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Why some goals remain strong, while others fall to the wayside has mystified me. That is until I listened to Michael Hyatt's excellent podcast : "How to Develop More Discipline." I've learned tons from my favorite book on achieving goals, Success God's Way: Achieving True Contentment And Purpose
After you've prayerfully determined what your Scripture memory goals are, these next three steps will make a huge difference in reaching the Scripture memory goals God has put on your heart. In the words of Michael Hyatt:
1. List your reasonsToday we'll look specifically at the importance of listing our reasons for memorizing Scripture. To find out more about identifying likely obstacles, and developing new behaviors, check out Michael Hyatt's great post, "5 Steps to Developing More Discipline" or excellent podcast, "How to Develop More Discipline."
2. Identify likely obstacles
3. Develop new behaviors
List your reasons
This has been huge for me. Discipline is hard enough. However when I lose sight of why I'm pursuing a goal, why reaching a goal is important to me, it makes being disciplined in that area so much more difficult. However, when I take the few minutes it takes to list my reasons why I want to pursue a particular goal, my motivation is renewed and I am pumped to do what it takes to reach my goal. Should the initial excitement of pursuing my goal start to fade, I can look back on my list and be reminded why reaching that goal is important to me. For this reason, I'm considering memorizing my reasons for each of my goals, so I never forget my why--why reaching my goals are important and what's at stake if I don't follow though. So what are your reasons for memorizing Scripture? Consequently, what is at stake if you don't follow through?
Here is my why. 10 reasons I love, and am committed to, memorizing Scripture:
1. Verse-by-verse I'm being transformed by the renewing of my mind. (Psalm 1:1-3)
2. It is growing me in the knowledge of God: who He is, what He's promised, and who I am in Christ. (2 Peter 3:18)
3. It is equipping me to rightly handle the headaches and heartaches of life. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
4. It supplies me with the wisdom I need to make the best possible choices on any given day. (Psalm 119:97-100)
5. It allows me to redeem my daily downtime (waiting in line, running errand, cooking, ironing, etc) with that which counts for eternity (Ephesians 5:16) and will endure forever (1 Peter 1:25)
6. It guarantees my thoughts are lining up, in obedience to Philippians 4:8. (Philippians 4:8)
7. Not one moment I spend learning and reviewing my memory verses will ever return void. (Isaiah 55:11)
8. It communicates to my little girl that God's Word is so important that it is worth memorizing. (Psalm 119:97)
9. I am better equipped to meet the needs of my family because each verse I memorize is useful for instructing, reproving, correcting, and training me in righteousness so I can be a better wife and mother. (2 Timothy 3:16)
10. For all these reasons and more, at the end of the day, I can rest in the fact that my time spent learning and reviewing my memory verses was time well spent.
Questions for you: Why do you memorize Scripture? What are your Scripture Memory goals for 2013?

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Copyright © 2013 Brooke Espinoza.
Those are great reasons! I really need to memorize verses. It's been tough since I'm finishing up school. I need to make a plan and stick to it! I've seen some that you can do one per week each year and memorize 52 in a year!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I agree, having a plan is a great idea. It really helps keep me on track. Here's how I memorize http://brookeespinoza.blogspot.com/p/bible-memorization.html Yes, at a rate of one verse a week, by the end of the year that would be a lot of verses hidden in your heart. I highly recommend memorizing a passage of Scripture over random verses. For instance, Psalm 23 is 6 verses. I find it much easier to learn verses that go together than random single verses that don't sequentially go together. I wrote a post about this you might find helpful http://brookeespinoza.blogspot.com/2012/03/benefits-of-memorizing-passages-over.html Thanks again for visiting! God bless you richly as you seek to hide God's Word in your heart.
DeleteWhat a great post to motivate us to continue memorizing scripture. Thanks, Brooke! I'll link it to our Facebook page. I didn't set up a linky this month at Do Not Depart since response has been low, but I'll do one next month and I hope you'll link this there then.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lisa! So glad you were encouraged by it. I'll be sure to link it up next month. God bless you abundantly!
