Welcome Friends!
I’m so glad you’ve joined us here at The Calm of His Presence. I hope you find this a place where you can experience God’s Presence through encouragement and learning how to dig deeper into God’s Word. Over the years I’ve loved facilitating and leading women both locally and online through Bible Studies written by others and helping them grow deeper in their walk with God. As I’ve led groups locally, women have ask me to help them learn how to study the Bible on their own. If local friends have that need, then I know some of you who come to The Calm of His Presence have the same need.
While I believe it’s important to study God’s Word with other believers I also believe it is of utmost importance to spend personal one on one time in prayer and studying scripture. I know it’s intimidating to sit down with a Bible, pen and blank journal in hand, believe me I’ve been there. But there is nothing more incredible than hearing God speak to your heart through scripture.
So my friend, that’s what we do in our Digging Deeper posts. Each month I walk you through how to study a specific passage with a method that makes it easy to break it down and understand what God is saying through His Word.
So here’s my invitation to you – gather your Bible, pen, journal, and favorite warm drink, light a candle or diffuse your favorite oil, find some gentle instrumental music, and settle into your favorite chair to sit in God’s Presence as you study His Word.
DIGGING DEEPER SCRIPTURE
This month I gave you several verses to choose from – 2 Corinthians 4:18, Lamentations 3:21-24, Zephaniah 3:17, and Isaiah 40:31 along with a new way to study the verses, the SOAP Method. I chose 2 Corinthians 4:18 to dig deeper into today.
SOAP Method
S – SCRIPTURE – Write out God’s Word
O – OBSERVATION – What do you see in these verses? Who is the audience? What words or phrases stand out to you? What words are repeated?
- Paul wrote Corinthians to the Church of Corinth and Christians everywhere. Paul wrote Corinthians from Macedonia about A.D. 55-57
- words or phrases that stand out or are repeated – we fix our eyes, seen vs unseen, what is seen is temporary, what is unseen is eternal
A – APPLICATION – How is God personally speaking to me? Is He specifically saying something to me in this passage? How can I apply this passage to my life? Do I need to make any changes in my life? Is there anything I need to do after reading this passage?
- seen vs unseen – material, the things of this world, my current struggles, worries, concerns, responsibilities, needs vs spiritual, God’s ultimate plan and purpose to display His glory
- Where are my physical eyes focused? Where is my heart focused?
- Am I focused more on the desires of my flesh or am I looking at things from God’s bigger picture?
- Where is God opening and closing doors?
- Am I getting caught up in the trappings of what the world says is successful or am I focused on the pasture God has placed before me?
- How do I need to stay focused on his plan for my life?
P – PRAYER – Pray God’s Word. Take it deep into your heart and ask Him to help you live out His Truth. Use this time to confess sin He has revealed.
Lord, it is so very easy to become distracted by what the world says is important or the troubles we face each day. Help us to take our physical eyes and the eyes of our heart off the temporary trappings of this world and instead, keep them focused on you and your desires for our lives. And Lord, when we do lose focus gently lead our eyes back to you and the glory of the Cross of Christ. Give us hearts of love to tend the pastures you have given us to love and serve. In Your Name We Pray, Amen.
I’m curious…Are you receiving my monthly newsletter that comes out around the 1st of each month? Each month in Sitting in His Presence I discuss a new theme along with giving you a focus prayer for the month, a verse or two to help you dig deeper into God’s Word and a Tending my Pasture moment. Sitting in His Presence highlights the focus of what you will see here on the blog, Facebook and Instagram for the month. I don’t want you to miss it so if you haven’t signed up click on the green “Sign Up” button on the top right of the blog. I can’t wait for you to join us!
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