Seeds for 08/02/2024 - Scripture Memorization - Joshua 1:15-16
In this series on prayer and scripture, we are following the acronym P.R.A.Y. as a guide for prayer. We are considering scriptures throughout the Bible on each theme. My prayer is that studying scriptures on these themes will give us biblical words to use as our own and simple insights for our praying.
Scripture:
7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Observation:
On day five this week, let’s consider another resource in prayer: scripture memorization. Memorizing scripture is a great resource in the Christian life generally, but it has particular applications in prayer.
In the text above, the Lord is speaking to Joshua, who has assumed the mantle of leadership from Moses and is on the cusp of taking the people into the promised land. God’s command is to “be strong and very courageous.” God’s instruction that supports the command is to faithfully obey the law. The way to do that is to keep it “always on your lips; meditate on it day and night.”
As I said, memorizing scripture is an excellent resource for prayer too.
First, when we do not know what to pray, if we know some scripture, we can prayerfully recite it. Praise, repentance, asking, yielding, and more can all be done by quoting scriptures and making them prayers of our hearts. There is nothing wrong—and a lot right—about borrowing the specific words of scripture and using them for our own prayers.
Second, when we know a scripture by heart, we are better equipped to meditate on it. We have it in our mind and can rehearse it again and again. I am not especially good at setting aside time to sit and go over a scripture verse or passage meditatively. However, I do practice bringing my thoughts back to scriptures again and again throughout the day. In doing so, they turn over and over in my mind. Exposure does not make enlightenment automatic, but it does create a good environment for it.
Third, an important function of prayer as an ongoing conversation with God is as a way of, as Paul said, taking “captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” When we have memorized scriptures—whether they are prayers, promises, invitations, affirmations, or commands, they can become a touchstone to draw our mind and heart back to God throughout our day.
Fourth, speaking of affirmations, scripture provides excellent resources to root ourselves in Christ and keep ourselves anchored in Him. Good examples include Psalm 23, John 3:16-17, and Philippians 4:13. There are many more. A great practice when reading scripture is to tag verses to memorize that speak to us so that we may add them to our repertoire. Coming back to these, and adding new ones, can help us stay close to the Lord and remember his words to us.
Application:
What scriptures are your favorites to draw your mind to God?
What affirmations or promises in scripture do you find or have you found most significant for your life?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, point me to the scriptures you want to write on my heart today. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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