Maybe it is because we've been trying to go to bed early so Ed can be well rested. Maybe because I have a lot on my mind. But uncharacteristic for me, I've been waking up before the alarm rings.
In the quiet, while my mind is foggy with sleep, I'm tempted to jump on the worry treadmill. But before I make leaps into the future unknowns and start planning funerals, I try to pull my mind back to prayer and God's Word.
It is these moments that I'm grateful for all the Scripture that I have memorized.
Yesterday I lay thinking the words of Jesus in John 14. "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." (John 14:1-2)
I wondered when I first memorized those verses. Was it a school teacher or my mom who first helped drill those words in my memory? I don't remember. I've had a chance to review those verses when they were assigned to my children at Bible school.
Recently I picked up His Word in my Heart by Janet Pope. (You can read my full review.) I was reminded again about the power of memorizing God's Word, but I've know the benefits from my own life.
Tomorrow I'm going to share about teaching our children to memorize God's Word, but today I'd like to hear from you.
Did you memorize Scripture as a child? How has it benefited your life?
Do you memorize Scripture now? Can you share your tips, methods, or habits that have helped you?
We do Bible memory each school morning, to start our day. I haven't mastered all the passages, like my students, I have only one this year, but I do still benefit from the familiarity it brings to a passage.
ReplyDeleteDiane
I memorized lots of verses as a school girl and I'm so thankful to all of those that I've been able to commit to memory. I have been blessed with the ability to memorize things well so I'm not sure why I haven't kept up with scripture memory better as an adult. It's something I can definitly grow in! Anyway, one way those memorized verses have blessed me is when I'm lying in bed and can't sleep... I'll try to go through the alphabet by saying a verse for each letter. It's stretching and encouraging especially my "B" verse "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7 I also love my "T" verse "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding..." esp when by my own understanding things are bad! Blessing to you and yours as you strive to trust in Him!
ReplyDeleteWe discovered AWANA when my youngest was in kindergarten. She LOVED it. We'd been memorizing Scripture in Sunday School class, but this was a whole new level of memorization. It was a perfect fit for her quick mind and I loved that she was hiding the Word in her heart. Of course, helping her study meant *I* was learning more of His Word. My only regret is that my older children didn't have this opportunity as long, but they still participated for a few years before aging out.
ReplyDeleteI really like this post and am looking forward to the next one. Could you share some of the passages you have taught to your children? My oldest is 6 but we have worked on psalm 1 and 23, the lords prayer and now Matthew 18:1-6. I could really use some suggestions as to what to memorize next. Other than John 3:16 I never memorized scripture as a child, you are blessed to have hymns and scripture memorized. We have not been good with reviewing though so I plan to implement you binder suggestion.
ReplyDeleteWe do Bible memory each school morning, to start our day. I haven't mastered all the passages, like my students, I have only one this year, but I do still benefit from the familiarity it brings to a passage.
ReplyDeleteDiane
I am 59 years old, I was saved on 9/11/01. Up until two years ago I could remember everything and now nothing!I have tried and tried to memorize scripture but I cannot for the life of me remember the verse I memorized from the day before. I have tried the writing it on a post it note and putting it on the bathroom mirror but that didn't work either. I don't know what else to try.I am so open to any suggestions you may have.
ReplyDeleteBoth my daughter and I memorize best if we say the verse out loud instead of just reading lit. Honestly, I have trouble memorizing too but saying them together, out loud a couple times before breakfest and once after plus trying another round of verbally saying it in the afternoon. This really helps us and hopefully it will help you too.
DeleteI did memorize Scripture as a child for Sunday School. Now the right words always come to me when I need them most. My children also attended AWANA and memorized verses. I'm in my upper 50's and am still memorizing. I put the verse on a sticky note where I can see it while doing the dishes...at least 3 times a day. This method works for me.
ReplyDeleteI like writing out verses on index cards. My favorite (though indirect and maybe too individualistic) way of memorizing is to get out all my different Bible versions and read the same verse in each one and pick a favorite to copy out!
ReplyDeleteUsually the memorizing part comes after a certain passage has been repeating in my mind and I want to get it right.
Or else I hear something that I want to have memorized.
I'm not very good at memorizing scripture. But I'm so glad to have what I do have memorized.
Dear Sweet Sister, PLEASE pray for me and my family. My sweet Julie was killed in a car accident yesterday morning on her way to college. I feel as if I am shattered in thousands of pieces and all that is holding me together is the arms of Jesus.
ReplyDeleteOh Donna, I'm so sorry.
DeletePraying,
Gina
Upholding you and yours in prayer. May the God of confort hold you in His arms.
DeleteDonna, we are so sad to hear this. Praying for you and your family.
DeleteI've been thinking about this since I read it, and realizing how much I take having scripture memorized for granted! I memorized passages in school and, from as far back as I can remember, the first Wednesday night of the month was "Memory Night" at our church -- everyone was expected to share some verses they had memorized, either individually or by family. I'm ashamed to admit that since we moved I have memorized exactly zero verses!
ReplyDeleteWhen our oldest were small, we memorized several passages with motions that I made up to go with the verses. One of my favorite aids for memorizing is taking a paper and writing down the first letter in each word (i.e. John 3:16 would look like: FGSLTWTHGHOBSTWBOHSNPBHEL) This provides a great prompt for practicing without seeing the whole verse written out.
My children are learning verses weekly at school and the older ones are involved in Bible Quizzing with a group of schools from Ohio/Pennsylvania/Indiana. This includes memorizing a LOT of verses (next year's passage is Matthew 2-7). They have found that listening to them and reading them (silently and aloud) over and over, to be better than taking a few verses at a time and drilling them.
Sorry, that became an epistle!!☺
I find writing down scripture helps put it to memory, and helps to memorize it, might help the children. Holding you all in prayer.
ReplyDeleteGod bless sue x
I memorized passages of scripture all through my school years; although I’ve not retained all of it, I know it is helpful even now to know those verses. I do wish I’d have memorized more individual verses, but I can still do that with my children. I like your idea of keeping all your memory verses in a binder. That sounds like something I’d like to do.
ReplyDeleteI memorized passages as a child. I love it because I remember all that I learned, of course it takes a refresher to remember all of the words, but God brings them to mind when I need them to encourage others and myself! I write out the scriptures and go over them. I also write the first letter of each word to try to memorize passages now. Praying for y'all!
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