“For God so loved the world that He gave…”
Go ahead…finish this off.
Some of you were just able to quickly rattle off the rest of John 3:16 without even having to think about it. Why? Most likely because you memorized it as a young child. Our brains are amazing, aren’t they? Something we put in there years ago we can retrieve quite easily. And yet…what did we have for dinner two nights ago?
Memorization for children comes so easily. It’s what they are doing all day long as they are taking in new information. God so perfectly made us that even as their little synapses are firing off, they are storing information they will use every day for the rest of their lives. Why not use this precious time to fill their minds with God’s Word at the age when they’re already doing this so well? If this is not a habit that you were ever taught I would love to encourage you to try it. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your kids are quoting God’s Word. Sometimes even when you don’t really want to hear it! Like #1 below.
Here are some tips that we used with our children.
Teach your children the reference (where it is found in the Bible) at the beginning and the end of the verse.
Teach them the reference and the first word or two together. i.e. John 3:16, “For God…” Stop right there and just say those first two words the first few times you are teaching it.
Post the verse on the kitchen wall so while they’re eating meals they are looking at it.
Keep index cards in your car with the verses on them so while you’re waiting at pick up or drop off you can practice.
Make up games. For example, say the first few words and let your children fill in the rest. Better yet, let them make up a game and have you fill in the missing words!
As my husband always reminds me, “Review, review, review.” Get this into their long term memory by continually reviewing the verses you’ve already learned.
So where do you start?
Here are 10 of my favorite memory verses that you can teach your children or grandchildren:
1. I Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 2. Provers 20:11 “Even a child is known by his actions by whether his conduct is pure and right.” 3. Acts 6:31a “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” 4. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” 5. Isaiah 43:1b “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” 6. Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 7. Ephesians 6:1 “Children, honor your father and mother in the Lord for this is right.” 8. Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” 9. Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” 10. Philippians 4:8 “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”
There are so many reasons that the Bible encourages us to “hide God’s Word in our hearts.” But one we might not have thought of is that when they go through life’s struggles, anxiety, fear, health issues, and crises of many kinds they will be able to quote God’s Word to themselves and be reminded of who He is and that “He will never leave them or forsake them.” We wanted our kids to leave our home with a heart and mind filled with His Words!
Oh, and if you’ve never memorized John 3:16, here is the rest of that verse:
“His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”