scripture memory Archives

Listening: Prayer

Only two? I was shocked. How could there be only two?

In the 100 Bible Verse memory plan, last week was Listening: Word of God. Five verses chock-full of benefits of God’s Word. Today’s installment is Listening: Prayer. But the plan only included two passages about prayer.

I don’t want to be critical of the author who put the plan together (I think it’s wonderful!) and obviously, in order to limit to 100 verses, there has to be some prioritized over others.

But it might be indicative of our Christian culture today. Prayer? Talking to God? I sometimes find that I talk about God more often than I talk to Him. Prayer meetings are often poorly attended in comparison to other meetings of the church, yet prayer (both individual and corporate) is a privilege and a necessity. I know I’m just beginning to understand the value of prayer!

Here are the first two passages, and then I’ll add another.

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

I love this nearness. I often envision myself tip-toeing around the corner, staring into a large, majestic hall. At the far end there is a magnificent throne. And yet, like a little kid, I sprint down the hall, making a bee-line for the throne, and for the One sitting on it. I have no fear that He won’t want to see me, or that He’ll be too busy for me, or that I don’t deserve to be there. I just crawl up on His lap and tell Him all the worries and troubles and ask Him to help. And He will! Because of Christ, I have this access. I have His righteousness, and I belong in my Father’s arms. And He is so willing to listen and to help me. This is one of my favorite truths.

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
and if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
1 John 5:14-15

Just like the last verse, this one talks of CONFIDENCE. We know! We know! I love how these verses talk about aligning our hearts and desires to His. His will is best for us, and He is delighted when we desire that and ask Him for it.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,
But the prayer of the upright is His delight.
Proverbs 15:8

This is the bonus verse that I tacked on. My heart often needs this verse. Many times I can approach God doing something He’d “like”… but I do it with a half-hearted or selfish heart. I’m not actually seeking Him, I’m just going through the motions. But my Lord knows my heart, and He truly delights in hearing my prayer. This is a reminder for me that He knows my thoughts and intentions… I can’t fool Him! And He is ecstatic when I sincerely come to Him.

Okay… I would love to know YOUR favorite verses about prayer! Please share in the comments or e-mail me info@laurakeywords.com

Listening: Word of God

I love this concept: God tells us the benefit of His Word in His Word!

This Listening section is split into two parts… God’s Word and prayer. What a gift He gives us in those two things!

This is the third installment in a series of memorizing 100 Bible Verses… Check out how it all started here.

Here we go, 6 verses God uses to tell us the benefits of His precious Word!

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16

I love how “inspired by God” is literally translated “God-breathed”. When you know who God is, and His character, you know that He is all good. So everything that comes from Him is good. It is well-worth your time to study and know the Scriptures. Granted, it’s not always easy… but it’s the best for you.

This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have success.
Joshua 1:8

The word for “meditate” in Hebrew is to murmur or mutter. When I memorize, I have to at least form the words with my lips if I don’t actually say them out loud (like, if my husband is trying to go to sleep!). I’m finding that the more I am consciously repeating and mulling over God’s Word, the more meaningful it becomes to me. His Word shows up in my thoughts, in my prayers, and even in my conversations with people.

Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
Psalm 119:11

This is the best preventative measure. When I “treasure” or “hide” His Word in my heart, it doesn’t leave room for other stuff. The more I’m dwelling on God’s Word, the less time I have for other words that are harmful to me.

These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7

This is so all-encompassing. I love it. Pretty much wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, there’s opportunity to talk of God’s Word. I don’t have children to teach, but opportunities abound to talk with other people about God’s Word… especially if they’re first on my heart.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

This verse packs a punch. You could say that God’s Word as a whole packs a punch. God zeroes in on our hearts and uses His Word to convict us. It goes beyond the human reasoning and shows what God thinks. God’s Word is not archaic or old-fashioned but relevant for eternity.

I hope these verses have given you lots to chew on about why God’s Word is WORTH studying, learning, repeating… It’s how we get to know HIM.

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Roman Road

This is not a Roman Road.

Unless…. all roads lead to Rome! (ha-ha… cue the groans)!

The Roman Road is the next section to memorize in #100BibleVerses.

If you missed the last posts, catch up on the last one, or read about the start of my journey to actively memorize God’s word.

Romans is a fascinating book to study. If you want an interesting overview, check out these videos by the Bible Project (part 1 and part 2).

The “Roman Road” is a selection of verses in Romans that highlights the gospel. Various “stops” along the road give insight into what it means to be saved.

Let’s map it out:

Stop #1

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23

All. The universal need. No one has lived a perfect life (except one… more on that later!) and we can’t measure up to God’s glory.

Stop #2

for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

Bad news: for the wages of sin is death. Death is the natural consequence of sin. BUT (I love that word) in the same breath is the Good News: the FREE gift of God is eternal life. That’s completely the opposite of death! In Christ Jesus our Lord signals the way we receive the gift: through Christ.

