Memorizing scripture is a common theme in most Christian circles.

But have you ever given thought to why this discipline matters to your relationship with Jesus?

Why do we spend so much time in Sunday school memorizing verses for candy? Has anyone ever explained why this practice is so important?

I didn’t give it much thought until I was a few years into really diving into learning about the Christian faith and what it means to live fully for Christ. I knew reading my Bible was important, but the importance of memorizing it and hiding it in my heart wasn’t at the forefront of my mind.

If you’re in the same boat, you are not alone.

This is a word of caution for those of you reading this article thinking, “there’s MORE I need to be doing with my Bible!?” while you are just struggling to get it open. Memorizing scripture is wonderful and needed, but I would advise working to become a student of the Word before you add in trying to memorize all the verses.

Why?

Because you first need to seek to understand scripture before it will be meaningful enough for you to memorize it and hide it away. Memorizing scripture out of context and without study is a slippery slope. For example, choosing to memorize Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things to Christ who strengthens me” without understanding that the context of that verse is referring to suffering can lead to misapplication and distorted theology.

So, whether you’re ready to dive right into memorizing scripture or you’re just wanting to learn about why it’s important for down the road, here are some reasons why this discipline is so powerful.

The right verses will be on your mind when you need them.

One of the biggest reasons to memorize God’s Word is that memorizing it allows you to carry it with you all the time without needing to have a Bible or an internet connection with you.

Instead of reading Scripture, you’ll carry it in your very thoughts. Instead of wondering, “What was that verse again? What exactly did it say?” and scrambling to find your Bible or your phone, those verses or passages will be with you wherever you are.

Satan does a wonderful job of making us feel like we don’t have time to open our Bibles. But when we’ve taken the time to hide His truth in our hearts, we don’t need an open Bible to hear from God. These nuggets hidden in our hearts will sustain us when our hearts are weary and our time is short.

Scripture is your best weapon in the battle against sin.

2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. How can we take every thought captive if scripture isn’t already written on our hearts and lodged in our memories?

The battle for our thoughts happens inside our heads, so doesn’t it make sense that our weapon should be stored there also?

The Bible specifically calls us to hide God’s word in our hearts for the purpose of resisting sin. Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

Memorizing scripture is our best defense against temptation and giving in to sin.

Memorizing Scripture helps us to be obedient to God’s commands.

Have you ever wondered if you were doing something right? Such as following traffic laws or making sure you’re doing your taxes right? It’s hard to know for sure unless you’ve studied those rules and meditated on them.

Now, studying the DMV manual and memorizing what it says seems a little silly, but if you did it I guarantee you’d be the most obedient driver on the road. Memorizing scripture is the same way.

Joshua 1:8 says to “keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

It is much easier to obey a command when it is consistently on your mind. Being a follower of Christ is not all about following a set list of rules, but there are boundaries that God’s Word places on our lives for our good and for His glory.

Our obedience to His commands comes from a desire to honor the Lord and live a life that glorifies Him. We do not obey to receive God’s love, we obey because of His love for us.

Having those commands in our minds daily helps us stay resolved to obey them.

Memorizing scripture allows us to readily speak God’s Word over others

Have you ever found yourself quoting song lyrics or memes or movies to your friends? We all do that. That’s because those words are in our heads-they impacted us somehow and we repeat them to others.

When we memorize scripture and tuck it into our hearts, those words will come out of our mouths in conversation like a quote of a movie or tv show. We’ll be able to speak encouragement over others and pray Biblically for those with needs.

We speak and think about what we take in regularly. Our vocabulary is made up of the words that are ingrained in our memories.

So, now that you know how important this discipline is your faith walk, how do you get started? Allyson from The Mundane Moments gives us an in-depth guide to memorizing scripture, no matter how short you are on time.

How to Meditate on Scripture: A Guide for Busy Moms

There are many retreat centers close to my home that focus on quiet meditation – places to “connect with the body”, empty the mind, or visualize success and happiness. For many modern Christians, this is the picture we have of meditation. But, the Bible frequently mentions meditating on God’s law and words day and night. Must we constantly stay in a retreat center environment, surrounded by the tranquility of nature to obey these commands? Is that really how we should meditate on Scripture?

What is Biblical Meditation

“Somehow the idea of meditation sounds like something medieval monks did in monasteries. Yet Joshua, a very busy commander-in-chief of the army of Israel, was told to meditate on the law of God day and night.” – Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness

In Joshua 1, we see Joshua being established as the new leader of the Israelite people. As the Lord commissions Joshua, He tells him, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8 ESV)

Although Joshua may have taken some moments of quiet retreat to reflect on God’s Word, we see a picture of an incredibly busy person, someone in charge of the care of millions, called to meditate on the Law constantly.

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