Meditating on Scripture through Bible Memorization

Meditating on Scripture should lead to memorizing, just as memorization should lead to meditation. Bible memorization is a spiritual discipline to help you meditate and store God’s Word in your heart. Scripture memorization can produce spiritual growth, by strengthening your relationship with God and being transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Is Meditating on Scripture the Same Thing as Bible Memorization?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, meditate means “to focus one's thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over” and memorize means “to commit to memory : learn by heart.” While meditating on Scripture is not exactly the same thing as memorizing, it should go hand-in-hand. It is possible to memorize without meditation, and meditate without memorization, but the goal of Bible memorization should be for meditating on God’s Word, day and night.

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous,

and then you will have good success."

Joshua 1:8, ESV

The spiritual discipline of Bible memorization is to commit God’s Word to memory, so that you can meditate and live by the truth. By hiding God’s Word in your heart, you can have it in your mind and heart for whenever you need it. Remember, we memorize in order to meditate and we meditate to memorize.

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Psalm 119:11, ESV

“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.”

Psalm 119:15, ESV

Excuses for Neglecting Scripture Memorization

Although Scripture memorization is a powerful spiritual discipline, it is often neglected and overlooked. It is called a spiritual discipline for a reason, because it takes discipline to memorize God’s Word. This spiritual discipline is for every believer, not just the Bible teachers and pastors. Yes, it requires hard work, dedication, time, and repetition, but it is achievable for anyone who is willing.

People often stop before they start. For example, here are common excuses memorize Scriptures:

• “I have no time.”
• “I’m bad at memorizing.”
• “I don’t know what to passage to memorize.”
• “I have no desire to memorize.”

Helpful Ways to Memorize Scripture

The method is only as valuable as the determination and perseverance. Everyone has a preferred learning style, so find what works for you.

• Repeat the verses out loud over and over
• Write the verses over and over
• Write them on index cards and post them somewhere you will see them often
• Listen to the verse on repeatedly through an audio Bible
• Sing the Verse (Ex. Seeds Kids Worship)
• Turn the Verse into a Jingle
• Create motions for the verse
• Say it in Sign Language
• Write the first letter of each word on your hand
• Say the verses to a Friend
• Choose a Bible memorization app
• Teach the verses to someone else
• Pray the verses

Scripture memorization and meditation is personally a struggle of mine. I desire to desire it more and to instill the spiritual discipline in my children too. We CAN memorize Scripture, so that we WILL meditate on God’s Word both day and night.

Psalm 100 is a short chapter that I desire to memorize with my children. What passage are you going to memorize and meditate on?

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

 come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:1-5, NIV (1984)