Memorizing scripture is important. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11

I haven’t always been the best mom when it comes to teaching my children to read, meditate on, and memorize the word. At times I felt overwhelmed and didn’t know how — even though I knew it was important. I wanted them to love and crave the Bible. However, I was afraid that I would turn it into another demanding chore and that I would somehow screw it up and they would end up resenting me or the Bible itself.

Wow! The devil sure is crafty! Using fear and lies to hold us back and keep us out of God’s word.

Here is how we got started memorizing scripture in my home.

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1. Memorize Scripture Yourself

For my birthday a few months ago I received the book: 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart by  Robert J. Morgan.

I had specifically asked for this book because I knew that I was failing in this area myself and as a parent. This book was excellent because it goes over how to memorize, background information, cross-references, and meanings/definitions to the verses you memorize. I highly recommend it to everyone! It is one verse at a time, not whole passages, so it is very doable!

2. Post Scriptures All Over Your Home

Use a chalkboard, dry-erase board, bathroom mirror, sticky notes, index cards, or any other writing surface you can think of. Pick one verse that you want to memorize and post it where you will see it often.

3. Make it Fun

I have a small chalkboard sign in my living room that sits in a corner. I write a short verse on the chalkboard and read it with my children. Over the next week or so, I will randomly ask them what that verse is. Once they have correctly said it to me three (separate) times, then they get a piece of candy. They do not know when I will ask them. Usually the first few days they do not get it right, so we say it together several times, or they will go to the corner and read it through a few times.

I always know at what point they have finally memorized the verse because they will come up to me and say, “Mom, when are you going to ask me what the verse is?” They are anxious to say it three times and earn a piece of candy.

Other ways to make it fun:

• Do a coloring page with the verse on it together and displaying it somewhere in your home.
• Come up with hand motions to help you memorize the verse faster.
• Write each word on an index card or slip of paper and have the kids race to put the words in the right order.
• Challenge your child to share their verse with someone outside the family.

4. Add Music to Memorize Scripture

I am definitely not a musically creative person (I cannot carry a tune to save my life), so before you just keep scrolling here me out.

Music is a huge part of our home school because we are a part of a group called Classical Conversations, which has children memorizing an impressively huge amount of facts from a very young age. Children as young as four are able to do this because the sentences are set to fun music. This year we memorized the entire chapter of Ephesians 6 because it had music.

For example, think back to the most popular songs of the year you graduated from high school. You probably haven’t heard those songs in years! But I’m positive if one came on the radio you would still know every single word. Or think of an annoying commercial. Those stupid jingles get stuck in your head, and you have them memorized even when you don’t want to!

Well, the same practices can be applied to scriptures. Set it to music.

Seeds Family Worship has already done this for some verses. And they are much better to listen to than most baby/toddler music. The awesome thing is, if you have Amazon Prime then you get this music for free (which is how I discovered it in the first place)!

5. Pray the Scriptures

Help your children find verses that can be used in prayer. Some specific verses to look for would be verses that praise God for who He is and verses that give thanks to God. By memorizing and applying a verse, you and your children will be more likely to remember it.

I have in no way perfected this parenting thing. Please do not read this and get the impression that my family or my children are perfect because we are far from it! I only wrote this post in hopes that it encourages you.

Have anything to add to these Tips for Helping Your Children Memorize Scripture? What are your memorizing tips? I would love to hear from you in the comments!

Anna

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