Three Reasons to Help Our Kids Memorize Scripture

When we imagine our children heading out into the world, what do we hope they’ll take with them? Many parents want their children to have the practical skills necessary to live on their own, as well as a respectable character that enables them to contribute meaningfully to society. 

But what if I asked what spiritual skills you want your children to possess when you send them out into the world following high school graduation? As Christian parents, I suggest we should want our children to commune with God based on Christ’s finished work, such that the fruit of the Spirit grows in them. The spiritual disciplines and maturity in the fruit of the Spirit go hand in hand. 

One spiritual discipline that is particularly fruitful is Scripture memorization. Scripture memorization hides God’s Word in our hearts, which means we can remember and recall the words of God from the Bible in moments of need. It’s not easy, but it is worth it. Here are three biblical reasons from Psalm 119:9-11 why this discipline is so important. 

1. Scripture memory helps us live a holy life.

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
Psalm 119:9

The path of purity leads straight to God, and the way the psalmist tells us that we can help our children stay on that path is by living according to God’s Word. We must help our kids know God’s Word and hide it in their hearts so that they can know what it means to live a holy life. 

Psalm 1 tells us that when we meditate on God’s Word, we are “like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season” (Ps. 1:3). Meditation and memorization go hand in hand. You cannot memorize without meditating, and you cannot meditate without the words sticking with you. And yielding spiritual fruit comes from a holy life in which we look more and more like Jesus. Jesus makes the connection between what he says and our putting his words into practice at the end of the Sermon on the Mount when He says, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (in Matt. 7:24).

The disciplines of memorization and meditation will not only help our children remember what God tells us, but also equip them to live faithfully, following Him.

2. Scripture memory helps us worship rightly.

When God’s Word is on our hearts, we have a constant teacher reminding us of how God has revealed His character to us and the saving work God has done in the person and work of Jesus Christ in our lives. 

Every person is tempted to change God to fit their desires or beliefs. But when we have the Word of God hidden in our hearts, it’s harder to do that because we have God’s thoughts rather than our own running through our minds. We urge our children to keep seeking God by memorizing passages of Scripture that keep their hearts focused on his character (Ex. 34:6-7), His promises (Rom. 8:28-29), the message of the gospel (1 Cor. 15:3-4), and anything else that gets our minds in a place where we can worship God rightly.

3. Scripture memory helps us fight temptation.

I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:11

Early in high school, I received a book from my youth leader that included what he called “fighter verses” centered on specific temptations people face, such as memorizing Philippians 4:8 to battle temptations of impure or unhelpful thoughts. The goal was to read and memorize these verses so I could use them when I was tempted to sin. This whole idea of fighter verses reminded me of the saying, “Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.” I needed to know that what I was using was effective, and it certainly was. The difference is that I was bringing the sword of the Spirit, the Bible, against the schemes of the devil (Eph. 6:17).

Jesus wielded the same sword when Satan tempted him in the wilderness in Matthew 4. Jesus was able to cut through the lies, false promises, and twisting of words without giving in. Like an experienced soldier, he wielded his sword perfectly to attack the devil’s words, so that they were destroyed. 

But Jesus didn’t have a Bible in his hands, a Bible app, or ChatGPT, and our children won’t always have one either. Instead, the Word was stored up in his heart so that he might not sin. The discipline of memorization can help our children enter any situation knowing they have exactly what they need to defeat the devil’s schemes. Then they can choose obedience to God rather than giving in to temptation. 

Encouragement for Family Discipleship

We cannot be with our children all the time, so we must leave them not just with good advice, but with God’s Word on their hearts so that they have it with them whenever they need it. Like us, our children will inevitably sin and will not live according to the Word. So, when those times happen, they must have other verses that remind them to confess (Ps. 32:5), point them to God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9), and assure them that nothing can separate them from God’s love (Rom. 8:38-39). Then, they can continue praying that they keep in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25).

As a family, you can include Scripture memorization into your daily rhythm by starting with short verses and building from there. Pick a verse for a week and read it a few times every day at the end of your family worship time, around a meal, or before bed. As the week progresses, try to say it without reading it, help each other out, and by the end of the week, your whole family should be able to say it together. 

The Spirit has given us God’s very Word to teach, rebuke, correct, and train in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). So let’s read it, study, meditate, and memorize as a family. By God’s grace, may He enable our children to live holy lives, worship rightly, and fight temptation.