One Thing Study
The One Thing Study is a personal devotional tool. The goal of a One Thing Study is worship. It is designed for the reader to engage God in a two-way conversation; through reading Scripture and prayer. God speaks to us through His word, and we speak to God in prayer. Healthy relationships consist of two-way communication. One Thing Studies are simple, transferable, and powerful. They include the following steps. For memorization purpose, they spell the word ONE.
Step 1. O = Observe the Scripture.
Read the Bible. The Bible is divided into two main sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament. Each testament is divided into books. Each book is divided into chapters. Each chapter contains several verses. Most chapters contain one or more passages. A passage has an italicized heading and usually contains one or more paragraphs. How much of the Bible you read at a time is up to you: some read a passage at a time, others one or more chapters at a time.
The Word of God ignites the worship of God, which drives our witness for God.
The Word of God ignites the worship of God, which drives our witness for God.
Start at the beginning of a New Testament book. Then read the entire book, a passage at a time. First-time readers are encouraged to start by reading one of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) or the book of Romans. The Gospels tell about the life of Jesus Christ. The book of Romans is the most theologically comprehensive book in the Bible. A good Old Testament book to read is the first book, Genesis. It describes the origin of mankind and reveals the nature of God. Psalms and Proverbs are rich readings as well. Read a translation that is easy to understand. The New Living Translation (NLT) is a reliable and easy-to-understand translation.
Step 2. N = Note the one thing that speaks to your heart the most.
Mark the one thing that resonates the most with you. It may be a word, phrase, sentence, or verse. Underline it, highlight it, and circle it. Whatever you do, make sure you mark it. Marking your one thing allows easy access for personal reflection or when sharing in a group. The smaller your one thing, the better. Meditating on a word or phrase is much easier than thinking about a large section of Scripture. Dwelling on just a few words of the Scripture throughout the day is a powerful experience.
Stick with it even if the first reading is not productive. If nothing speaks to your heart, stop and ask God to help you hear His voice as you reread the Scripture. If several things speak to your heart, ask God to help you notice just one that speaks the most. Trying to meditate on too many things can be confusing, and dilute the impact of thinking about just one thing. Your next One Thing Study should begin with the next passage.
Step 3. E = Express it back to God.
Pray your one thing back to God. Have a conversation with God about what He just said to you. The key is that it’s meaningful. The goal is worship. The intended outcome is reverent love for the Lord, the kind of spiritual refreshment that encourages your heart and stays with you the rest of the day.
Pray your one thing with responsiveness in mind. It may be a truth to reflect upon, a directive to obey, or a promise to embrace. It can be a confession to make, praise to offer, or an open-ended question for the Holy Spirit to answer throughout the day.
Pray your one thing with your nature in mind. Perfectionists need to be mindful of not always looking for something to correct or ways to improve. Instead, just give thanks or offer praise. Others need to be mindful of not just going through the motions. You will get out of this what you put into it. As Rick Warren says, “We are as spiritually mature as we choose to be. When sharing “One Thing” with others, keep the focus personal by speaking in the first person (I and me) rather than the more impersonal third person (they and them). Try avoiding using “we” when sharing your One Thing.
Pray your one thing with your nature in mind. Perfectionists need to be mindful of not always looking for something to correct or ways to improve. Instead, just give thanks or offer praise. Others need to be mindful of not just going through the motions. You will get out of this what you put into it. As Rick Warren says, “We are as spiritually mature as we choose to be. When sharing “One Thing” with others, keep the focus personal by speaking in the first person (I and me) rather than the more impersonal third person (they and them). Try avoiding using “we” when sharing your One Thing.