As a kid, I attended a small, Christian school.
While it had its pros and cons, one of the longest-lasting gifts of attending was the number of Bible verses committed to memory.
Nearly every week our class was assigned a Bible passage to commit to memory, and every Friday, we had to pull out a piece of notebook paper and write the verse verbatim (including the reference).
I hardly ever remember the reference, but even all these years later, I am frequently surprised by the words of a Scripture verse I memorized at 7 running through my mind at 37!
Though the requirement of memorizing a new passage each week — and the angst of staring at a blank piece of notebook paper, sweating because you can’t remember that first word to get you started!! — may not have felt like a gift at the time, it is a gift that changed my life, helped me renew my mind, and gave me an anchor of Truth to hold me fast.
I’m not writing today to share all kinds of statistics about the impact of memorizing Bible verses. I’m simply sharing my experience — God used those verses tucked away in my mind and heart to calibrate my life and rescue me (on countless occasions) from countless situations and circumstances. If you’re curious about other benefits to memorizing Scripture, click here to read.
Memorizing Scripture doesn’t save us, and committing Bible verses to memory isn’t a guarantee that the Word will transform our lives. However, when memorizing Scripture, we are in a sense laying the kindling and praying God will use those Scripture Truths filed in the minds of our kids to ignite a fire for Jesus in their hearts!
Do you make Scripture memorization a habit in your family?
I recently asked the women in our Faithful Moms community about Scripture memorization. I wasn’t surprised by the response because I understand how the urgent demands of life can crowd out the important habits in our homes.
Want to know the result of that informal survey? Less than 10% of the families in our community regularly memorize Scriptures in their home.
Where do you fit in that category? (Tell me in the comments below. I’d love to hear!)
I haven’t been as diligent as I’d like to be with Scripture memory in my home, but it’s something I want to change. For those of us who have struggled with making Bible memorization a habit, here are a few tips to get going on Bible memory.
How to Get Started Memorizing Scripture as a Family
Keep it doable.
Many of us bite off more than we can chew when setting a new goal. Far better to make a manageable goal you’ll stick with, than a magnificent one that will discourage you.
Instead of choosing a whole chapter to memorize, start with a verse or two. Instead of committing to a new verse every week, pick one verse for the month.
Don’t make Scripture memory too challenging. Begin somewhere and keep at it!
Choose an applicable verse.
Choose a verse that you currently need to apply to your life. Need verses on hope? Struggling with gratitude? Want to remember the character of God? Pick a passage that will help you and your family today. Think about it throughout the day. Remember it in the situations in which it pertains. Share it in conversation with your friends and your kids. Live it out in your thoughts and actions throughout the day.
Live it out.
Don’t allow Scripture memorization to become a rote habit; transform it into a life-giving experience!
Look for ways to put the verse into practice and hold yourself accountable to following through. Ask God to bring the verse back to your mind when you’re struggling or when you’ve forgotten to live it out.
Keep it in front of you.
Put your verse everywhere. Keep it on the calendar on your fridge. Write it in your planner. Tape it to the mirror or above the kitchen sink. Make it into your smart phone’s wallpaper or your computer’s screensaver. Where do you look most often? Post the verse there.
Choose a familiar verse.
Begin with verses with which you’re already familiar. This will help you build confidence and momentum!
You can do this.
We don’t need to make Scripture memory more complicated than it need be! Pick a verse and begin!
Need a tool to help? Grab your Family Scripture + Prayer Calendar, a brand-new tool tohelp your family memorize Scripture and grow in prayer.
Want a little help and accountability in memorizing Scripture in your home?
Come join our Scripture memory challenge this fall where we’re committing to regularly memorizing the Scriptures together in our homes!
I’m keeping this challenge simple for all of us, and you’ll receive tools to help you, including the best trick for memorizing Scripture — something that most people don’t even mention when sharing how to memorize Scripture!
Click here to register for the free challenge. Once you register, you’ll also be able to instantly download 10 tricks you can do right now to start memorizing Scripture together — including my number one tip!
I can’t wait to begin this challenge together!
Memorizing with you!
Erika // Faithful Moms
