Pray First:
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you and teach you as you dive into His Word. (Ephesians 1:16-23)
S: Scripture
Read the passage of scripture once before marking anything to familiarize yourself with the text.
Read out loud several times.
Read in more than one translations.
O: Observation & Comprehension “What does it say?”
- Annotate the passage of scriptures: Mark it up!!Repeated words, phrases or ideas
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- Characteristics of God
- Define and mark unknown words
- Define and mark familiar words that catch your attention.
- Key transition words (if/then, therefore, but…) and draw an arrow to connect a concluding thought to its beginning argument.
- Confusing ideas
- Answer: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW, WHY questions as you dissect and unpack the scripture.
R: Research & Interpretation “What does it mean?”
- Consult different translations, again 🙂
- Look up related cross references
- Paraphrasing
- Ask yourself: “What would the original audience have thought?”
T: Think & Reflect: “How should it change me?”
- God-Centered Perspective
- What does this passage teach me about God?
- How does this aspect of God’s character change my view of self?
- What should I do in response?
S: Say it out loud: pray it back to God.
- Write out a prayer using the scripture you studied.
- Pray the verse and the prayer you just wrote back to God.
Check out this YouTube video for a visual example.
