Raising children who love God and follow Him with all their heart is more difficult than ever today. But we serve a powerful God who has overcome the world (John 16:33)! He is more than able to help us, and our children to live godly lives for Him.
Memorizing God’s Word is a great way to equip our children to live for God!
Check out these wonderful benefits of memorizing scripture with our children (includes free resources):
Memorizing scripture is often instrumental in leading our children to faith in Jesus.
Pray for your children and memorize scriptures together related to trusting in Christ for their salvation, and the Holy Spirit will draw them to Jesus. The AWANA program has excellent verses for leading children to Christ at an early age. A couple of our children came to Christ through the verses they memorized in AWANA.
II Timothy 3:15 from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Memorizing God’s Word will renew our child’s mind.
Romans 12:2 says that we’re not to conform to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds (through God’s Word). Our children will understand God’s will for their lives more clearly as they study and memorize his Word. It will also help them to refute worldly lies and the lies of the enemy.
Object lessons can really help your child understand the meaning of their memory verses – check out this amazing object lesson for Romans 12:2 from freebiblelessons.net
Memorizing scripture helps bring about sanctification in our child’s life.
The Holy Spirit will work through God’s Word helping children grow in their faith and develop purity and holiness. Memorize scripture on godly character and pray for your children and you’ll see God’s Spirit change their lives.
Here’s a free download with a list of verses on godly character qualities to memorize with your children from The Homeschool Life All-in-One Planner. I would recommend spending a couple weeks to a month memorizing each of these verses as well as discussing how to live them out.
As God sanctifies us, He is developing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives as well. Growing the Fruit of the Spirit A Bible-based Unit Study is a great resource to help your children memorize verses related to the fruit of the Spirit along with helping them understand how that fruit can be evident in their lives. It serves as a devotional for the whole family and also a unit study for children pre-K through 6th grade. Perfect to go through over the summer, or at a slower pace over the school year.
Memorizing God’s Word helps our children avoid sin and fight temptation.
Psalm 119: 9 and 11 remind us that as we hide God’s word in our hearts, it helps us to live pure lives and avoid sin. Hebrews 4:12 states that God’s Word judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart, helping us recognize sin in our lives.
Sibling conflicts often lead to sinful behavior. It helps to memorize scripture on dealing with conflict. Our family benefited greatly from reading The Young Peacemaker. It’s a great resource for memory verses and teaching how to deal with conflict in a godly way.
Memorizing scripture helps our children obey God and live successful lives
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Deuteronomy 6:4-7 reminds us that we’re to teach our children the commandments and help them to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and mind.
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8-9
Note that this verse says we’re doing more than just memorizing scripture, we’re meditating on it so we’re careful to obey it. So important to remember as we work on memorizing with our children. Study and meditate on the verses you memorize together, and everyone’s lives will be changed, including your own!
Memorizing God’s Word gives our children wisdom and helps them understand God’s standards.
Scripture is full of wisdom and guidance to help us live our lives for God. Having God’s word in their hearts and minds will help our children make wise and godly choices.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16
Memorizing scripture gives our children the tools to share their faith with others.
1 Peter 3:15 reminds us that we should always be prepared to explain our faith and hope.
Memorize the Roman’s Road verses with your children, preparing them to share their faith as opportunities arise. (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9, 5:1 and 8:1)
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints, and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Heb. 4:12
Memorizing God’s Word teaches our children to pray and bring their concerns to God.
Memorizing the Lord’s prayer will give our children insights into how to pray.
Here are a couple more verses on prayer to memorize:
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Along with memorizing verses on prayer, we kept a prayer journal with our children that included prayer requests and how God answered them. It was encouraging for all of us to see how God answered our prayers in amazing ways.
Memorizing scripture can help our children through trials or fear.
As parents we want to equip our children to face life’s trials knowing that God is with them and wants to help them.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
I memorized this verse as a teen (to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel). One time in my college years, I was riding the bus back to the dorm and I accidentally got off one stop early. I had to walk through the woods in the dark! There had been some attacks on women in the area at that time, so I was especially afraid. I sang that verse out loud as I ran through the woods that evening! This verse comes back to me often and has given me peace and comfort many times when I’ve been tempted to fear.
When faced with difficulties, our children need to know they are not alone, God is with them always.
Children often can memorize scripture more easily than we can as adults.
Our minds are at their best for learning new information and retaining it during childhood. What a perfect time to fill their minds with the truths of God so they’re equipped to know God and follow Him faithfully all their lives.
I hope this gets you excited to memorize scripture with your children!
As you include the habit of memorizing scripture into your days you’ll likely face opposition. The enemy doesn’t want our children equipped to fight off his lies. Pray for God’s help to persevere.
Memorizing is challenging and you may get some resistance. I found when I made memorizing fun, our children were more excited about it. I have a free PDF on Memorizing Tips – free download HERE with fun ideas for memorizing scripture. I also recommend this wonderful coloring book, Bible Verse Coloring Book for Kids published by Roundhill Press.
Because children may not see the huge benefits of memorizing God’s Word until they’re older, giving them other incentives is okay. We gave a monetary reward to our teens when they memorized an entire chapter of a book in the Bible and that really motivated them.
I encourage you to add scripture memory to your summer schedule. It will keep your children’s minds on the things of God and hopefully develop a lifelong habit of memorizing God’s Word.