Stop #3

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

This next verse touches on how we are able to receive that gift of eternal life. It’s free to us… but it wasn’t free to Him! Christ laid down His life. He died for us, and not after we cleaned ourselves up or even loved Him first… He died for us while we were yet sinners. It’s doubly sweet to know that this great sacrifice was made because God loves us.

Stop #4

that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses resulting in salvation.
Romans 10:9-10

It’s not enough to know the facts. It’s what you do with them. Believing that Jesus died and rose again for you… that’s you getting His righteousness. What a glorious exchange.

Stop #5

for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”
Romans 10:13

The reason it’s all caps is not because Paul is shouting here (it’s actually a quote from the book of Joel). Regardless, I think this phrase could be shouted from the rooftops! It’s one of the most comforting verses in the Bible, and a fitting one to end the “Roman Road.” God will take whoever calls on Him. He promises to save. It’s an invitation, open to anyone.

What about you?

Now that we’ve mapped out the Roman Road… where are you on it?

Do you know that you’re a sinner (3:23)?
Do you know what sin’s consequence is, and what glorious alternative you are offered (6:23)?
Do you know how (and why) that gift of eternal life was obtained for you (5:8)?
Do you know what to do with the facts (10:9-10)?
Have you called on the name of the Lord (10:13)?

If you have questions or would like more explanation, please reach out!

This is the most important “road” you’ll ever travel. And while all roads might lead to Rome, not all roads lead to God. Make sure you’re on the right one.

Bonus: I made a video quoting the Roman Road… warning: there is some singing, since that’s how I first memorized them! 🙂

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Beginnings

Welcome to my journey of making Scripture memory an active part of my life. If you’d like the backstory of how I got inspired, read this. To see how I made my DIY spaced repetition Leitner Box, click here.

But where should I start?

In the past, sometimes what held me back is not knowing where to begin. How do I choose one passage of the Bible over another to start memorizing?

When I was searching for advice from people who are actively memorizing Scripture, the book 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart by Robert J. Morgan came up multiple times. I guessed that I probably knew some of the verses already, thanks to my years of memorizing at summer camp, VBS, etc.

When I checked out the book, I was excited to start. As I suspected, some on the list are very familiar, so that would give me a soft start. I wouldn’t have to memorize a ton of “new” verses right away. Yet the 100 verse list contains many passages that I recognize, but definitely can’t quote.

So, to take a cue from Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, “Let’s start at the very beginning.”

That’s where the list starts, too:

Genesis 1:1
John 1:1
John 1:14
John 3:16

All of these verses I already knew, except I was a bit fuzzy on John 1:14. I’m going to show you the text of each verse and one reason why I’m glad to memorize it.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1

I love that this very first verse of the Bible sets the tone for the book, and my life. The fact that God created the world means that it’s His. He made it, He owns it. That might seem troubling (not to mention preposterous) to some people, but to me, that is comforting. God is in control, and He knows what to do best with His creation. (That includes ME!) It’s not riding on my shoulders, but His.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1

This verse obviously parallels Genesis 1:1: in the beginning. But this verse in itself is so rich. It introduces the Word, the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God. Theologians can study for years and not tap into all of what this means. But to me, I’m glad to mull over the thought that there has never been a time where He has not existed.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, the glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14

This is the one I’m fuzzy on. Probably because the versions trip me up: “saw” vs. “beheld” … “Son” vs. “begotten”. But when I roll this verse around slowly in my head, I am filled with awe. The Word who existed forever chose to enter time, to put on skin and bones, and to dwell among humanity. It’s amazing to me that He would choose to show His glory, to be sent from the Father, to come to such a broken world. And that last line: full of grace and truth. He didn’t pull any punches, He knew exactly what sin is. But He knew how to deal with sin and sinners. He came full of grace and truth.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

This one is a heavy hitter. Jesus explains here that not only did the God of the Universe come down to dwell with humanity… He came to die. He would give Himself up, so that through His death, life can come to anyone who believes. This is the Father’s love. This is the Son’s obedience. This is life for those who are dead. This is what He did for me.

I’m not sure who the original quote is attributed to, but I’ve heard it spoken recently and it has stuck with me:

“You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.”

The love of God is so immense. He showed it so clearly when He gave His only Son for me.

Here’s my earnest question to anyone who has read thus far:

Do you know this God?

Do you know His love for you?

Have you believed that you deserve to die for sin, but He died for you?

I would be ecstatic if you have questions and would reach out to ask me about this. It’s truly the most important decision you will ever make.

So this is the first installment of my memory verses. Check out this video to see how they fit into the review system. (It’s my first video, so I ask for much grace!)

Thanks for following along! Would love feedback in the comments or on social media @laurakeywords on Facebook or Instagram.

Making a Plan

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” – Benjamin Franklin

Here we go. I’m making a plan to actively memorize Scripture.

Check out this post for how I noticed I was getting flabby (in body and mind) and why I really want to make Scripture Memory a regular part of my life. (The benefits are truly astounding!)

