The PRECEPTS acrostic provides a good way to apply a Bible passage to oneself. Ask yourself the following eight questions represented by the acrostic.
- Prayer to pray? Does the text give me something to pray for? Am I exhorted to pray?
- Reason to praise? Is there something in the text to praise God or be thankful for?
- Example to follow or avoid? Is it a good example for me to imitate, or a bad one to avoid?
- Command to obey?
- Error to avoid? Is there something I’m doing wrong that I need to stop doing?
- Promise to claim? Do I meet the condition(s) for this promise or is it a universal promise?
- Truth to believe?
- Sin to confess? Is it a sin of commission, omission, or being (attitude or countenance)? Is there an attitude I need to change? Do I need to make restitution as a result?