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On the drive to school in the morning, my parents would have me recite several verses and passages including Proverbs 1, Psalm 23, Proverbs 6:16-19, and Ephesians 6:10-18. Although I don’t have all of those verses memorized verbatim anymore, hiding God’s Word in my heart has been an important discipline for my faith.
Memorizing Bible verses helps me keep my eyes on Christ during my day, and I can battle temptations by remembering the verses. Learning how to memorize Scripture is an important and doable skill for every believer, and learning why we memorize Scripture is a great way to start.
Why Christians Should Memorize Scripture
How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. – Proverbs 119:9-16 ESV
1. Memorize Scripture to Seek the Lord
We learn more about who God is and what He has done through the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit uses those Words to grow us in the “knowledge of the revelation of God,” but that revelation doesn’t stop when we close our Bibles.
When we memorize Bible verses we find ourselves able to meditate on them throughout our day. As we recite our memory verses out loud or consider their words in our hearts, we praise the God who is our shepherd (Psalm 23), who is Holy (Isaiah 6:3), and who knows us intimately (Psalm 139:1).
2. Memorize Scripture to Fight Sin
As Proverbs 119 encourages us, we guard our hearts with the word of God. When tempted to lash out in anger, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 reminds us that “love is patient and kind.” Even Jesus, when tempted by Satan in the wilderness, quoted Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11).
Memorizing Bible verses reminds us of God’s commands and helps us keep our eyes focused on those truths.
3. Memorize Scripture to Share the Gospel
Ephesians 2 is one of my favorite passages describing the Gospel. It includes who we were before Christ and what Christ has done for us. If you struggle with sharing your faith, memorize some key passages, like Ephesians 2, that describe who God is, the depravity of mankind, Christ’s work on the cross, and salvation by faith alone.
How to Memorize Scripture
1. Before You Begin Memorizing
- Read the passage and surrounding chapters
- Study the passage to understand the context of the verse
- Pray through the verse and pray for the Holy Spirit to help you better understand it and hide it in your heart
*It’s easy to find a beautiful verse that makes you feel good inside, so you memorize it quickly. Many memorize Philippians 4:13 thinking they will score the promotion or run the marathon because God will give them the strength to do all things, only to later find out that the context is about contentedness in all things – even in persecution and adversity. Let’s not memorize verses to make us feel good about ourselves, but rather to help us know Christ, become more like Him, and make His glory known among the nations.
2. Scripture Memory Methods and Tools
- Say the verse out loud several times. Read it to your children every morning. Read it every night before you go to bed.
- Sing the verse. There are several great resources of Bible verses put to music!
- Listen to the verse or passage. Many Bible apps have audio versions that allow you to hear the passage being read while you read along.
- Write the verse several times
- For more on the benefits of writing Scripture, see How to Make God’s Word Stick in Your Mind (And in Your Marriage) from Julie at Unmasking the Mess
- Carry Scripture memorization cards with you or put them in your home. When you’re waiting at a doctor’s appointment, brushing your teeth in the morning, or washing dishes, you can be reading and seeing your memory verses. See the end of the post for Scripture memorization card resources.
- For longer verses, concentrate on the first phrase or idea. Once you’ve memorized that, learn the next section, then put them together.
- Schedule time to memorize and review. Prioritize memorizing scripture by making it a part of your daily routine.
- Pull out your scripture memorization cards regularly to review previous verses. If you’re not in a habit of regularly recalling specific verses, it is very easy to forget them.
- Move on to larger verses, passages, and even books!
10 Bible Verses to Memorize
Ready to start memorizing! Here are 10 verses and passages that I would recommend you start with.
- Psalm 23
- Matthew 28:18-20
- Galatians 5:22-23
- Psalm 119:11
- Ephesians 2:8-10
- Philippians 4:8
- Matthew 22:37
- John 3:16
- Matthew 6:9-13
- Psalm 103:1
Resources for Busy Moms on Memorizing Scripture
How to Teach My Child the Bible: A Book Review of Planting Seeds
Building Foundations: A Baptist Catechism and Bible Memory Book for Families
Scripture Memorization Cards
If you don’t want to make your own Bible verse cards or you prefer something a bit prettier to hang in your home or carry around, be sure to check out the verse cards at The Daily Grace Co!
Bible Verses to Memorize
- Prayer Warrior Verses Printable from Kira Bridges
- 12 Verses to Memorize for Each Month of the Year from Living Free Indeed
- Preparing My Heart: Scripture for Labor and Delivery
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