scripture memorization program
Scripture Memorization for the Christian Home

In addition to memorizing Bible verses for Sunday School (both children and adults) and for Bible class as part of your child's Christian schooling, having Scripture memorization in the home is an excellent way for each family member to hide God's Holy Word in their heart. Our family found it to be a very worthwhile activity as our children were growing up, and the Lord blessed us richly. The non-school summer months (June-August) worked best for us and permitted us to concentrate on and stick with the plan. What follows is a description of our "summer Scripture memorization program" and is put forth with the desire that families will memorize the Holy Scriptures together.

1. Start with a reasonable number of verses the first year (e.g. 40 verses for 12 years old and up).
2. Begin with single verses and gradually work up to entire Psalms (e.g. Ps. 1, 23, and 100, etc.) and multiple verses (e.g. Ephesians 2:8-10; I Thessalonians 4:13-18, etc.)
3. Don't exclude the younger children from this important activity. Even 3 to 4 year olds can learn 10 verses the first year if you select the right verses (see suggested list). Don't underestimate your children. By the time the child is 5 years old, he can learn Psalm 23!
4. Be flexible according to individual members of your family, but do not be afraid to provide a challenge. Set goals. Let there be some competition too. Pray for one another. Praise the Lord as each reaps success from diligent study and memorization.
5. As the youngest child is able to recite the verses without hesitation, gradually get him to recite verses for Grandpa and Grandma. It will take patience and be a challenge at first, but you will reap if you faint not.
6. Have some kind of a chart to monitor each family member's progress, hang it up on the wall or refrigerator, and even put stars on it to signify a specific number of verses memorized (e.g. 5,10,15, etc.) as you progress through the summer. Try to make it so everyone gets a star at the same time and take the time to make it a "big deal." It should be; even we older folks can get excited about memorizing our first 10 Bible verses and being able to recite them without error (word perfect) one after the other. I'll never forget the feeling of love and praise as my wife, oldest daughter and I did just over 100 verses each, word perfect, at one sitting. It took about an hour and we were exhausted, but praising and thanking our blessed Lord!
7. Use only the King James Version for Bible memorization. It is God's preserved Word in English and is based upon the Received Text (Textus Receptus) and untainted by the marks of modern textual criticism. The KJV is a joy to memorize!
8. You may want to plan a special outing at the end of the summer in recognition of your family's hard work. Perhaps a trip for an ice cream cone. It does not need to be something expensive, just a special treat.
9. Keep your program fresh. While maintaining the basic format, have something just a little different each year. One year we each chose a Scripture portion which we did not tell the others about until we were almost ready to recite. Our 11 year old daughter chose John Chapter Three and recited all 36 verses word perfect. Yes, there were tears in Mom and Dad's eyes and praise on our lips for the goodness of our God and Saviour.
10. Review the verses from previous years, adding new verses each year. This will help you hide God's Word in your heart.
11. Include verses on salvation, creation, etc. Here is the core list of verses we memorized as a family.
12. Also memorize the names of the books of the Bible, which will help when looking up verses. To help you memorize the books of the Bible, use the music and listen to the soundtrack of The Books of the Bible by Alfred P. Gibbs.
13. Print the Scripture Memorization Certificate 2024, or Scripture Memorization Certificate 2023, fill it out and give one to each family member in recognition of their memorizing God's Word.