Scripture memorization is absolutely essential to a life of deep growth toward God. You can’t become like God unless you know what God is like. Scripture reading, study, meditating, and memorizing all help us to know who God is and what He is like.

While the Bible never specifically tells us to memorize Scripture, it does tell us of the value and importance of Scripture in our lives.

The Psalmist assured the Lord that he had “hidden your word in my heart that I may not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). Some translations speak of “treasuring” God’s Word in our hearts.

Scripture memorization is necessary for us to “treasure God’s Word.” Memorizing Scripture, as the Psalmist puts it, helps to keep us from a life of sin.

How does this work?

First, memorizing Scripture helps remind us what matters to God. As we memorize, meditate, and generally think about God’s Word, we become more aware of the things that matter to God.

Second, memorizing Scripture opens our hearts to allow the Holy Spirit to bring to mind Scripture that fits the occasion. The Holy Spirit will use passages of Scripture such as “love your neighbor as you love yourself” and “do unto others” to remind us of our responsibility to God and to others.

Memorizing Scripture makes that possible.

Third, memorizing Scripture is practical. There will be many times when you need to hear from God that you can’t get to a Bible. We need God’s Word to be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).

Memorizing Scripture means that you put the light within you.

Finally, memorizing Scripture helps replace negative, selfish, and sinful aspects of our minds with good, righteous, and positive messages from Scripture. “As a person thinks in his heart, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7).

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