Why Memorizing Scripture Is So Important - And How To Do It!
I am not ashamed to admit that I have a terrible memory. I'm lucky to remember at lunchtime what I had for breakfast. It's not that I don't try, it's just that my mind has moved on to other things and left the past in the past. If you can call an hour ago the past.
This makes memorizing Scripture very difficult for me. You might know the feeling, for this or other reasons. Memorizing takes time and energy, and we often feel like we have so little of both. But God gives us some very specific reasons in His word why knowing and remembering Scripture is so important.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:11
When you know God's word, you know exactly what He expects from you. You don't go to work in the morning and do your own thing without communicating with your boss and finding out what she needs you to do today. In the same way, you can't walk God's path for your life if you don't know what that path entails. But when verses are hidden away in your heart, you have something familiar and perfect to give you guidance and direction.
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16
Pure joy can come from knowing His word, having it handy in our minds and hearts. When times are difficult, we can meditate on a verse about His eternal goodness. When times are good, we can sing His praises from a psalm. And when we're concerned about what tomorrow holds, we can recall verses about all His precious promises.
But if you don't have the verses memorized, you can't call them up when you need them. You may not be able to grab your computer or phone and do a search. There may be no time to witness to someone while looking up a verse you kind of, sort of, maybe think is somewhere in the New Testament. Having Scripture ready means knowing it forwards and backwards and being able to search your heart for them instead of your electronic device.
So where do you begin to memorize Scripture? Start by reading the Bible for verses that touch your heart or passages that are specific for your current season of life. Then use as many of your senses as you can to commit that first verse to memory.
1. Sight: Read the verse, reread it and then read it again. Read it forwards, read it backwards.
2. Speech: Memorize the first word. Then memorize the second word. Say the two together several times. Then add the third word and say all three together. Repeat as many times as it takes to add each new word. Then close your Bible and do it again.
3. Hearing: Use your phone or computer to record yourself saying the verse out loud. Then you can replay it everywhere you go. A fun version of this is to have your husband or your kids record it so you can hear their voices throughout the day.
4. Touch: Write the verse out one word at a time, over and over again until you know it by heart.
This makes memorizing Scripture very difficult for me. You might know the feeling, for this or other reasons. Memorizing takes time and energy, and we often feel like we have so little of both. But God gives us some very specific reasons in His word why knowing and remembering Scripture is so important.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:11
When you know God's word, you know exactly what He expects from you. You don't go to work in the morning and do your own thing without communicating with your boss and finding out what she needs you to do today. In the same way, you can't walk God's path for your life if you don't know what that path entails. But when verses are hidden away in your heart, you have something familiar and perfect to give you guidance and direction.
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16
Pure joy can come from knowing His word, having it handy in our minds and hearts. When times are difficult, we can meditate on a verse about His eternal goodness. When times are good, we can sing His praises from a psalm. And when we're concerned about what tomorrow holds, we can recall verses about all His precious promises.
But if you don't have the verses memorized, you can't call them up when you need them. You may not be able to grab your computer or phone and do a search. There may be no time to witness to someone while looking up a verse you kind of, sort of, maybe think is somewhere in the New Testament. Having Scripture ready means knowing it forwards and backwards and being able to search your heart for them instead of your electronic device.
So where do you begin to memorize Scripture? Start by reading the Bible for verses that touch your heart or passages that are specific for your current season of life. Then use as many of your senses as you can to commit that first verse to memory.
1. Sight: Read the verse, reread it and then read it again. Read it forwards, read it backwards.
2. Speech: Memorize the first word. Then memorize the second word. Say the two together several times. Then add the third word and say all three together. Repeat as many times as it takes to add each new word. Then close your Bible and do it again.
3. Hearing: Use your phone or computer to record yourself saying the verse out loud. Then you can replay it everywhere you go. A fun version of this is to have your husband or your kids record it so you can hear their voices throughout the day.
4. Touch: Write the verse out one word at a time, over and over again until you know it by heart.
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