The best way to learn the SOAP Bible study method is to see it in action. Below are five complete examples — different passages, different books of the Bible — so you know exactly what a real SOAP entry looks like and how to write your own.
Each example follows the same four-step structure: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer. If you haven’t read the full SOAP method guide yet, read that first — then come back here to see it applied.
Example 1: Psalm 23:1–3
S — Scripture:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” — Psalm 23:1–3a (ESV)
O — Observation:
David uses a shepherd and sheep metaphor. The Lord is the shepherd — David is identifying as the sheep. Three specific things the shepherd does: (1) causes lying down in green pastures — provision and rest, (2) leads beside still waters — peace and direction, (3) restores the soul — renewal after depletion. The word “my” makes it personal. This isn’t God as shepherd in general — this is David claiming the shepherd as his own.
A — Application:
I’ve been running on empty and driving hard at work without pausing. This verse reminds me that rest is part of how God restores — not laziness, but intentional stillness under His care. Today I’m going to take a 15-minute walk at lunch without my phone, as a concrete act of trusting that God provides even when I’m not grinding.
P — Prayer:
Lord, You are my shepherd — not my employee, not a resource I call on when things go wrong. Thank You that You lead me, that You restore what’s been depleted in me. Forgive me for treating rest as weakness. Help me lie down in the green pastures You provide today instead of running past them. Amen.
Example 2: Romans 8:28
S — Scripture:
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” — Romans 8:28 (ESV)
O — Observation:
Paul writes “we know” — this is stated as settled knowledge, not optimism or hope. The promise applies to “those who love God” and those “called according to his purpose” — there is a qualifier. “All things” is sweeping — not some things, not the good things, but all. “Work together for good” implies a process, not an instant fix — things work toward good, which means it may not look good in the middle. The “good” here is tied to God’s purpose, not our preferences.
A — Application:
The situation at home with my son has felt completely out of control for months. I’ve been secretly believing God is absent or inactive. But this verse says all of it — including this — is being worked toward something good by God. I don’t need to see the outcome to trust the architect. Today I’m going to stop trying to fix this by force and instead pray specifically for God to work in my son’s heart.
P — Prayer:
Father, I confess I’ve been acting like Romans 8:28 applies to other people’s hardships, not mine. You say ALL things — even this. I trust You with what I can’t control. Work in my son’s life in ways I can’t engineer. Help me rest in Your purpose even when I can’t see Your process. Amen.
Example 3: Proverbs 3:5–6
S — Scripture:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV)
O — Observation:
Two commands and one promise. Command 1: trust — with all your heart, not part. Command 2: do not lean on your own understanding. “Lean” is an interesting word — it suggests support, a weight being held up. The negative here implies we naturally lean on our own understanding, which is why the command is necessary. “In all your ways acknowledge him” — all is again comprehensive. The promise: He will make your paths straight — implying the path may currently be crooked or unclear, and God’s involvement straightens it.
A — Application:
I have a major decision to make about a job change and I’ve been trying to figure it out entirely through analysis — spreadsheets, pros/cons lists, talking to people. I haven’t actually brought it to God in any serious way. Today I’m going to stop the analysis and spend my lunch in prayer, specifically laying this decision before God and asking for clarity through His Word and people He brings across my path.
P — Prayer:
God, I trust You — or at least I want to. Show me where I’m leaning on my own understanding instead of You. Specifically with the job decision: I acknowledge You in this. Guide my thoughts, close doors that shouldn’t open, open doors You want me to walk through. Make my path straight. I release my grip on controlling the outcome. Amen.
Example 4: Matthew 6:33
S — Scripture:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” — Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
O — Observation:
Context: Jesus is addressing anxiety about material needs — food, clothing, what we’ll drink. “Seek first” implies there are competing priorities fighting for first place. The command is the reordering: God’s kingdom and righteousness go first. “All these things” — the material concerns He just listed — will be added. “Added” suggests they come as a result of the primary pursuit, not the object of it. The promise is conditional on the ordering: kingdom first, then provision follows.
A — Application:
My morning routine has money anxiety first and God second — I check my finances before I open my Bible. This verse inverts that. Starting tomorrow, Bible study happens before I look at any financial information. I want to actively practice seeking the kingdom first before I seek anything else.
P — Prayer:
Father, forgive me for making my own provision the first thing I pursue each morning. You’ve promised that if I seek Your kingdom first, the rest follows. I want to believe that enough to actually reorder my morning. Help me to truly seek You first — in my calendar, in my attention, in my spending. Amen.
Example 5: James 1:2–4
S — Scripture:
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” — James 1:2–4 (ESV)
O — Observation:
“Count it all joy” — this is a choice, not a feeling. James says “when” not “if” — trials are expected. “Various kinds” — no trial is excluded. The reason for joy is the outcome, not the experience: testing of faith → steadfastness → being perfect and complete. It’s a chain. “Lacking in nothing” is the end goal — not comfort, but completeness. The joy is not joy because the trial is pleasant, but because of what it produces.
A — Application:
I’ve been angry and frustrated about a difficult season at work and treating it as a mistake or an obstacle to get past. James reframes it: this is the mechanism God uses to build completeness in me. Today I’m going to write down three ways this hard season could be producing steadfastness in me — not to make myself feel better, but to actually see the trial with the perspective this verse offers.
P — Prayer:
Lord, I confess I’ve been counting this season loss instead of joy. I don’t feel joyful, but I can choose to count this as something You’re using. Produce steadfastness in me through this. Show me what completeness looks like on the other side. I trust that You don’t waste the hard seasons. Amen.
Now Do Your Own SOAP Entry
Get the free 365-day reading plan so you always know which passage to study — then open your journal and write your first SOAP entry today.