1. Scripture is breathed out by God

These are the VERY WORDS of GOD, the Creator of the universe, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. He has revealed Himself to us through these words! God speaks to us through Scripture, and there is NOTHING on earth that can compare with that! What could possibly be worth remembering more than the words of an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent God?

2. Scripture is valuable

Psalm 119:72 says “The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.”

Psalm 19:9-10 “The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb."

God’s word is a priceless, precious treasure that we should cherish in our hearts! It tells of everlasting hope found in the person of Jesus Christ, by whom redemption and renewal are made possible for us sinners who are incapable of our own salvation. Scripture gives us the hope of an eternal, glorious future spent in the radiant, brilliant, presence of the Almighty God. You could acquire all the riches of this world and it would not compare with the message and content of Scripture. Because of the surpassing value of Scripture, we need to keep it as close to us as possible. Memorizing God’s Word allows us to write it on our hearts and in our minds.

3. Scripture gives encouragement

Romans 15:4 “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

The Bible gives us hope and encouragement when we are depressed and downcast, filled with anxiety and stress, and overwhelmed by the cares of this life. David says in Psalm 119:28

“My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.”

In those tough moments when we are overcome with despair and feel we cannot go on, we can draw strength, comfort and help from the word of God. When we have it memorized it is easily accessible for us to do so no matter where we are at or when we might need it. By quoting scripture we are reminded of the faithfulness and power of Jesus Christ. We can be reminded of the many promises of God that tell of His unmoving, unchanging character and His never-ending love for us. It is hard to be discouraged when you realize that the Most High God has you safely in the palm of His hand.

4. Memorization helps with meditation

David says in Psalm 19 “May the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight.”

We are always thinking, pondering, and dwelling on something. It is important to evaluate our inner thought life and ask “Are these thoughts praise-worthy, honorable, and glorifying to God?" If we want God to be pleased by what we are thinking about, we should be meditating on the words He has given to us that are full of grace and truth.

Having Scripture memorized is a wonderful way to meditate on it because you can simply quote it throughout your day. It's not practical to carry around an open Bible with you wherever you go. When Scripture is committed to your mind, you are able to continue repeating, thinking and meditating upon it.

Jesus also tells us in Matthew 15:18
“What comes out the mouth proceeds from the heart.”

If we are constantly feeding and dwelling on the Words of God, the natural outflow of our words and actions will better reflect the person of Jesus Christ. When we encounter a situation where the impulse to say a nasty word comes upon us, the Holy Spirit can bring to mind verses that remind us to speak with kindness and gentleness.

5. Memorization helps us fight the devil and temptation

We are constantly being bombarded with lies and darts from the enemy! He is prowling around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, (1 Peter 5:8). In Luke 4 Jesus resists and fights off Satan by quoting scripture He had memorized! If Jesus used scripture as a battle tactic against Satan, we also should follow His example and do the same. Every day we fight against our sinful flesh, the crafty devil and the world attempting to lead us away from Christ.

We often underestimate the spiritual battle going on around us. We are highly susceptible and vulnerable to attacks at every turn we take. Imagine standing in the middle of a war zone, between enemies, completely bare of any form of defense. How long do you think you would last? There is a raging spiritual war always taking place around us, and we need to remain attentive and alert!

Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:17 “Take up the sword of the Spirit which is THE WORD OF GOD!” Our best weapon is the Word of God, and it is crucial we have it memorized so that it is readily available to us at ANY moment!

6. Memorization equips us for every good work

2 Timothy 3 tells us that the word of God “equips us for every good work.”

When we are out witnessing and sharing the gospel with an unbeliever, it is extremely effective to have a scripture ready to give and quote for them. When we are with a friend who may be hurting and discouraged, nothing is more uplifting and comforting than the words of God to share with them. When encountering a situation where we know we should assist and serve, but do not exactly feel like it, the Holy Spirit can use the Words of God to convict and prompt us to “do the good work.” Having scripture already memorized for these specific times can be very instrumental to helping us live as obedient servants of Christ.

7. Draws us closer to God

John 8:31-32 “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'”

Through memorization, we are infinitely drawn closer to Jesus Christ. The Bible is about God and who He is. When we pour over these words we are learning about HIM. Memorization increases our knowledge of who God is. The more we learn about God’s character, the more we understand Him. The more we understand Him, the more we love Him. The more we love Him, the more excited we are to lay down our lives for Him.

Memorization improves our worship, our intimacy with Christ, as well as our ability to serve Him since it causes us to better abide in Him as He has commanded us to do.

U ltimately the core reason why you should memorize is that spending time in God’s Word is extremely important, and memorizing allows you to study in a way that is completely unique and irreplaceable. Taking the time to slow down and digest one word at a time, verse by verse through one solid chapter, allows you to be fully immersed in the Word. It connects you personally to the passage and helps you to stay dwelling on it throughout your entire day, providing an abundance of benefits in your spiritual walk.

These 7 reasons listed are only a few of the many many reasons why you should memorize scripture.

"The best memory is the one which remembers what is best worth remembering. The memory is an amazing gift from God. And this gift is used most powerfully when it is used to recall Scripture by heart."
-Charles Spurgeon

"Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That’s where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization."
-John Piper