If you grew up in the church, you probably remembered memorizing scripture. Usually, the Sunday school leader gave a verse, and the class came up with fun ways to remember it. But as people get older, they tend to memorize verses less and less. Memorizing Bible verses might only be something done in Sunday school; over time, it often fades as a steady practice. However, there is value in picking it up again.
Mylie Sharp, Children’s Ministry Leader at Impact Church, shared her perspective on the importance of memorizing scripture.
“I believe there is a lot of value in memorizing scripture,” Sharp said. “We encourage the kids to memorize it and repeat it when they are having hard days or to mention it to their friends and family.”
Although children are encouraged to learn scripture because of its benefits, those same benefits can apply to young adults. Emma Workman, freshman psychology major, explained why memorizing scripture holds strong value.
“God calls us to write scripture on the tablet of our hearts,” Workman said. “How can a person fight if they have no weapons of armor? In the same way, how can we fight spiritual battles if we don’t have the word of God, which is a sword to cut the enemy’s lies down.”
For Christians, memorizing scripture can become a valuable tool for faith. However, once the motivation to start memorizing scripture is there, a common challenge is finding effective ways to memorize and retain it. Workman shared some tips and tricks that helped her memorize and retain verses.
“Writing them down over and over again, and also saying them out loud helps,” Workman said. “Another thing I do is I got an app called Versify, which helps you memorize verses with different tools.”
Along with practical tips like repetition and apps, there are also creative ways to keep scripture in mind. Addie Reardon, freshman mechanical engineering major, shared her experience with memorizing scripture and offered new ideas to try.
“I know some people wear bracelets that have the first letter of each word of a particular verse they are trying to memorize,” Reardon said. “Personally, I like to make a verse or passage my Lock Screen on my phone.”
Another way to retain scripture is to involve friends. Having accountability partners who try to remember the same scripture can make it more enjoyable while also providing support to stay on track and follow through. This can be fulfilling for each person and help strengthen friendships.
There are many ways to begin memorizing scripture, each unique to the individual. Regardless of the method, making an effort to remember the Word can be extremely beneficial not only for personal faith but also for daily life by revealing God’s truth and transforming the way we think.
