1.png)
Power. There is power in memorizing Scripture. The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is the ONLY offensive weapon we have to use against the enemy. Jesus Himself used Scripture to combat the temptation He faced by Satan in his 40 days in the wilderness. If HE needed memorized Scripture, don’t you or your kids? I became a believer as an adult, so I never memorized any Scripture until I was almost 30 years old. I believe memorizing Scripture is one of the best ways to keep the Spirit of God active and speaking LOUDLY in your life. I love Bible study and am always regularly in the Word but committing Scripture to memory really helps me to use the Word of God to renew my mind and take every thought captive. (Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 10:5). One of the reasons I feel like it is beneficial to have your kids memorize Scripture is because their brain is so much more able to memorize information. Because of the formation of the brain, primarily in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, young children are especially good at memorizing facts. So, take advantage of this time in their life when they CAN easily memorize and will have those Scriptures hidden in their heart for the rest of your life. Additionally, in my research, I learned that young children are memorizing facts everyday anyway because of the way their brain is formed. So, encourage them to memorize godly and useful information instead of the details about the latest Star Wars or LEGO kit information.
What are some of the tools you can use to encourage Scripture memory?:
AWANA: My kids were involved in the AWANA’s program throughout their childhood. I loved that program! Not only did it teach my kids some beneficial truths, it taught ME so much Scripture as I helped them with practicing their verses. So, it was a two for one benefit. Find an AWANA program near you: https://www.awana.org
MUSIC: If you can’t be a part of an AWANA program, there are other ways to memorize Scripture. I have found using music with Scripture memory greatly aids the ease at which all of us can memorize but especially children. You can tell this is true because when you hear a song from your teens, if you’re like me, you remember every single word of the song even though you haven’t heard it in 20 years. There are some great programs that put verses to music. When my kids were young, we used Hide Em in Your Heart by Steve Green. https://stevegreenministries.org/product/hideem-in-your-heart-vol-1/ There is a newer version with more variety of music genre that combines music and verses called Seeds Family Worship. https://www.seedsfamilyworship.com/store/music/. Seeds Family Worship and Steve Green’s Hide Em in Your Heart are also available on Spotify - listed by the different compilations they offer. Both of these artists have numerous CDs or digital downloads available. There are also several other Scripture music combinations on Spotify - just search Spotify you happen to be on that music platform.
APPS: There are some great new APPs that have Scripture memory programs. I am currently using Fighter Verses. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fighter-verses-memorize-bible/id411711646 It is truly AWESOME and can be used for the whole family. They have a five-year Bible memory program that is essential in helping your fight of faith. It offers two song choices for each verse. It also offers the capability to take quizzes to help with your long-term retention and reviews of previously weeks verses built into the APP. Our whole family is using Fighter Verses right now and we are loving it! I HIGHLY recommend it - even if you aren’t using it with your kids, you can do it yourself. There are several other Scripture memory APPs out there, but Fighter Verses is the only one I have personal experience. If you don’t like the APP, they also have a hard copy version that uses the same verses. https://www.truth78.org/fighter-verses
TOPICAL MEMORY SYSTEM: A Christian ministry that we have been engaged with called Navigators also has a Topical Memory System that has been around for many years. Their system helps believers memorize key verses that point to basic truths and important instruction. The hardcopy of their system includes a workbook, pocket-sized memory verses cards and a verse holder. https://www.navigators.org/resource/topical-memory-system/ They also have an APP that uses their system. Here is a link to the APP store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/navstms/id1076007001
BACK TO BASICS: When I first started memorizing Scripture that was not part of the AWANA program, I bought a set of index cards that were spiral bound and wrote out Scriptures that helped me with different temptations - anger, anxiety, self-control. I kept this notebook in my purse and took it everywhere with me. Anytime I had a free moment, I would flip through my notebook and work on memorizing the Scripture, using phrases at a time. I remember specifically doing this when waiting at a doctor’s appointment and waiting in line. I also found it very powerful to have the verses with me to grab out of my purse if I faced a tempting moment. I also wrote these verses several times in a row as part of the learning process. Additionally, I posted them around the kitchen to help me to work on recalling them. And, I added sticky notes with my verses to my bathroom mirror. There were even a few times when I wrote them on sticky notes and put them on the dashboard of my car. I surrounded myself with the verse I was focusing on committing to memory which compelled me to use it to overcome sin.
What do you use for Scripture memory? What other ideas can you share with like-minded moms?
Comments