Memorizing scripture can be an effective weapon to combating common feelings of doubt, discouragement, and emotional exhaustion. One of my dear friends has a tremendous amount of scripture memorized and can quickly recite a verse to me when I am facing a challenging situation. It is so refreshing and gives me hope. And I quickly am reminded that scripture memorization needs to be a higher priority for me.
I have one scripture memorized, and I memorized it even before I gave my life to Christ. Proverbs 3:5-6 was a verse my children needed to memorize while attending a Christian school (yes, I wasn’t yet a believer, but they attended a Christian school). I needed to help them memorize, so I ended up memorizing it. I think the Lord had a huge plan there! It is now my life verse.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
As I come out of a challenge season, I realize I want to memorize a few more verses, ones that I can have on the tip of my tongue for not only myself, but to encourage other believers too. So, I meditated on some verses and chose a few that I felt were particularly powerful and helpful for many different situations. Speaking truth, out loud, is powerful.
How do you memorize scripture?
This is how I will challenge my (older) mind…
Step 1: Read and meditate on the verse.
Step 2: Print it out and have it in random locations in your home or car so you can easily see it, repeat it, and learn it.
Step 3: Write it out in a daily journal format, speaking words as you write.
Step 4: Cover portions of the verse and recall by memory until you’ve managed the entire verse.
Here are my seven scriptures worth memorizing, but you can certainly choose verses that resonate with you. You can right click on each image to save a digital version to your desktop, or download the free printable here. (You will need to go to your downloads folder after you click the link.)
Which verse resonates with you? Which verse will you focus on first?
