Growth in life is important for everyone- whether you are a christian or not. Everyone desires to grow in one or more areas of their lives. That might include growth in career, education, family, finances, personal goals, etc. But as a christian, growth in our walk with the Lord is imperative. Scripture memorization is a key element in growing in our knowledge of God which draws us closer to Him. In this post, you will discover 5 reasons why scripture memorization matters to growing as a christian.
The heart behind Grow | Go | Sow is to help other believers understand the importance of growth as a christian in our grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3:18). One way we can grow as a christian is through scripture memorization. The Bible tells us the importance of scripture memorization and hiding His word in our hearts.
Looking for community with growing in your scripture memorization? Enter your email below to be connected to the Grow | Go | Sow group!
Scripture Memorization Is a Command from God
Why hiding God’s Word in your heart is more than a suggestion — it’s obedience.
Proverbs 3:1-4 “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee, Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.”
Jesus died on the cross to free us from the law, but He still calls us to keep His Word in our hearts so we may find favor and gain understanding.
In order to have understanding, we have to study His word. We serve a God that does not require specific acts or works from us. However, God expects us to obey. Obedience to God demonstrates our love, honor, and respect to Him.
In Matthew 6, Jesus is teaching the Lord’s prayer as a model to how we should pray. “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” In this section of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to ask for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. So what is God’s will?
In 1 Kings 8:59-60, the Bible says “And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require: That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.”
It’s simple, His will is for everyone to know Him and make Him known. It is our job, our call of obedience as His servants to make sure all know that the LORD is God.
Scripture Memorization Helps You Stay on the Narrow Path
How God’s Word keeps us walking in truth when distractions and temptations arise.
Joshua 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Through the power of scripture, we can direct our lives to stay on the narrow pathway. Storing scripture in our heart and mind will help with decisions that we have to make everyday. Psalms 119:105 says “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
People in Bible times used small lamps that gave off just enough light to illuminate the next step in front of them. Not the whole path but just that next step. Through scripture memorization we are recalling God’s word to help grow our faith of the unseen.
Relying on the scripture to light up our path demonstrates we are allowing His word to help us with decision making.
God’s Word Protects Your Heart and Mind from the Enemy
Scripture memorization–a spiritual weapon against the enemy.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
We constantly take in thoughts subconsciously throughout the day. Our mind responds quickly to influence, making it one of the most impressionable parts of the body.
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. This verse tells us that the devil knows the power over the mind, and he preys on it in an attempt to destroy you, your testimony, and your relationship with God to prevent the main will for our life- worshipping God and growing His kingdom (Matthew 12:50; Colossians 1:16; Romans 11:36; Isaiah 43:7; Revelation 4:11).
The Lord has given us the tool and weapon against the devil. We have the privilege in America to be able to carry our Bibles anywhere and everywhere allowing us to have our weapon in our hand. But that does not do any good if we do not know the scripture and have the weapon in our heart.
Jesus utilized the weapon of scripture memorization in Matthew 4 when satan attempted to tempt Him. However, Jesus was able to recall scripture that He studied and memorized to use against satan’s lies.
Thoughts will be moving throughout our mind subconsciously no matter what we are doing/ saying/ listening to, etc. If we let our guard down, the devil will take advantage of the opportunity to put lies and sinful thoughts in our mind. However, the Bible tells us that we can defeat this by being proactive and defensive with our thoughts by storing scripture in our mind.
Philippians 4:8 says “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
I once heard a quote that was influenced from Ephesian 5:19 (Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord) that said “speak to yourself more than you listen to yourself”. What this is saying is that if we allow ourselves to listen to our flesh, we will fall into sinful tendencies. However, as soon as we recognize that we are listening to flesh, we need to immediately stop those thoughts in their tracks by speaking truth to ourselves through scripture.
When I recognize a sinful thought has entered my mind, I immediately speak verbally, out loud (yes I talk to myself aloud!) scripture, a prayer, or a gospel song rather than attempting to do that in my mind. You can only think one thought at a time. So if I change my thought process and muscle movement to speaking rather than just thinking, it forces my brain to alter the thought process. (Romans 13:14 “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”)
Scripture Memorization Helps You Discern False Doctrine and Speak Truth
Defend your faith and recognize false teaching with memorized scripture.
1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
There is the blessing of spreading God’s word easily to millions of people thanks to social media and technology. However, like everything else of the world, the devil subtly has his hand in social media as well. One way he subtly is intertwining his influence into social media to believers is through false doctrine. There are many christians that are on podcasts, teaching, etc. that make what they are saying sound good and biblical.
But that is where we have to be on guard at all times with our knowledge of scripture. Through scripture memorization, we can be able to decipher false and true doctrine and teaching because we have the truth hidden in our hearts and minds.
Matthew 7:15-16 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.” We will not be able to know if their fruits are biblical unless we know the scripture to identify the false teachings.
Furthermore, there will be times when we have to confront either another believer or an unbeliever with truth. According to 1 Peter 3:15, (“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”) we want to make sure we can give an answer at all times to witness, answer questions, and testify for God. Again, we can only do this through having His word on our heart.
I truly believe that if you give God the liberty to speak through you in these situations, He will give you the wisdom, clarity, and scripture to say to be able to give an answer. You just have to be willing to be the temple and mouth piece for it. This is evident multiple times in the Bible, but my favorite story is with Moses because I can relate to it so much.
God calls Moses to deliver the children of Israel. Moses makes multiple excuses of why he cannot be the one to do it, and he doubts God’s ability to move through him. Exodus 4:10 Moses explains to God he is not good with public speaking because of a ‘slow speech and slow tongue’. God responds with “And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? Or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.”
That same God lives in us today to guide us on what to say as long as we seek ask for His guidance. John 14:26 says “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” The Holy Ghost brings to remembrance the scripture we have studied, meditated on, and memorized when we need it. But if we have not studied, meditated, and memorized the Word, we will not have any scripture to pull from memory for the Holy Ghost to be able to use.
Memorizing God’s Word Draws You Closer to Him
Scripture memorization deepens your relationship with Jesus and anchors your faith.
Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
Lastly, scripture memorization is imperative for a closer relationship with God. Think back on a time when you were studying material for a test in school. You spent uninterrupted time rehearsing, thinking, and studying the material to know and understand it. The same is imperative for our walk with God. By studying the word, we are talking with Him, thinking about Him, and meditating on His truth. Abiding in God will open our hearts to allow His word to abide in us (John 15:7). This is a daily action we have to add to our routine. Seek Him in the word while reading the Bible, through prayer, and mediation on His word continually.
John 1 tells us that “the word was God”. If we want to draw closer to Him, we need to go to Him. Where can we find Him? According to John 1, He is the word. We can find Him in scripture.
1 Chronicles 16:10-11 “Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.” Seek His face continually by searching His word and thinking on His word continuously throughout the day. Hide his word in your heart to abide in Him as well as grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).
Together, let’s lift each other up to Grow in our walk with Him, Go into all the world, and Sow His word.
In Him, Anna 🕊️
Ready to Hide God’s Word in Your Heart Together?
If you’re feeling the nudge to take scripture memorization more seriously, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why I started
Grow | Go | Sow — a Christ-centered community for women who want to grow in the Word, go into the world with confidence, and sow truth into their daily lives.
Each month, we focus on:
📖 A key attribute of Christ
📝 2-4 scriptures to memorize
📦 Optional scripture packet with resources
💬 Encouragement, community, and accountability inside our private Facebook group
