Most of the time we make Bible study too complicated, and that’s why we fail. New Hope Church encourages the use of the SOAP model: read Scripture, Observe, Apply to your life, and Pray. If you follow this model, you are focused on learning and applying principles, and journaling in this way is an exercise in faith and trust for the present and the future.

Another model that might help is:

• What is the Bible saying in my reading today?
• What does it mean?
• What does it mean to me?
• What should I do about it?
• Who will I tell? Because sharing with someone else is a step of accountability and puts you on the path to living out the principles you are learning.