Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
June 22, 2022: SOAP #4584: 2Kings 8,9; 2Chronicles 21; 1Timothy 4

SCRIPTURE: 1Timothy (NIV) 4:13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.

OBSERVATION:  In this verse Paul is giving young Timothy some directions for ministry.    The church goers in Ephesus very likely did not have personal copies of the scriptures.   Public reading, preaching, and teaching of God’s Word are necessary for individual believers to grow in understanding of God and His plan for our lives.   

Where believers have their own personal copy of the Bible, they should have a daily time of reading it.  They should also be faithful to gather with other believers to receive God anointed preaching and teaching.  In areas where personal copies of the Bible are not so readily available, it is the leader’s responsibility to make sure the Scriptures are read, and preached, and taught!

APPLICATION: I rejoice in what the Lord shares with me every day through Bible reading.  I further rejoice when I hear that God has used a SOAP to speak to someone else.  But I rejoice even more when I hear these SOAP devotionals have encouraged someone to start or increase their personal time in Bible reading, even better, to begin writing down what they hear God speaking to them.  That is great!

PRAYER: Lord, use me and these SOAP devotionals to build others in their faith and to encourage them to read the Bible for themselves.  Holy Spirit, apply the word to our hearts so that our lives might please our Heavenly Father.     Amen

Pastor Leon
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