In One Ear, Out the Other

Now, I’m not a stranger to memorizing God’s Word. When I was a kid, I was extremely motivated to earn team points at Story Book Lodge by memorizing all the verses on my verse card, and the extra passages.

While I can quote some of the verses because I memorized them “again” at church or VBS, the vast majority of the verses didn’t stick.

My problem was that I never came back to review the verses I learned. I had dumped them in my short-term memory and never dug them out again.

In recent years, the same thing happened. Whenever I would “finish” memorizing a passage, that was it. I wouldn’t frequently review it, and when I did, it just was too hard to recall.

As I mentioned in my previous post, when I started linking exercising and reviewing verses, I found that I retained them much longer (especially in the summer when exercise is easier).

Systematic Review

So now with renewed vigor to invest in memorizing, I know my approach needs to address this problem of retention. I need a review system that enables me to come back to verses over and over.

Last week, knowing of my renewed interest, my husband passed along an interactive comic: How to Remember Anything Forever-ish. In an entertaining way, the comic explains how to use spaced repetition to improve memory retention. Think of it like in college: studying a little bit each day is better than cramming the night before an exam. To achieve spaced repetition, the comic talks about a tool called the Leitner box.

Why had I never heard of this before?

…Better Leitner than never.

While several apps exist that help you memorize with spaced repetition, I love the idea of making a physical, analog system (My husband says I like to make things hard for myself… I say I like to feel the paper and pen in my hand.)

Using the Leitner box, each verse progresses through 7 review levels. Each time you accurately recall the verse, it moves up another level. If you can’t remember the verse, it goes back to Level 1. Not every level is reviewed each day, however. That’s what makes it spaced repetition.

You can find a video tutorial here, but I’ll walk you through how I made my own Leitner box:

DIY Leitner Box

First, I rummaged through my closet and found a nice-sized shoebox. (My old CDs had to find a new home… and in all honesty it probably should be the garbage can.)

I got out masking tape, scissors, and 3×5 cards. While I could’ve made a tab from anything, I had these fancy post-its that I wanted to use to make the dividers… they were bigger than the 3×5 cards, so I cut and taped appropriately.

Then I numbered the dividers and taped them into the shoebox:

Next I needed a schedule to remember which levels I’m supposed to review each day. This tutorial used dots, but I decided I wanted something more practical. I created a schedule on a Google Sheet instead.

Finally, I’m not much for decorating, but a dear friend had just given me some beautiful verse cards that she had created, so I decided to incorporate them on the inside and outside of the lid.

Now that I have a system to review, the next step is figuring out which verses I should memorize. I’ve got some ideas already, and you may see a hint in this picture of my finished Leitner Box:

Thanks for following along my journey! If you actively memorize or would like to start, I’d love to hear from you! Comment below or contact me through social media: @laurakeywords on Facebook or Instagram.

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Getting Flabby

Last week I was doing some cardio.

While I thoroughly enjoy the feeling I get after I exercise, I don’t always enjoy the process.

Usually I try to get my mind off of exercising by reviewing memory verses.

So, I started on my usual set of verses… the ones my husband and I memorized while we were dating. During the summer of 2019, we chose a list of verses that highlight the attributes of God. They became cherished verses that I often use now when I pray to remember God’s awesome qualities.

But while I was exercising last week, I realized that both my body and my brain had gotten flabby. It had been so long since I exercised (and memorized) that I was really out of breath… and I couldn’t remember all of the verses.

Then I became further convicted. My husband and I learned those verses almost 2 years ago. I hadn’t actively memorized anything else since then.

Now, I think I know a good thing when I see it. God’s Word? Yeah. That’s good. That’s worthwhile.

Psalm 19 has a beautiful description. God’s Word is:

perfect, restoring the soul;

sure, making wise the simple.

right, rejoicing the heart;

pure, enlightening the eyes.

clean, enduring forever;

True.

This is good stuff.

It’s more desirable than much fine gold;

Sweeter than honey.

God’s Word warns us,

and in keeping it there is great reward.

So why am I not eating it up?

Why am I not enriching my mind with good things?

Why am I filling my mind with garbage, or letting it waste away?

While the benefits of exercise are huge,

The benefits of absorbing God’s Word are astronomical.

I know that exercise will help my body in this life…

But seeking after God will help my body, soul, and spirit in this life AND the one to come.

Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;
for bodily discipline is only of little profit,
but godliness is profitable for all things,
since it holds promise for the present life
and also for the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:7-8

Time to get active.

Just like exercise takes discipline, planning, and effort… so does memorizing and meditating on God’s Word.

This week I’ve started a Couch to 5K running plan (because the snow is gone in Iowa… for now!)

Just like I have to be purposeful in setting a physical goal,

I want to be purposeful in figuring out when, where, and how I’m going to memorize God’s Word.

If you feel like you’re getting flabby, feel free to join me.

I’m going to be posting about my journey here on the blog, and on my social media.

Comment on the blog, or reach out to me @laurakeywords on FaceBook or Instagram.

If you don’t plan for it, you won’t do it.

So here we go.