DeleteI have to say memorization is not my strong point. I didn't however make it one of my goals this year, but it is definitely something I should reflect on and contemplate. Thank you for linking up to the Prairies this week Brooke. I always love reading your posts.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle! I can totally relate. Memorizing Scripture does not come natural for me. Fortunately, memorizing Scripture does not require a good memory. I wrote a post about this here http://brookeespinoza.blogspot.com/2012/10/memorizing-scripture-good-memory-not.html I have found the more I repeat a verse, the faster it begins to stick in my memory. And the more often I review it, the sooner it moves from my short term memory to my long term memory. And that's exactly where I want my verses to be. God bless you much!
DeleteWow! Great list of reasons TO memorize! I work with my grandkids on encouraging Bible memory verses each week, and keep them on my iPhone as wall paper to meditate on throughout the day. But I definitely need to focus a bit more during quiet times to dig them deeper into my heart. Thank you for the sweet encouragement.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Kaye! So glad this blessed you! That is so neat you are leading your grandkids in memorizing Scripture! What a storehouse of verses they will have stored up in their hearts to draw from throughout life. Beautiful! I love putting my memory verses on my iPhone lock screen, too! Someone once told me that they use their iPhone to set 5-6 reminders scheduled throughout the day of their memory verse, to remind them to practice their verse, so at the end of the day they don't say "Oh, where did the time go? I haven't even reviewed my verses yet today!" I love how we can use technology to grow in the knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ. God bless you lots!
DeletePS. Since you like using Scripture as wallpaper on your iPhone, you'd love the app "Bible Lock Screens" They are awesome! They even have banners that you can use at the top of your Facebook page if you're on Facebook. Here is their website if you are interested in learning more about them, http://www.biblelockscreen.com/
Wow! Fantastic list. I recently got back into the habit of Scripture memory and I love how it reveals God's heart to me - how aspects of His character just jump out in little bite-size nuggets of wisdom. Praise the Lord for His Word being so accessible, living, and powerful!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I love your testimony! Thanks for sharing how God is blessing you through your memorizing Scripture. That is fabulous! "Praise the Lord for His Word being so accessible, living, and powerful!" Amen! I am so blessed to live where access to His Word is so abundant. God bless you richly!
Deletethanks for sharing what a great list
ReplyDeleteThanks, Angie! So happy it blessed you! God bless you mightily!
DeleteThat is a great list. I agree with all of them. Thank you for the reminder and encouragement.
ReplyDeleteFound you on the MTM mixer and am subscribing to your channels. Please stop and visit and subscribe to us as well! Thanks so much!!
Penny at Green Moms and Kids
http://greenmomsandkids.wordpress.com
Thanks, Penny! I look forward to visiting your site, too! God bless you much!
DeleteThis is excellent! I'd like to memorize more scripture and fine tune the ones I have in my head but cannot remember the references.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anita! Those are great goals, "to memorize more scripture and fine tune the ones I have in my head." God will surely bless your efforts as you seek to hide His Word in your heart, and keep it fresh in your memory.
DeleteHere's how I memorize Scripture http://brookeespinoza.blogspot.com/p/bible-memorization.html
Concerning references, are you memorizing random verses or verses that sequentially go together? I started memorizing verses using the topical memory systems that are available at Christian bookstores, but I've since experienced the great benefits of memorizing verses that go together than random, unrelated verses. I wrote a post about it here if you're interested.
http://brookeespinoza.blogspot.com/2012/03/benefits-of-memorizing-passages-over.html
If you are memorizing single random verses, what I've done to memorize the references is to say the reference, recite the verse, and say the reference again. i.e. "Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13" However, when I memorize passages like Psalm 103, I don't recite the references because it throws off my flow of thought as to what the next verse is. However, it may be beneficial to recite a chunk of Scripture like that and just say the verse number like 1....2.... because you'd already know the book and chapter you're memorizing from. Just an idea. God bless you richly as you seek to hide more of His Word in your heart!
