We probably “should” memorize Scripture.
But “should” is a really poor motivator, isn’t it? To do something out of a sense of duty, even if it is the right thing to do, is not easy. More than that, memorizing stuff is actually really hard for most of us. And furthermore (while I’m making excuses) aren’t there so many other really good things (that are quite a bit easier) that we excel at? Maybe we should stick to the good things that we’re good at! Yes. You get my drift. We can probably just keep Scripture memory in the “should” category. At some point, we’ll get around to it (maybe).
Or, maybe I could give you something more compelling than “should”?
Maybe I could give you three persuasive examples of how knowing Scripture by heart has profoundly impacted my own walk with Jesus. And maybe, just maybe, I could teach you the absolute easiest way to memorize God’s Word. So what do you say? I think perhaps we “should” just keep going and see where we end up.
Three Compelling Stories
That Late Night Call
This first story comes to my mind because it happened just last night. I had a long phone call that lasted late into the night. Man. It was a hard conversation. And before I took the call, I had just enough time to recognize that I was out of my league. So I prayed, “O God, give me Your words to speak to this person—Your wisdom, Your love, and Your hope.”
And that’s just what He did.
He brought His own true words to mind, the exact right words for every hard circumstance and question. I reminded my friend that, “The light [that] shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5, NIV). Jesus can and has overcome every darkness we go through. More than that, He exchanges our burdens for rest saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28, NIV). I encouraged my weary friend to give their burdens to Jesus. And as we wrapped up our call with prayer, more Scripture just poured out of my mouth. I hung up the phone praising God for bringing His perfect words to mind, words I had stored up in me, the very words I prayed that He would bring to mind.
My Own Late Nights
My second story comes from my own late-night stresses. I have my own burdens, my own worn-out weariness. Sometimes I wake up with worry or have trouble sleeping at all. During a prolonged and particularly difficult season, God spoke hope and renewal to my wavering heart through just one verse. It says, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:16, NIV). Surely on the outside, things were falling apart, everything was wasting away, and there was no logical reason for hope. Yet.
“Yet” was my hope.
My hard outer circumstances were not the sum total of my reality. There was a better, secret “yet” going on in me. Inwardly, I was being renewed and upheld by God Himself, minute by minute, day by hard-won day. I would tell myself over and over: God is in control of all of this, therefore don’t lose heart. Those words anchored my heart to God through the storm of that season. I don’t know how I would have weathered it otherwise.
Miracles in the Mundane
I could tell you a hundred stories of “big” ways that God has intervened in my story with His Word stored up in my heart. But I think the more stunning and frankly most compelling reason I could ever give anyone to memorize Scripture is my own miraculous mundane. I’ve made a practice of memorizing one verse every month for the last several years. I know it sounds small, even mundane. But wow. There’s no miracle so incredible as God changing a person’s heart.
I’m talking about me here!
When you really spend time (like thirty consecutive days) meditating on the same verse, you can’t get around your own failings and need for change. Just this year, I have seen and confessed my self-reliance (Isa. 26:3), my smug self-righteousness (Luke 6:45), and my dim view of God’s holiness (Rev. 4:8). God has not only exposed my sin, but grown me in faith. I’ve held more tightly to the One who holds all things together (Col. 1:17), and I’ve been moved to awe by His endless forgiveness (Ps. 103:12). All of these benefits (and more) have come from the simple practice of memorizing one verse a month.
You Can Do It too!
I hope as I’ve shared these stories you’ve been saying to yourself, I want that. And let me just assure you: this is not some elite, “super-Christian only” reality, or I would certainly be disqualified. Nope. Having God’s Word in you is wonderfully possible. Even right now. Today!
Let me share the simplest way:
- Find a verse you want to memorize—something that speaks to your current struggle or situation.
- Write it out on a small piece of paper or notecard.
- On the opposite side, write the first letter of every word in that verse. If you really want to memorize it quickly, write those first letters on your wrist or hand in ink.
- Practice saying the verse a few times by looking at the front of the notecard. Flip it over and try saying it while looking at just the first letters. Put that card somewhere that you’ll see it throughout the day (or keep sneaking peeks at your wrist). Quiz yourself until you have it down.
Can you imagine how memorizing and meditating on just one verse this month might impact your life? And what if you kept going? Even for years?! How might a vast store of God’s Word in your heart and mind transform you? Really. A life like that would be worth the investment.
Let me leave you with my prayer for you.
I get so excited to think that even one person who reads this little spark of an article would catch on fire! What if it was you? So, let me share my specific prayer for you right now, reading this. I hope for nothing short of what God alone can do in your life as you put His Words in your heart—miracles in your mundane and God’s own words in your dark nights and for those late-night calls. Let it be, Lord. Amen.
Transform Your Heart and Mind by Memorizing God’s Word
In this 8-session Bible study, sisters Natalie Abbott and Vera Schmitz lead you through a study of Philippians 4:4-9 to teach you a simple method of memorizing God’s Word. As you fix these beloved verses in your mind through beautiful and powerful images, you’ll discover how to combat anxiety, experience the peace of God, and dwell on godly things. But not only will you store up the deep truths and precious promises of this passage, you’ll be equipped for a lifetime of inscribing the transforming truth of Scripture in your heart and mind.
Learn More!
ABOUT NATALIE ABBOTT
Hey, I’m Natalie. I’ve got five kids, and I’m married to Jason, who’s a pastor. So we are full-on Jesus freaks over here! I love summer and Earl Gray tea and the Bible and fiction and poetry and pretty much all the words! I write for Dwell Differently and host our podcast among other things. It is seriously my dream job. I get to work with my ridiculous sister and tell people about Jesus! Who could ask for anything more?!?!
