“Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation.
If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life,
I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of
filling our minds with what it needs.” ~Dallas Willard
As a child, I was blessed to attend the AWANA program at my church (an international church‐club for kids) that challenged me to hide God’s Word in my heart. I can still quote some of these scriptures today.
Unfortunately, like so many adults, I have not consistently continued the spiritual discipline of memorizing Scripture. This blog post is a challenge to me, you, and all the Christians out there who know they should be memorizing Scripture but just aren’t practicing the habit.
It’s time for a spiritual work‐out!
What the Bible says…
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither;
and in whatever he does, he prospers.” Psalm 1:2‐3, NASB
When reading the New Testament, one thing that should jump off the page and challenge us all to start memorizing Scripture is the amount of Scripture that Jesus and the leaders of the early church knew and used in their ministries. In Acts 7, Stephen gave an amazing summary of part of the Old Testament, from Abraham to Solomon, quoting sections of God’s Word from Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, and even Amos! Paul knew the Scriptures so well that God used him to reason, explain, and prove that Jesus was the Messiah to unbelievers across the Roman Empire (see Acts 13 & 17 and Romans 9 &10). Peter also quotes many references from the Old Testament in the book of 1 Peter and remembers the words of Christ in a time of need (Acts 11:16‐18). If we are to be used by God with maximum effectiveness, we must know His Word.
We are in fact commanded to memorize Scripture. God knew we needed the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) to win the battle against the enemy of this world. God tells us to “stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11) by having the Sword (and other armor of God) ready at all times. Check out these verses that tell us to have Scriptures ready to use:
- Deuteronomy 6:6‐7 and 11:18‐21 – Commanded to memorize and teach the Word to our children
- Joshua 1:7‐8 – Meditate on the Word day and night “so that you may have success wherever you go”
- Ephesians 6:10‐17 – Armor of God
- 2 Timothy 2:15 – Be diligent, ready to accurately handle the Word of Truth
Once you grow in your knowledge of God’s Word, having studied it and hid it in “your heart” (Deut. 6:6, Job 22:22, Ps. 37:31, Ps. 119:11), you will be amazed at how many opportunities you have to use it for the benefit of others and yourself. God promises that His Word will not return to Him empty, but it will accomplish what He desires (Isaiah 55:10‐12, NASB). Here are some of the ways that memorizing Scripture will be useful in your life:
- Psalm 119:9‐11 – It keeps us from sinning (which enables us to have a closer relationship with God). It is our most powerful tool in the battle against sin!
- Hebrews 4:12 – Judges our “thoughts and intentions of the heart”
- Jeremiah 15:16 – Gives us joy
- John 15:7 – Guides and empowers our prayer life
- Psalm 119:105 – Guides our decision making
- Psalm 19:7‐8 – Restores, gives wisdom, and gives joy
- Colossians 3:16 – Helps us comfort and counsel friends and family
- 1 Peter 3:15 – Sharing the Gospel
Our Response
“But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live on bread alone,
but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” ‘ ”
Matthew 4:4, NASB
Chuck Swindoll has said, “No other single exercise [than memorizing Scripture] pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.”
The way to get these kinds of dividends is to memorize one verse at a time. It’s like the old proverb of how to eat an elephant, take it one bite at a time. Simply pick one verse and master it. After that, pick another. Keep reviewing the first one as you learn the second, so you don’t forget it, and keep this pattern going as often as you can.
During the times of my life where I have consistently practiced this routine, I found the further I went the easier it was to keep memorizing. Not only did it get easier, I started seeing daily life applications and having conversations where I began to use the verses that I had just memorized. Once you have the Word of God in your heart, you’ll wonder how you ever did without it!
