Christian Living

Why Do I Have to Memorize Scripture?

by Jerry Walch
07/20/19
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Why do I have to memorize scriptures? If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that question, I would be financially secure today. Most people’s minds, when I begin talking about the need to memorize scriptures, flash back to the time they were forced to go to Sunday school or forced to attend a Catechism class, classes where they were forced to memorize long portions of scripture using rote memory techniques. For girls and boys who had no personal relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior memorizing scripture was no fun, even torture for many.

I had asked my chaplain the same question when I accepted Christ over forty years ago. I had never attended Sunday school or attended Catechism Class but I had known boys that had and I knew how tortuous those classes had been for them. The prison chaplain simply replied that is was God’s will that we memorize scripture and memorizing scripture was one of His commandments. That answer was enough for me to put aside my negativity and get me started down the road to memorizing new scriptures almost daily. It wasn’t long before I discovered many other equally good reasons to memorize God’s holy word and I want to share just a few of them with you in this article. I will also share a tool called VerseLocker and a few tips on how to make memorization fun and easy.

Moses wrote in the Book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Pentateuch, “Hear O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart (Deuteronomy 6:4-6 KJV.)” True, it was a man, Moses, that spoke those words, but they weren’t Moses’ words, they were words given to him by God. Remember that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God… (2 Timothy 3:15,16 KJV.)” Jesus also commands us to keep His commandments if we truly love Him. In the Gospel of John, Jesus told His disciples, “If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15 KJV.)” Jesus was actually speaking to the apostle Philip but He was speaking to all of His true disciples, past, present and future. For all of us today who truly love Jesus, we must memorize His Holy word because He commands us to do so; it’s not something open for debate.

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee (Psalm 119:11 KJV.)” The Psalmist David knew that he was surrounded by temptations and he knew that the only way he could keep from succumbing to those temptations was to meditate on God’s word day and night and the only way that he could do that was to memorize the scriptures. The world hasn’t changed, we are surrounded by temptations—temptations of lust, greed, envy, deceit, and so forth. If anything, it is easier to succumb to sin today than it was in David’s time, so we must meditate on His Holy word day and night and the only way we can do that is if we have his word committed to memory.

God’s word also heals us and mends our broken heart more perfectly than any doctor prescribed medication.”He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction (Psalm 107:20 KJV.)” God is the Great Physician but in order for Him to heal us, to mend our broken hearts, we must have His words deep inside our hearts and souls. As the apostle Peter wrote in his first epistle, “As newborne babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2 KJV.)” You need to do your part if you want the Healer’s touch; you need to begin memorizing His word today.

Memorizing God’s word brings peace and stability into our lives. Living a peaceful life in the prison environment is difficult at best and impossible without the ever-present help of God. During my 25 years behind the fences I witnessed men killed for something as trivial as bumping into someone accidentally and men agree to kill someone for as little as the cost of a carton of cigarettes. Fear and uncertainty abounds. Like David I can say that under those conditions, “Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in my afflictions (Psalm 119:92 KJV.)” Memorizing God’s word and thus being able to meditate on it day and night also assures us of a peaceful and stable life even in the most un-peaceful and unstable environments.

Memorizing God’s word arms us to do battle with Satan and his minions. It is the sword in our hand, our Uzi or Mac-10, if you will. Jesus is our example here. Even though He knew God, His Father’s ways perfectly, He memorized scripture and used those memorized scriptures against Satan during his time of temptation in the desert. Jesus said to Satan, “It is written” three times and then quoted scriptures three times during his trials in the desert (see Matthew 4:4,7,10 KJV.)When we memorize scriptures and use them to ward off the evil one we are following in Jesus’ footsteps and that pleases Him and His Father.

Before I move on to showing you how to make scripture memorization fun and easy here is one more awesome reason you should start memorizing scriptures today. Committing scriptures to memory will make it easier for you to witness to others. Having the right scriptures at your fingertips will make your witness more effective and your testimony more powerful.

Memorization Tools and Techniques

1. Study the verse you choose to memorize in context by reading the verses that come before it and by reading the verses following it. It’s easier to memorize a verse if you understand who was speaking, who they were speaking to, and why they said what they said. Studying the verse in context will also keep you from using the memorized verse out of context.

2. VerseLocker is a free memorization tool published by Scripture Memory Fellowship and free to use will help you memorize scriptures. Go here to create a free account. VerseLocker has several practice modes that will help you memorize new scripture:

3. Begin by reading the verse out loud six or seven times to get it fixed firmly in your memory, then move on to the blur mode.

4. The “Blur” mode removes words from the scripture verse and you have to fill in the blanks from memory. Each time you click the blur button more and more words will be removed and replaced with blanks to be filled in.

5. The “Initials” mode will replace all the words in a verse with just their first letters and you have to replace the letters with the complete words.

6. In the “Type” mode you are provided with a blank document where you can type in the verse from memory. All the while you are typing the program gives you feedback to let you know how you are doing.

7. You can also use VerseLocker to listen to your memory verses over and over again while driving or walking. In “Loop” mode they will be placed in order continuously until you stop the program

8. Start a scripture memorization cliques with friends or family members with whom you can share and practice verses on a weekly basis. Make it a game like Wheel of Fortune where the participants have to guess letters using the “Initials” mode of VerseLocker.”

OK, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, what are you waiting for, start memorizing scriptures and start reaping the benefits.