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I’ll admit I’ve always been a bit reluctant to memorize Scripture. It wasn’t that I thought it was wrong. I just had a hard time seeing the point of it. After all, not only do I own multiple Bibles, but I have several Bible apps too. Any verse I want it just a few minutes away.
Recently though, I’ve found myself wanting to have some verses right there in my own memory bank. I do have a few that I’ve just heard so many times – it would be impossible to forget them! I really want to add to those though because I now see the value in it.
10 Reasons to Memorize Scripture
Reasons to Memorize Scripture
Because Jesus himself did it.
Jesus is a role model for us. He is both human and Divine, and we can use his humanity as an example to follow. So, Jesus quoting the Old Testament over and over again in his dealings with others can be seen as something we can imitate and embrace in our lives.
Because we are called to.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
We must really know Scripture first before we can attempt any of this!
For comfort.
One of my personal reasons for wanting to memorize more Scripture is to have words of comfort readily available both for myself and others. There are times when I am at a loss for words when someone I love is going through a tough time. I know that there are words in Scripture that could be very meaningful for them. And, when I’m going through my own trying times, those words could prove very helpful to me as well.
To fill your mind with joy and faith.
With television and the internet, we are bombarded with so much negativity. It can be hard to stay happy and keep our minds focused on God when surrounded with all of that. The more Scripture I memorize, the more these become the thoughts floating around in my head.
To abide in Jesus.
We can’t abide in Jesus if we aren’t obeying Him. We can’t obey Him if we don’t know what He has told us to to. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people backing up their own actions with words from the Bible – except they weren’t actually words from the Bible! They thought they knew what was in Scripture but hadn’t studied and memorized it enough on their own and they were mistaken.
For me, certainly, I’ve read a lot of the Bible. I have taught it when I was a classroom teacher in a Catholic school. But as with most things, practice makes perfect! It’s so much easier to keep it top of mind if I memorize key passages.
For strength
When you are faced with temptation, you need an array of tools at your disposal to stay strong and remain faithful. Having Bible verses right there on the tip of your tongue makes it so much easier to turn to God and His Word for strength in these difficult times.
For a stronger relationship with God
When you love someone, you really want to get to know them, don’t you? Even more than that, often their words remain in your heart and ring in your ears long after they’ve been said. You just love them so much that their words are meaningful to you and something you want to keep with you. Why wouldn’t it be the same for your relationship with God?
Having those words uppermost in your mind can only strengthen your faith in God and your love for Him.
To share God’s Word with others.
We are called to be witnesses to others. I know that when I’ve been in the presence of another Christian, I’m always blessed by their ability to share Scripture with me. Of course, they could pull out a Bible and read it with me. There’s nothing wrong with that. But when someone can just quote Scripture to me – there’s just something so special about it. I sense that they have a really close bond with God – that this is the most important relationship in their lives – and that makes me yearn for the same thing.
To demonstrate your love for God.
Just like Jesus is a role model for us, we can be role models for others. We can demonstrate our love for God by showing that we truly know his Scripture.
I also like to think of it much in the way we memorize our favorite songs. When a song comes out that you love, before long you’ve memorized it so you can sing along. Why not memorize God’s Word too?
To meditate on
It’s much easier – at least for me – to meditate on God’s Word if I have it memorized. I find it so enlightening to be able to repeat a Bible verse over and over as a way of leading into a prayer and meditation session. Of course, you could pick out a verse and just keep rereading it but sometimes, I want to close my eyes so I can really focus on the words and block out the distractions.
If you need any tips for memorizing Scripture, check out this post>>> How to memorize Scripture