One of the most excellent posts I've read on memorizing Scripture. I've been so thankful for every verse memorized as a child, teenager and young mother. The older I get the more difficult it is to memorize. So many good reasons here to memorize.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pamela for you sweet words of encouragement! Glad you were blessed by it! How neat that you have been memorizing since you were a kid! I came to Jesus when I was 18, and didn't begin memorizing until many years later. So that is very neat that you've dedicated the different seasons of life to hiding His Word in your heart. What a great example you are! God bless you lots!
DeleteI agree with Pamela. As we age it seems harder to memorize but I hold in my heart all the wonderful verses I know and try to live by. Thank you for sharing with us and I wish you a beautiful week and many blessings. Anne
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anne! That is wonderful that you've built up a treasured storehouse of verses to draw from. God bless you abundantly!
DeleteI memorized a lot of scripture when I was younger, especially high school age. I try to excuse myself from further memorization rationalizing that I'm too old now. I know that is not true. I am old, but not too old. LOL I'm glad I have memorized so many scriptures though. It is amazing how often they come to mind. Thank you for the encouragement.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Charlotte
That is so neat, Charlotte, that you memorized so much Scripture, especially in high school. You're right. You're never too old to memorize Scripture. Memorizing may get harder for people as they get older, but I really believe whatever season of life we are in, if the Lord is leading us to memorize Scripture, He will be faithful to lead us perfectly in what to memorize for the season of life we are in. I agree with you, "It is amazing how often they come to mind." It is amazing! I love how the Holy Spirit brings my memory verses to mind, just when I need them. God bless you richly!
DeleteWhat a great list, Brooke! I memorize because I literally have to. My anxiety is so deep rooted that only scripture seems to have the umph to root it out. I'm sliding over from the SDG girls.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Summer! What a fabulous way to combat anxious thoughts! So glad you are seeing a difference by memorizing Scripture. I find the more I memorize, the more I increase in my knowledge of God--who He is, what He's promised me, and who I am in Christ. And the more I know God, the easier it is for me to trust Him, not fear, and rest in His promises. God bless you abundantly!
DeleteThanks so much for inspiring me to be more commited to my memorization!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan, for your sweet words of encouragement! So glad this helped! God bless you mightily as you continue to hide His Word in your heart.
DeleteThanks for the encouragement! I pray each day before we start our homeschool time that the Lord would deeply root the scriptures into the hearts of my children. They can memorize it so quickly, it puts me to shame...but I'm trying!
ReplyDeleteSo glad this blessed you, Becky! What a great prayer to start off the school day! Yes, kids have a fantastic ability to memorize things. I was in awe when my little girl learned a new verse each week in Awanas when she was just three years old. I had no idea kids were capable of that. Their minds really are like little sponges. That encourages me to pour as much Scripture in my little girl now while she's growing up, so when she's ready to go off to college, she will be equipped with an arsenal of Scripture to guide her throughout her life. A post I wrote that you might also enjoy is Memorizing Scripture: Good Memory Not Required" http://brookeespinoza.blogspot.com/2012/10/memorizing-scripture-good-memory-not.html God bless you abundantly!
DeleteThis could be applied in so many ways. Thanks for your wisdom and thanks for sharing at Family Fun Friday!
ReplyDeleteMonica
http://happyandblessedhome.com
hope to see you again later this week at:
http://happyandblessedhome.com/category/family-fun/
Thanks, Monica! I agree, "This could be applied in so many ways." I love how multi-faceted God's Word is--like a diamond. God bless you lots!
DeleteThank you for the reminder & tips, I honestly have not focused on memorizing scripture in a couple years and need to get back to that! Thanks for linking up at Motivating Monday at CEO of Me this week!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Misty! So glad this encouraged you! God bless you richly as you seek to continue hiding His Word in your heart.
Delete