I spent some time journaling all of the amazing spiritual and practical benefits I am experiencing from memorizing and meditating on God’s Word this way (memorizing sequential verses). I share them with you:
When my mind wanders or I wake in the night I have God’s word right there in my heart to meditate on and have purpose in my thoughts rather than just letting them take me wherever they might. I see that my thought life doesn’t have much free time to entertain lies or dwell on petty things because it’s too busy meditating on the truth of God’s word!
I LIKE my time doing dishes and folding laundry and other tasks that seemed mundane before but are now my sacred times of meditation.
My understanding of 1 John is so much deeper and richer (I’ve been studying it over 6 months) since I memorized it and the Holy Spirit reminds me of His truths that are in my heart.
When I hear or read other passages I see the congruency of scripture and how the same truths are reinforced.
I have even more opportunities to see how God works in my circumstances fleshing out the truth of His word because my heart is more constantly considering His word.
My kids hear me saying my verses and are encouraged to know Mommy believes and loves God’s word and they hear more of God’s word.
My gratefulness to God grows in appreciation that I have free access to His word, that He has revealed Himself through His word and that I have been given a working mind to memorize and retain His word.
I’m thirsty for more of His word!
I am praying the scripture for my husband, my kids, myself, and others.
I am so thankful to be working this spiritual discipline into my life. I am almost 37 and I have wanted to be able to celebrate my 40th in a significant way when it comes, so I’ve been thinking I should aim to have 40 chapters of the Bible memorized (and still in my heart and mind!) by my 40th birthday.
Dear Audrey, Amen to all of your thoughts on the spiritual and practical benefits of Scripture memory!! Praise the Lord that you are thirsting for, loving, meditating on, memorizing, praying God’s Word and fleshing it out in your life as wife and mother! I pray that God will honor your heart’s desire to memorize 40 chapters by 40! I started on the same journey a few years ago. My modest goal is to memorize a Psalm according to my age, in addition to other passages. So far I have memorized Psalm 63, 64 and 65. Better late than never 🙂
Praise the Lord for His Word and how it is at work in your heart! Thank you for recounting the ways His Word is unfolding wonderful things in your life as you treasure it! Such an encouragement to hear this, Audrey–it spurs my own heart on!
Beautiful Audrey! Thank you for sharing this. I haven’t memorized anything in several years but your post inspires me to begin again. I only have 10 months until I turn 40 but maybe I can memorize a couple more Psalms in between now and then :).
I love this post and that you can now enjoy the mundane tasks because that time is also your time to meditate on God’s Word which is now in your mind/heart–and let’s admit it, it’s also a challenge to see if you can still remember it, ha!
Thanks for including this encouraging post, Janet. =)
Thanks for the encouraging words fellow memorizers! It’s good to spur one another on!
Audrey, thank you for sharing your story. Very encouraging. Keep it up!
Thank you for sharing your Bible memorization journey and reinforcing to us how and why we do it.