The Bible shows us and tells us over and over how important it is to memorize scripture. Jesus himself memorized God’s Word to resist temptation (Matthew 4-1:11), and quoted the Old Testament often. And in Deuteronomy 6:7, it talks about how important it is for children to also learn God’s commands. It says “Impress them (the Lord’s commandments) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” It’s equally as important for us to be helping our children memorize God’s Word as it is for us to be memorizing it. And it’s amazing how much their little brains can remember! 

You may be wondering, Is my child old enough to memorize scripture?

Does your child:

-Finish the sentence when you’re reading their favorite book?

-Sing songs?

-Repeat phrases from tv shows?

These are 3 signs your kid is ready to start memorizing scripture! My son was doing all of these things right around 2 years old.  That sounds really early to start memorizing bible verses, but if they are already memorizing other things like songs and books, why can they not memorize scripture?

Selecting a Verse

Start by picking a Bible verse. I like to pick one that will be meaningful or helpful to them. Are they anxious? Maybe pick Phillipians 4:6. Do they have trouble sleeping? Proverbs 3:24 is a favorite of mine. 

Be careful to not pick verses to guilt them into doing/not doing something. It’s important to choose verses that show God’s character and His will for us, rather than things that can be thrown in their face to make them act how we want them to. 

I’ve picked these as verses I think are easy enough for kids to remember, show God’s character, and are good verses to tuck away in our kids’ minds.  My top 6 verses for kids to memorize are:

Joshua 1:9

Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or discouraged; for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. 

2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

For God has not given us a spirit of fear…but of power, love, and self-discipline. 

Psalm 118:24 ESV

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

Philippians 4:13 

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. 

Deuteronomy 6:5

Love the lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 

Phillipians 4:6

Do not worry about anything. Instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.

Teaching Method

Once you’ve picked a verse, repeat it consistently.  A good time for us is right before bedtime. I’ve placed a frame with the verse in it on my son’s bedside table. When we put him to bed, I recite it a few times. After a few days, he’s able to join in. Here’s the process once he starts. The blanks are where I pause and let him try to fill in the correct word(s).

Night 1 & 2: Be strong and _____. Do not be afraid or _________.  For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you ______.  Joshua 1:9

Night 3 & 4: Be strong ___ _____. Do not be afraid __ _________.  For the Lord your ____ will be with you wherever ___ ______.  Joshua 1:__

Night 5, etc.: Be ______ and _____. Do not be ______ or _________.  For the ____ your _____ will be with you where_____ you ______.  Joshua 1:____

Keep pausing and letting them try to fill in more and more words each night. If they seem to be struggling, fill in the word and move on.  You don’t want this to be too challenging that they get frustrated. It’s less about memorizing and more about getting them to know God’s Word over time.

I hope this post helps you practice scripture with your little ones. They’re minds are like sponges so take the opportunity to fill it up with meaningful, life-breathing reminders.