Sitting down and memorizing anything can be a chore, yet I believe that we all are capable of memorizing scriptures. If we can sing the ABCs, we can memorize God’s Word. If we can memorize facts to pass a test, we can memorize Bible verses. In our household, practicing Bible verses is a part of our daily routine. My husband and I are so passionate about God’s Word that we run a children’s ministry that is focused on Bible memorization called Awana. Awana is an international ministry, and we’re thrilled to have an Awana program in our church. Each week, starting at age three and running up through sixth grade, we see the fruits of the ministry as the children memorize passages from the Bible to work their way through their handbooks. Here’s how we’ve seen success as we’ve practiced these verses alongside our children:
- Put the verses to music. We often come up with a tune to match the verse, and we like to include the reference at the end of the song. For example, we pair many verses with familiar tunes like the ABCs, Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls, Farmer in the Dell, I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, etc.
- Break lengthy passages into smaller segments, and then add a little bit more each day. Although the passage might be too lengthy on the first day of the week, I break it down into smaller segments, and each day I add a bit more.
- Practice the verses regularly (daily). When I brush the teeth of my youngest children, I sing the verse that they are memorizing that week. That alone means that they are hearing it twice per day! The repetition is what makes the difference, because trying to learn it all in one day can feel exasperating. After I’m done brushing their teeth, I’ll ask them to try to say the verse to me. When I walk my younger elementary-aged kids to school, we sing our verses together. As we walk to school each day, I often reflect on Deut. 6:7 “you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Finding a consistent time as part of a daily routine has been the key to success in Scripture memorization for our kids.
- Grant recreational freedoms after they have recited their verse(s). For my upper-aged elementary kids, I ask them to say their verse(s) to me before they get their 30 minutes of recreational screen time. They often like to have a say in what tune gets paired with their Bible verses, thus allowing them to take more ownership of it.
- Create Hand motions. We often use hand motions with our preschoolers and lower-aged elementary school kids to help reinforce the words, all the while singing. Something incredible happens in those little minds when we add this kinesthetic component to our learning…the Bible verses really stick! This even helps me when I’m trying to memorize a passage as well for a women’s Bible study.
- Illustrate the verse. This is something my artistic daughters enjoyed when they got into middle school and high school. Their little sequential drawings they created helped them remember the sequence of words in a verse if they didn’t want to put it to music.
As I’ve helped my children work through their Awana handbooks and the many verses that are given in the curriculum, I’ve been humbled to see how much children are capable of achieving. Yet we as adults are capable of memorization too! As I’ve sung my kids through their handbooks, I’ve learned the Scriptures by heart too; we’re truly never too old to memorize God’s Word.
How do I decide which Bible verses to commit to memory? When I read through the Bible, often a verse will jump out at me. Those are the ones that I often underline in my Bible, journal about, write on the decorative blackboard in our home, incorporate into my prayers and commit to memory. I believe that a strong foundation in Christ is rooted in God’s Word, and this foundation is essential when our faith is put to the test. Psalm 119 helps us to see what joy can come in meditating on God’s Word, and how essential it is to hide it in our hearts.
Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11
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