How I Do My Daily Devo

How I Do My Devo: by Paul Burke

I have been enjoying a new devo tool since this summer. It's so simple and practical! I've enjoyed it so much that I wanted to share it with you! It's called S.O.A.P.!

S. stands for Scripture.

O. stands for Observations.

A. stands for Applications.

P. stands for Prayer.

Using a spiral journal, I write down the date at the top, and then write the letter "S," and the passage of Scripture that I am reading for that day. (Usually just one or two paragraphs).

S. 1 Peter 3:8-12

Then I write the letter "O," and read the Scripture, writing down key words, thoughts, questions and phrases that occur to me.

O. Be a blessing. Turn away from evil. Be a "peace instagator." God likes that!

Now comes the important part! I write the letter "A," and try to figure out how to practically apply what I just read and made observations about. This isn't always easy, but so vital to a good devo time!

A. In every interaction today and this week, with every person I interact with, I want to be a blessing! (Particularly towards those who deserve it the least!) I will be a "peace instagator!"

And finally, I make it really personal by turning my decision into a prayer. I write the letter "P," and a prayer of commitment to Jesus.

P. Lord Jesus, I recognize that I have been blessed beyond measure, and far beyond anything that I deserve! And I know that you want me to freely bless others, even when they don't deserve it! Help me to turn away from every evil! Holy Spirit, help me to recognize when I am being tempted to return evil for evil. Please allow me to be a blessing instead! I want to be a peace instagator! Lord Jesus, I just want to follow You. Lead me, Lord! I will follow! In Your Name, I pray. Amen.

And then, I either verbalize that prayer, taking time to worship, or begin to pray for the people in my life. Or sometimes, because I'm out of time, I move on with my day. 

This simple and practical exercise has become one of my favorite parts of my day.

FULL DISCLAIMER: I don't do this every day. Some days, I just run out of time. Some days I oversleep. Some days I don't plan properly. Some days I just get distracted. But, I just keep coming back to where I left off and I start again. 

I invite you, to try S.O.A.P.!

How do you do your daily devo?