DEEP IN GOD’S WORD

“Rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in thanksgiving” – Colossians 2:7

The depth of your relationship with God is substantially determined by how DEEP in GOD’s WORD you go. Some people dance around the Scriptures, not really wanting to delve in fully; while others skim the surface for facts and information. Some get in knee-deep, but few dive in and go deep to apply and live out the Word! The blessed person who delights and meditates in the Word of God day and night, is “like a tree planted by the rivers of water” (Psa.1:2-3). God desires that you plant yourself in His Word, and be deeply “rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith” (Col.2:7a). Keeping Scripture not only in your hands, but in your heart creates the opportunity to rest in God’s intimate presence.

Filling your mind and heart with His Word, mentally and spiritually builds a barrier between you and the enemy. Each verse is like a brick. The more verses you commit to memory, the higher and stronger the wall against the enemy becomes. Jesus used the Weapon of the Word to stand firm against Satan’s temptation. He didn’t pull out a pocket Torah and leaf through it to find the verses required. He had them hidden away in His heart, ready to use (Mt.4). During dark times, the Holy Spirit calls out the “hidden” verses to bring you wisdom, strength, and hope. Many people have found solace in quoting Scripture through the darkest of valleys, and overcome anxiety and depression.

In order to improve in the skill of memorising Scripture, first, you must remove the misconceptions or myths about memorising: (a) I cannot memorise; (b) I’m too old to memorise; and (c) I don’t have enough time. If you can remember your mobile number, home or office address without looking it up, then you can memorise. The more familiar you become with a verse – the way you’re familiar with your contact details – the deeper it’s etched into your mind. On the second myth: God doesn’t retire people at “old age”! If He could begin to use Moses in a phenomenal way when he was 80, then He can do untold things through you, regardless of your age. Moreover, memorising Scripture helps improve working memory. On the question of time, there are ways to incorporate memorisation into your busy schedule.

Here are some tips to Effective Scripture Memorisation:

Start with verses or passages you’re already familiar with. Choose key verse(s) to memorise rather than entire books or chapters.

Read through the passage several times to familiarise yourself with it and internalise it, before you start to deliberately memorise.

Write the verse on one side of an index card and the reference on the other. Carry the card around with you so you can work on memorising it during wait times.

Tape your verse to the bathroom mirror and work on it as you shave or fix your hair in the morning.

Set your computer or phone background images to verses. You’ll be surprised how quickly you have it memorised!

Record yourself reading the verses. Listen and follow along while you’re driving, working out, or cleaning. Talking out loud helps memory retention.

Write verses by hand multiple times. Handwriting helps engage your brain and cement information into it. You can also type it into a word document if that is your style.

Engage the text: think about the context of what you are reading. Share it with other people. Moving beyond rote memorisation will help solidify the text into your long-term memory.

Pray the text: turn the text you are trying to memorise into a prayer. As you pray scripture, it becomes personal and meaningful.

Review: revisit passages of scripture you’ve memorised to make sure they stick. Prophesy and personalise them into your life.

These tips can be really helpful, but the best tip is to ask the Holy Spirit to let the Word of God dwell deep inside of you. Ask that your effort in memorisation will create a deep love for Him in your heart that will guide you into all truth.