The 5 Benefits of Memorizing Scripture

Faith Praying Scripture

  1. Memorizing God's Word helps your heart to be molded more like God's. As David said in Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart so that I might not sin against you.” David memorized, sang, wrote about, and recited the very Word of God and was known as a man after God’s own heart. The more of God’s Word you have in your heart, the more your heart will be like His.

  2. Memorizing Scripture helps you refute Satan's lies and attacks. When Satan tempted Jesus three times in the desert in both Matthew and Luke 4, Jesus responded not with His own arguments, which Satan could argue, but with the very Word of God. He modeled for us what Paul urges us to do in Ephesians 6-to put on the armor of God and to “take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:16, emphasis mine). We use our weapon, the very Word of God, to tell Satan and ourselves God's truth when Satan whispers lies to us. If the Scriptures are already embedded in our hearts and minds, we can more quickly and readily use this mighty weapon.

  3. Memorizing Scripture helps guide you toward living the life God has called you to. Proverbs 6:21-23 tell us to “Bind them {God’s commands/God’s Word) upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life.” If you know God's Word, it will spring to mind as you go about your day and make decisions, whether big or small.

  4. Memorizing Scripture allows your heart to let go of your own desires and replace them with God's. Let's face it, we all have our own plans and expectations for our life, and we can become disappointed or angry when God doesn't meet them. But if we know and memorize God's Word and His desires and promises, our hearts begin to align with God's. “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14, emphasis mine). God’s not a genie that will grant us whatever we want. Imagine what this world would be like if He did that. He will answer the prayers that align with His will and that bring Him glory. And the best way to know His will is in the Bible. Memorizing God's Word will help remind you of God's will and promises.

  5. Memorizing Scripture allows the Holy Spirit to bring it to your mind when you need it, or while you are praying. God’s Word was so embedded in our Savior’s heart that He could recall them and pray them when He felt and needed those words the most: as He hung on the cross. In His final moments, He cried out to God the exact words from David's Psalm 22. The Psalm starts with "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" and then goes on to talk about the exact same experiences Jesus experienced on the cross. It ends with trust in God's plan, something I'm sure Jesus clung to in His final excruciating moments. When you read and memorize and meditate on God’s Word, certain Scriptures will simply spring to our minds when we need them, offering us some much needed comfort or guidance or a reminder of God’s promises.

5 benefits of memorizing Scripture

In the words of Prayer Warrior Mom by Marla Alupoaicei, “Discipline your mind and your tongue. Memorize at least one Scripture a week and teach it to your children. Make regular deposits of Scriptures into your heart and mind, and the Holy Spirit will be able to make withdrawals for you when you need them most.”

I encourage you to start a practice of memorizing Scripture. Set a realistic goal for yourself, such as to memorize one Scripture a week. Write it out, place it where you will see it, and recite it over and over until it sinks deep into your heart and mind. Once it’s there, then the Holy Spirit can bring it to your mind when you need it, or while you are praying.