God.  We also want to learn more about God.  Bible Study should also teach us about how we should live our lives. We can use any method we wish.  It can be easy or complicated.  What matters most is that we spend time with God and in His Word.

Let’s look at another simple Bible Study Method today.  The SOAP Bible Study method is easy to learn.  It is an excellent method for helping us learn how to apply God’s Word to our current life.

Tip:  Decide what topic or book of the Bible you will be studying so that you will have a plan in advance for what you’ll be studying.  It’s great to plan for at least 5 – 7 days of study.  We’ll talk more about how to choose your topic in a future post and will link it here when it is ready.

SOAP Bible Study Method Overview

S is for Scripture

O is for Observation

A is for Application

P is for Prayer

List of Steps for the SOAP Bible Study Method

SCRIPTURE:

Step 1:  Read the passage.  Read it a second time.  Tip:  Read it aloud one of those times.

Step 2:   Write out a verse that got your attention during your reading time.  Perhaps it was one that showed you something new about God.  Or perhaps it was one that gave you some guidance for your life.  If you’re not sure which one to choose, that’s okay.  Just pick one.  Choosing the verse to write is sometimes super easy and other times not so much.  The Lord will bless your desire to study His Word, so don’t overthink which verse to write out.

OBSERVATION:

Step 3:  Now it’s time to start to look into the verse that you selected.  This is the time to ask yourself questions about the verse.  Questions like: 

• What do you see in the verse?
• Does something stand out?
• Are there any repeated words?
• What does the verse say about God?
• What does the verse say about how you should live?
• Who wrote the passage?
• What was going on in their life at the time?
• Is there something unusual in the verse?

This is just a short list of possible questions.  As you begin to use the SOAP Bible Study Method, you can create a regular list of questions that you ask yourself each time you study a verse.

Tip:  The verse before and the verse after and often very helpful in understanding a verse, so include those in your study as well.

APPLICATION: 

Step 4:  Now that you’ve observed all you can from the verse, it’s time to do a very important part of this type of Bible Study method.  It’s time to apply it to your life.  Just as with the Observation portion, the best way to do this is to ask yourself some questions. 

Questions such as:

• How does this verse apply to me?
• Is there an action I need to take?
• Is there something I need to confess?
• Do the words show me a way to improve my walk with the Lord?
• Does this passage encourage me to praise God?
• Should I share encouragement with others from this verse?
• Does this verse encourage me?  If so, in what way.
• What does God want me to understand from this passage?

Once again, this is just a short list.  I encourage you to continue to add questions to this list as you use the SOAP Bible Study method.

Tip:  Look for commands, promises or sins (to avoid).

PRAYER

STEP 5:  Now that you’ve spent some time observing and learning about how you could apply this passage to your life, it is time to Pray about it.

Once again review your application notes and determine if there is something you need to confess.  Is there something you need to give praise to God about?  Is there something you want to say thank you God for?  Is there something you want to ask God to help you live out in your life?

Whatever you now understand about the passage, spend time talking with the Lord about it.