Help Your Child Memorize God’s Word

My 11-year-old daughter, Emily, loves to memorize Bible verses. Each week at Awana, she can’t wait for Handbook Time and the chance to recite her verses.

She recently told me about how God used a verse to bring her peace at school. Right before her math teacher handed out a test, Emily remembered Philippians 4:13: I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

It’s neat to see how God’s Word influences Emily’s daily life.

Chuck Swindoll wrote in his book, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life:

I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture … No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your counseling will be in demand. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.

I think we’d all agree with the benefits of Scripture memory that Chuck mentioned. Learning God’s Word really does deepen and solidify our faith.

How can we help our kids memorize more of God’s Word?

I recently came across these fun ideas that might help. Some of these are great to do as a family:

• Play the popcorn game. Your child sits in a chair. Say a few words of a verse and then stop. Your child should stand up and say the next word. Continue with the verse. When you stop again, your child should sit back down and say the next word. Continue in this way through the verse until your child has it memorized. For fun, change places. Let your child say the verse while you stand up and sit down.
• Draw, or have your child draw, simple pictures or symbols for key words in the verse. Let her look at the pictures while she memorizes.
• Play verse charades. Take turns or divide into teams and act out the verses your family has learned, using standard charades rules.
• Write six to 12 different Bible verse references on the bottom inside cups of an egg carton. Put a button or piece of candy inside the carton, close the lid and shake the carton. Ask your child to recite the verse on which the button or candy lands.
• Sit on the floor with your child. Say the first word of a verse and roll or toss a ball to your child. Your child says the next word of the verse and rolls the ball back to you. Continue this pattern until the verse is completed.
• Share a verse with your child that you are currently memorizing yourself.

In what ways do you help your children memorize God’s Word?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011 at 8:12 pm and is filed under Bible and Bible memory, Discipleship. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.