I’ve always been a competitive person, even as a child. I always wanted to win. I always wanted to be the best. And this manifested itself in many areas of my life—in my schoolwork, in playing games with family and friends, and in memorizing Scripture.

I grew up going to church every Sunday, and our children’s ministry did weekly Scripture memory challenges. There was a different verse each week, and if you recited the verse to your Sunday School teacher, you could pick a small candy or prize from a treasure box. Then, if you recited a certain number of verses throughout the year, you could win a special trophy to commemorate the achievement. Like I said, I was a competitive child who was very reward-motivated, so I did my best to memorize as many Bible verses as I possibly could so I could get a lot of treasure box prizes and eventually earn a nice, big trophy at the end of the year (and I succeeded at this for multiple years).

While I am thankful to have gone to a church that prioritized children learning and memorizing Scripture (there are some verses I memorized as a child that I can still remember today!), I’m afraid this method of rewarding the quantity of verses recited gave me and likely many other children the wrong impression of the purpose of Scripture memorization. As Glenna Marshall writes in her new book, memorizing Scripture is about more than information or recitation—

“Scripture memory is not a race. It’s a journey. It’s not about recitation—it’s about saturation.”^[1]

In Memorizing Scripture, Glenna clarifies why Scripture memorization is so important for the Christian life. We don’t do it to win prizes or trophies. We don’t do it to gain a ton of biblical knowledge or feel superior to other believers. We memorize Scripture to renew our minds and keep ourselves focused on God. We memorize Scripture so that we may hate our sin and avoid giving into temptation. We memorize Scripture so that we can remain steadfast during suffering and be prepared for future trials. Ultimately, we memorize Scripture so that we will know God more and subsequently love Him more.

“Our goal in Scripture memorization is to know our Lord more and more, which will result in a greater and deeper love for Him.”^[2]

But Glenna doesn’t just focus on the “why.” She also covers the “how.” Memorizing Scripture is full of helpful resources, tips, and suggested verses to memorize. Pulling on psychology and her own personal experiences, Glenna highlights different methods you can use to memorize Scripture based on your preferred learning style. She also shares other recommendations that can be helpful, regardless of your learning style, like memorizing with a friend, using repetition, and prioritizing Scripture memory during your mental downtimes (whether you’re washing the dishes, sitting in carline, or even standing in the shower!). And when we put all this into practice in our lives, not only will we be filled with wisdom and hope, but we will also be equipped to encourage other believers in their walks with Christ.

“We don’t memorize Scripture to keep it to ourselves…As you flood your mind and heart with biblical truth, the overflow will saturate your conversations, prayers, and desires. What a beautiful thing to be a mouthpiece for the good words of the Lord!”^[3]

You may think that Scripture memorization is not for you. You may not see how it would be important or useful in your life. Or you may not believe you have the mental capacity to remember so much information. If this is you, I would recommend picking up a copy of Memorizing Scripture by Glenna Marshall. It’s a short and easy read that clearly explains how Scripture memorization is for everyone—even you.

“It doesn’t matter how old you are, how long you’ve been a Christian, how poor your memory, or how educated you might be. Scripture memorization is for every believer.”^[4]

A big thank you to Moody Publishers for sending me a complimentary copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

**As an Amazon Associate, I can earn commissions from qualifying purchases made through the affiliate links on this page at no extra cost to you.

^[1] Glenna Marshall, Memorizing Scripture: The Basics, Blessings, and Benefits of Meditating on God’s Word (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2023), 12.

^[2] Ibid., 59.

^[3] Ibid., 130.

^[4] Ibid., 28.