Why You Should Memorize Scripture (and How)

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by Kari Minter, author of KariMinter.com

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Scripture is God’s little gift to us that we often refuse to open. We look at it. We admire it. We even talk about it with fondness. But we tend to leave it all nicely packaged and put together in our eyesight but rarely within our heart.

However, unwrapping the scripture and putting it in our hearts is exactly what God asks us to do as we learn to walk in obedience with Him.


Psalm 119:11 states, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Struggling with sin? God’s Word tells us the antidote is to store up His Word in our hearts.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 states, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Want to gain knowledge and walk in righteousness? According to this verse, the way to do that is through God’s Word.

The scripture is pretty clear that as we walk with God, we desperately need His Word in the forefront of our minds, and one of the best ways to know God’s Word better is to memorize it.

I know, I know. Many of you right now are saying in your head, “but I’m not good at memorizing.” Well kick that lie out of your thoughts. Here are four quick ways to help you hide God’s Word in your heart so that you might not sin against him.

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First, pick your scripture. You can use your Bible concordance or an app like Fighter Verses to help you pick verses. It doesn’t matter how you choose your verse, just choose one.

Second, find a way to keep the verse in your line of sight at various times throughout the day. The Fighter Verses app will give you the option of using your verse as your lock screen on your phone, or you can use an app like Wordswag to create your own background for your phone. You can also write the verse on notecards and place it on the fridge, on your dashboard, or on the outside of your shower door. You could even use a dry erase marker to write it on your mirror. There are various ways to keep the verse in your line of sight throughout the day, but the point is to let the verse be very visible so you are reminded of it often.

Scripture is God’s little gift to us that we often refuse to open.Click To Tweet

Third, practice, practice, practice. Scripture Typer is a great website to help you practice your verse, or you can simply write the verse out on a piece of paper as you are learning it. In addition to writing or typing the verse, it is also important to say it aloud to either someone else or to yourself in the mirror. Saying it out loud helps cement it in your mind and points out where you may still need to practice.

Forth, celebrate your victory! Once you reach your goal, celebrate and thank the Lord for helping you hide His Word in your heart. Remember, it doesn’t matter if you start with one verse or 14 verses; celebrate that you are starting the journey of hiding God’s Word in your heart.

Memorizing God’s word is more important than we often want to admit, and more beneficial to our spiritual walk than we could ever imagine. Start small, work at it often, and celebrate every tiny victory you have along the way because every single word of God that you hide in your heart is useful to you.

So no more excuses or believing lies that say you can’t memorize. Today is your day to simply get started taking God’s very words and putting them deep into your heart!

What are your tricks for memorizing scripture? Comment below!