How to Organize Your Prayer Life--Part 5

Good Morning Everyone!

You just KNOW I am going to ask you--how is your Prayer Binder working out for you so far???  I hope it is becoming a dear "friend," as you spend time with it and use it to talk to our Dearest Friend!

Today I am going to share the next section with you--section five.  To review, remember that our first section is about our Father in Heaven, our second section is where we concentrate on our own needs, and then the third and fourth sections we are using to pray for our immediate family members.  Our section five is going to  be a little different than the previous sections, because this is where we are going to gather our Bible Study notes.  So my section five is labeled just that--Bible Study!

This is the dividing section, between the things you pray for on a daily basis, and those to come that will be once a week prayers.  I use this section in a variety of ways:

~Notes I take on sermons

~Bible passages I am working on memorizing

~Insights I have as I study the Bible are recorded here

~New Bible study methods that I want to try

~Bible studies that I want to mark in my Bible

~Topics that I want to do Bible research on

So you see, this section can be used to collect a variety of things.  It could even store little thoughts or quotes that you want to remember.  In our class at church, I shared the secret of being glad--this is something I have stored in my Section Five:

How to be Glad!

G---go to the Lord
L--leave your burdens with Him
A--adore Him
D--do these things daily

Isn't that a good reminder?  No, it isn't original with me, and I am afraid I cannot remember where I first read it, but it is something I want to remember, so I keep it tucked away in my section five of my Prayer Binder.

I also shared in our church class the S.O.A.P. method of Bible reading.  Again, this is not original with me, but I tried to share with our group things that other people might find helpful.  So if you want to give this Bible study method a try, here is how to do this method:

S.O.A.P. is a method of Bible reading and journaling.  It can be used with any daily Bible reading plan.

S is for Scripture
~Open your Bible to today's reading (according to whatever plan you are following).  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 is for Observation
~What struck you and caught your attention in what you read?  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.

A is 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 in your life.  Write how this scripture can apply to you today.

P is 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.

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So that is the S.O.A.P. Bible study method.  I have done this quite extensively in times past--but am not currently using this method.  But I wanted to share a variety of things with you for each section, just to help give you ideas to get started in your own Prayer Binder.  For me personally, right now I am using my Section five primarily for a place to store my notes I take on our weekly sermons at church.  But mainly it is a section where I know I "can" tuck away little things or ideas that I want to remember for later.  So use this section in a way that will be useful for YOU in YOUR prayer life!

I am so happy that I have heard from some of you that this Prayer Binder method of organizing your Prayer life is already being a blessing to you! :)  That was my desire in sharing--as I stated in the first post of this series, these ideas are not original with me.  I have gathered them from quite a few places I have read, both in books as well as on-line, and what I am presenting  to you is simply what ended up fitting MY prayer life best.  Change things to fit YOU, and share with your friends as it may be a blessing to them as well.

Homework--so here is a little assignment for you:  leave a comment here on this post of one thing you think you will use your Section Five for.  Are you going to take notes on weekly sermons?  Use the S.O.A.P. method?  Something completely different?  Let's share and bless each other with ideas!

Have a beautiful week with Jesus.  He will never leave you nor forsake you!

~Susan