Becoming Like Jesus: Scripture MemorizationSample

You Have a Guide

You may be thinking this whole Scripture memory thing, internalizing truth, is not for you. Well, whether you have photographic quality memory or struggle to recite your ABC’s some mornings, you can have confidence that this practice is worth the effort it takes. And the beautiful thing is, the same Spirit who was active in the writing of the Scriptures is active in us as we engage with them. Our efforts are aided by the Spirit of Truth Himself. God the Spirit guides us into all truth and teaches us the words of Jesus.

So let’s jump in.

Pray…

Heavenly Father, open my eyes to what you want me to see today. Jesus, teach me more about who I am because of what you’ve done. Holy Spirit, guide me into the truth. I trust you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Read…

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.[b] 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:3-8 NLT

Consider…

This is Paul’s intro, the opening lines of his letter to the Ephesians. Again, think gatorade bath or fire hose levels of truth he is sharing with his audience. Why does Paul start like this? Because he recognizes something about us as people—we behave in line with what we believe. Said another way: when we know who we are, we know what to do. Paul, before any kind of instruction, wants to lay the foundation of identity. Because our identity informs our activity.

Can you think of an example in your life where this rings true? Where you very clearly saw yourself act in a way that indicated what you believe about yourself?

Maybe it was having the confidence to try out for that sports team because you know you really are athletic. Or perhaps it was taking that honors class because you love science, or history, or just generally pick things up quickly.

What do you think it would look like to allow your identity in Christ to inform your activity in day-to-day life?

Practice…

Let’s continue internalizing the truth found in Ephesians 2:8-10. Pull out that notecard or flip back to that page in your journal. Copy the verse down in a different color and say it out loud as you write. This method will help you learn visually and auditorily when you hear yourself say it.

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT

Listen…

Set a timer for five minutes.

Create space in your mind and heart to hear from God. Lead into your listening by praying the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13 NLT

Ask God to speak to you.

When you get distracted, come back to Jesus by reading the verses you just wrote down. Pick one line to repeat in your mind and hold onto throughout your day.