Inside: practical tips to help busy moms memorize Bible verses - and how to get your kids involved, too!
How many of your kid’s books can you read with your eyes closed? Or have you already caught yourself singing along to your Pandora playlist today?
If you answered yes to either of those, but have used the excuse, “I’m just not a good memorizer”, when it comes to memorizing Scripture...
Memorization is more of a common practice than we like to admit. When memorizing is convenient, we do it easily. But when it means sitting down and digging into the Word of God, we tend to shy away.
I’m not talking down to you - I have not been diligent in memorizing Scripture either. But I am here to call out the excuses that we so often make for not hiding the Word of God in our hearts.
It can feel hard, however, when we have so much going on. It can feel inconvenient to find quiet space to process, think, and “study”. But just because it is difficult doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done.
I am here to show you that even when the house is full and the kids are loud, you can still be in the habit of memorizing Scripture.
Here are some simple techniques to help moms memorize Bible verses:
Technique 1 To Help Moms Memorize Bible Verses: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat!
I have a fabulous oat flour waffle recipe. It is nutty, fluffy, filling, perfectly sweet, and a healthy alternative to the white flour Belgians that I grew up eating (those were fantastic, too!).
By now my sons and I have made them so often that I don't have to pull up my phone to find the recipe. I know it by heart and can guide my kiddos through the ingredient list from memory.
I didn’t take hard work to memorize it, either. Making them several times a month was enough for my brain to remember the steps.
All that it took was the repetition - and that is all it takes to memorize Scripture as well.
But, if you're like me, you don’t go back to the same passage with a similar craving and interest as you do a freshly made, thick and warm waffle (and maybe that is the real problem). And when you are in a passage the mind chatter tends to get in the way.
So how can you practice repetition in the middle of a busy day with kiddos?
- Write the verse out, over and over: Keep a designated “memory verse notebook” and during your quiet time write the verses over and over, praying as you go.
- Review your verses in the afternoons (science says it’s helpful): Have your verse written on a card, and pull it out to review while you are cooking dinner or in the pick up line at school.
- Sing your verses: Make up a little tune to go with the passage, and sing it throughout the day.
Technique 2 To Help Moms Memorize Bible Verse: Memorize with your kids
Last year, when my son (at 2.5 years old) was belting out the full lyrics to songs from The Greatest Showman, I had this sudden (and convicting) realization: if he could repeat line after line of a song, he could memorize Scripture.
So take the time to memorize verses with your kids. Nothing will keep you more accountable than making a commitment to your children.
Like you would that moist chocolate cake you are indulging in after dinner, share a bite with your little one. Give them just a taste of what you are learning and processing and memorizing.
How?
- Shorten the passage for them: If you're memorizing 3 consecutive verses, give them 1 to work on.
- Be consistent: Have a set time every day that you work on memorizing verses together. We work on verses during our morning routine, right after we read the Bible. You choose what works for you. Take a minute or two each day to review old verses that you have previously memorized together and then spend a few minutes working on the new verse.
- Sing it with them: My son can memorize a verse in about 30 seconds if the words are put to a tune. So put some rhythm to the verses not just for your sake, but also for theirs. Some great Scripture memorization tunes can be found on albums such as “Hide ‘Em In Your Heart” by Steve Green and any of the Seeds Family Worship song albums.
Technique 3 To Help Moms Memorize Bible Verse: Know and understand the context
A new friend can give me directions to their house, and I will have no clue where it actually is. But when I drive there myself and feel the curves and turns and see the landmarks, I can more fully understand where they live.
Likewise, it’s not until we recognize the context of Scripture that we fully grasp and understand what the text means. And the more we understand the meaning, the more deeply the Scripture will bury itself into our hearts.
Here are three ways to do that:
- Read the passages surrounding the text: Don’t begin memorizing a verse until you read the surrounding passages. There is danger in misinterpreting and in not understanding what the text was actually meant to convey. Reading the surrounding verses helps you understand the context of the verse you’re planning to memorize
- Explore the footnotes: Get the historical context and understand the characters more thoroughly by following the promptings of the footnotes.
- Ask God for guidance: Pray through the passage and ask for God’s Holy Spirit to help you understand what He is saying about His character and what He wants to teach you through that group of verses.
Now, mama, it’s time to start memorizing!
Mama, it’s time to start digging into the Word and hiding it in your heart. With these 3 simple techniques, you can be a Scripture memorizing queen 🙂
Remember:
- Repeat, repeat, repeat!
- Memorize with your kids
- Know and understand the context
Grab one of these tips and start implementing it into your quiet time routine now. Everyone’s brain is different - experiment and get to know which techniques best suit you.
Let’s go mama!
I’m rooting for you.
Kelsey
