Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Psalm 119:34
God calls us to have His Words and promises written in our hearts! The way to spiritual maturity and the glory of our reward is not in finding shortcuts, but exercising temperance and commitment through learning, experience, and overcoming adversities. It is a long and difficult process (Acts 14:22; Rom. 2:7). The question is, How can you make memorizing Scripture a reality in your life? See what God Himself has to say; read any or all of these passages below, and in prayer, go over them and match them to these bullet points and ask Him how you are doing with this. By the way, here is the first set of Bible memorization verses for you to practice from:
Deut. 6:4-9; 11:18-21; Josh 1:8; Psalm 37:31; 63: 1-8; 119: 9-11, 72; 105, Prov. 6:20-22; Matt. 4:1-11; John 4:24; 15:7; 17:17; Acts 18:28; 20:32; Rom 12:1-2; Phil. 3:10; 4:6-7; Eph. 4:14; 5:17; Col. 3:16; 1 Thess. 2:13; 5:11; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16; Heb. 4:12; James 1:21-25; 1 Pet. 2:2; 3:15
The primary reason we memorize Scripture is because we are called and commanded to learn God's Word so we can learn more about Him, what He has done, and what we can do to lead a great Christian life. We are called to meditate on His Word. Have you responded to this call?
· Knowing God's Word helps us be better at studying the Bible.
· Knowing God's Word helps fabricate and shape our spiritual growth.
· Knowing God's Word helps us experience and worship God.
· Knowing God's Word helps us know and respond to His precepts and call.
· Knowing God's Word helps us realize that God's Word transforms our minds to think in His ways and live our life better in Him.
· Knowing God's Word makes it easier for the Holy Spirit to more powerfully guide us!
· Knowing God's Word stimulates our intimacy and prayer life with Him.
· Knowing God's Word gives us useful, effective, and effectual knowledge of the Bible.
· Knowing God's Word gives us practical wisdom, guidance, and knowledge for life!
· Knowing God's Word helps God use us more and more powerfully.
· Knowing God's Word helps us in the sharing of our faith.
· Knowing God's Word gives us success in dealing with sin and temptations.
· Knowing God's Word gives us confidence in witnessing.
· Knowing God's Word equips us to be able to help guide others.
· Knowing God's Word helps encourage the spiritual growth in others lives.
· Knowing God's Word helps us to overcome life's problems and obstacles.
· Knowing God's Word helps us be content and at peace.
· Knowing God's Word helps us to discern false teachings.
Christ has given to us all we need in order to grow. We have His Spirit, His Word, His Fruit, and our faith community. This does not even include the countess resources we have in our modern age. He has called us and empowered us, so what more could we expect? The clincher is that we have the responsibility to make it happen. Our faith and its development and its deployment is in our hands. He gives us the water, the fertilizer, the ground, the air, the "SON," and the seed. He even plants it! All we have to do is cultivate what He has given. What stands in the way of memorizing Scripture for the cultivation of your faith? Usually, it is not recognizing and taking to heart His promises, which leaves us unsure of what we can do.
Christ has made us right with God. So, how do we live out that faith? We can only begin to fathom all the precious privileges and wondrous blessings given to us by Christ. We have the responsibility to act upon them, and for the growth of our faith, character, and maturity.
Questions to Ponder
- What is in your way of Scripture memory and the cultivation of your faith?
- Have you responded to God's call?
- What are your fears and barriers to memorize Scripture?
- Do you think this is too hard? Why?
- How many show tunes and jingles do you know? How hard can it be now?
- When will you commit to memorize a Bible passage?
© 1984, 2006, Rev. R. J. Krejcir, Ph.D., Discipleship Tools www.discipleshiptools.org/