The following content was adapted from The Divine Mentor by Wayne Cordeiro, pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The leaders of Hope Christian Church believe strongly in the importance of writing down insights that the Lord gives us, whether they be notes taken down while listening to a sermon or a quick jotting down of something the Lord shows us during our day. Therefore, we recommend you keep a daily journal as you go through the Bible reading plan. You'll need five things to do effective journaling:
1. A Bible
2. A Pen
3. A Journal
4. A Reading Plan
5. A Daily Planner
You can pick up a journal at any office supply store. You can also use a simple notebook, or even print out the sample sheets provided on this page and place them in a binder. In the front of your journal, leave several pages for a table of contents which will be described later. Each page of your journal will be devoted to a specific day's Bible reading. The daily planner is suggested, because invariably when you sit down to do your devotional reading everything you have to do today will crowd into your mind. When this happens, simply jot them down in your planner . That way you can focus on reading the Scriptures without worrying that you will forget the things you need to do.
Before you begin your daily Bible reading, pray that the Holy Spirit would highlight one passage of scripture to you. As Wayne Cordeiro writes, "That is a prayer the Holy Spirit loves to answer. He will highlight one verse or thought that momentarily stops you in your tracks or seems to shine out from the page. He will whisper, 'This is for you--this is a promise you can hold to' or 'This instruction will get you back on track.'" When you come across this passage, take a pen and underline the verse. The mnemonic SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) will be used as a format for each page of your journal.
S for Scripture
Open your Bible to the reading found under today's date of the Bible reading plan. Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. When you are done, look for a verse that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in your journal.
O for Observation
What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words, in your journal.
A for Application
Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.
P for Prayer
This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Now, write it out.
When you are done, go back to the top of the page and give your daily entry a descriptive title. You will use this title to make an entry in your table of contents at the front of your journal. In the table of contents, write on one line the date, your title, the scripture reference, and the page number for that entry. This way, after a while you will have in one place all the daily things the Lord has been speaking to you.
Use these links to access sample journal pages, a blank journal page that you can print out, and a blank table of contents page.
Sample Journal--"Securing Your Devotion"
Sample Journal--"Keep Looking Forward"
Blank Journal Page
Table of Contents Page
Click here to return to the reading plan.
The leaders of Hope Christian Church believe strongly in the importance of writing down insights that the Lord gives us, whether they be notes taken down while listening to a sermon or a quick jotting down of something the Lord shows us during our day. Therefore, we recommend you keep a daily journal as you go through the Bible reading plan. You'll need five things to do effective journaling:
1. A Bible
2. A Pen
3. A Journal
4. A Reading Plan
5. A Daily Planner
You can pick up a journal at any office supply store. You can also use a simple notebook, or even print out the sample sheets provided on this page and place them in a binder. In the front of your journal, leave several pages for a table of contents which will be described later. Each page of your journal will be devoted to a specific day's Bible reading. The daily planner is suggested, because invariably when you sit down to do your devotional reading everything you have to do today will crowd into your mind. When this happens, simply jot them down in your planner . That way you can focus on reading the Scriptures without worrying that you will forget the things you need to do.
Before you begin your daily Bible reading, pray that the Holy Spirit would highlight one passage of scripture to you. As Wayne Cordeiro writes, "That is a prayer the Holy Spirit loves to answer. He will highlight one verse or thought that momentarily stops you in your tracks or seems to shine out from the page. He will whisper, 'This is for you--this is a promise you can hold to' or 'This instruction will get you back on track.'" When you come across this passage, take a pen and underline the verse. The mnemonic SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) will be used as a format for each page of your journal.
S for Scripture
Open your Bible to the reading found under today's date of the Bible reading plan. Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. When you are done, look for a verse that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in your journal.
O for Observation
What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words, in your journal.
A for Application
Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.
P for Prayer
This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Now, write it out.
When you are done, go back to the top of the page and give your daily entry a descriptive title. You will use this title to make an entry in your table of contents at the front of your journal. In the table of contents, write on one line the date, your title, the scripture reference, and the page number for that entry. This way, after a while you will have in one place all the daily things the Lord has been speaking to you.
Use these links to access sample journal pages, a blank journal page that you can print out, and a blank table of contents page.
Sample Journal--"Securing Your Devotion"
Sample Journal--"Keep Looking Forward"
Blank Journal Page
Table of Contents Page
Click here to return to the reading plan.
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