We’re off and running, Sweet Things! And 11,000 strong!!! Oh, how I pray that God will grant us the divine favor and indwelling power to keep it up month after month and finish 2013 in the multiple thousands. What joy He and we would have! For now, we take it step by step, one verse at a time. Don’t get caught up wondering how in the world you’re going to memorize 24 verses when you’re having a hard time memorizing the first one. That will sink your Scripture memory boat for sure.
I make you this promise based on my experience and the experience of many others: the more you memorize, the more you’ll get the hang of it. I was going to say that the more you memorize, the easier it gets but it’s not easy and that’s part of what makes it such a victory to celebrate with Jesus. I do believe I can tell you with confidence, however, that your tenth verse will very likely be easier to memorize than your first one. By that time, you’ve quit letting your nay-whining old nature tell you that you can’t do it and you shouldn’t have even tried. A big part of the battle in the first month is simply telling that self-destructive echo in our heads to shut its mouth. It’s replacing “I knew I couldn’t do it” with “Oh, yes I can. I can do all things through Christ.”
Persevere! Let’s not be quitters! God would rather us make it to the end of the year still stumbling over some words than throwing our hands up and quitting at the first imperfect recitation. Even if we don’t get our verses down perfectly, the pursuit itself is the very art of meditation. Nothing about it is a waste of time. Just think of how it helps to break the mental loop of rehearsed offenses. We’re going to be fixated on something. That’s how our minds often work. But we get to choose what.
So, right now say verse 1 out loud the very best you can.
Tremendous job. Now, let’s add our second one to it.
I totally love my verse this time around! It came up in my Scripture reading during my quiet time early Sunday morning. Here it goes:
Beth, Houston. All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.” Isaiah 54:13 ESV
Isn’t that fabulous? I’m choosing this verse specifically so that I can turn it into intercessory prayer. Mind you, I’m not “claiming” it like I’d be apt to do with a promise more clearly obvious under the New Covenant. I’m reluctant to claim the fulfillment of a promise made straight to Israel for myself or people in my world unless I know that we have a coinciding New Covenant promise. I’d have to see consistency to pray it as one fervently counting on it. Isaiah 54:13 carries obvious elements that are very consistent with the promises of Christ to us. He promised that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and He blatantly gave us His peace but where I’m asking God to do an Isaiah 54:13 work in my family is the emphasis on ALL my children. I want every single one of them to be students of Christ Jesus, to love His Word and His ways with a passion beyond the natural realm, and for His peace to be great upon them and contagious. If you’ll look in the Scripture’s context in Isaiah 54, especially in verses 11-17, you’ll see that V.13 is within the promises God made specifically to Israel and scheduled for fulfillment in a time yet to come. So, no, I’m not claiming it, so to speak, BUT, I am indeed asking for it. That’s fair game.
God is not obligated to say yes to promises like those in Isaiah 54 this side of His Kingdom’s full revelation but, as I persevere in prayer and faith, He will indeed hear me and I believe be pleased that I had the boldness to pray it. He is not blessed by our small, vision-bare petitions anyway. I’ve thought for a long time that God would rather hear His children voice outrageously large prayers of faith even if He has to say no on occasion than hear our pale, timid, tepid requests for things He’s already given us anyway. For instance, if we belong to Him in Christ, He is indeed going to “bless us” and “keep us.” So, I’m adding Isaiah 54:13 to my spiral and planning to reword it often into a request. I’m going to take the risk that He may indeed perform generational miracles with a family tree sprouted from the soil of disease and brokenness. Make us oaks of righteousness, Lord, for the display of Your splendor. (Isaiah 61:3)
This I know for sure: we often have not because we ask not. (James 4:2)
I love something else about Isaiah 54:13. I love that the word translated peace in English is the word “shalom” in Hebrew. The Hebrew word blows the doors off of our usual concept of peace. When I ask God for great peace to be upon my children, I have no interest in a trance-like state of passionless nirvana. I want God’s brand of peace: lively, vivacious. Here’s what the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament has to say about it:
“The general meaning behind the root š-l-m is of completion and fulfillment—of entering into a state of wholeness and unity, a restored relationship.”
It means to be intact, healthy, sound. It means wellness of soul. It conveys the idea of God prospering His child. He describes His peace like a river: moving and running. His peace is no pond. I read the verse first out of The NET Bible that sits open on my desk at home. Isaiah 54:13 is worded this way on its pages: “All your children will be followers of the LORD, and your children will enjoy great prosperity.” Right that moment I jotted the verse down in my journal and, under it, asked the Lord (with enough zeal to imprint it on the next page) to prosper my children and their children and their children and their children in the way that really matters: grant them lives that bear much fruit – I said MUCH FRUIT –Â for THIS is to our Father’s great glory. May they blatantly show themselves to be Christ’s disciples. (That’s John 15:8 and, if you haven’t memorized it yet, it is a must! Prioritize it early on in your year if God causes it to leap off the page with you.)Â With all my heart, I want God to use this lineage He is redeeming to prosper His Kingdom.
So I am really fired up about my verse for our next two weeks and hope to still be saying it and praying it for the next generations of this family line when I’m about to see Jesus. If you don’t already have a verse selected, you are welcome to share it and make it your own with Jesus. Choose any verse that He’s using to speak to you right now. Remember, that’s what will make it stick to your ribs. It needs to mean something to you!
Hit it, Girls! Remember! Only your names, cities, verses, references, and translations! You are stellar, Sisters. I love you so much.
Edited to add: Information on how to download your Android or iPhone application!
I know many of you have been asking if we are going to have an app this year for your smart phones, and we have both good news and bad news. The good news is YES, we ARE! We have created an app for both Android and iPhones. The bad news is, the Android app is ready for you, but if you would be so patient with us, we’ll have the iPhone app ready for you in about five or six days. Does that sound good?
So, excuse me while I get technical for just a minute!
For those of you that still have the old application on your phone (and this goes for both Android and iPhone users), you would most likely have received a notification about the availability of this new one, but if not, and you are currently using an android, simply click here to download the app. (This link is for Android users only.) Android users, if you’re having issues with this link (and it’s currently working fine on this end), you can search “Living Proof Ministries – Scripture Memory Team – 2013” in your phone under applications. (I have very little knowledge about Android phones, so forgive me if my wording is wrong.)
When the iPhone app is ready, I’ll update this post for those of you who would like to download it with all the instructions you’ll need. However, I do know upfront you’ll be able to find the app in the iTunes store via your phone or computer.
Once you have the application, it is very user friendly. You’ll be notified the 1st and 15th of every month with the new blog post that will land in your application (you will only be notified if you have turned on notifications for this specific app), you can share the post, and then you can also store your memory work in there. It will also act like your spiral. You may want to use both your spiral and the app to have on hand in case you lose one or the other!
I hope that helps! Doesn’t this make it so much more fun?
Tags: Scripture Memory 2013
Becky
Westerville, Ohio
“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases, who redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion; who satisfies my desires with good things so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Ps. 103: 2-5 NIV
Faith from Hartford, MI
“You search out my path and my lying down and are aquatinted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. ” ~Psalm 139:3-4 ESV
Serve Him faithfully with all your heart;
consider what great things He has done for you.
I Samuel 12: 24 NIV
Lynne, Manakin-Sabot, VA:
For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)
Staci
Corona
But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:21-23 [ESV]
Alyssa, Rio Rancho, NM And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18 NIV
Jane
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy and I will
give thanks to him in song.
Psalm 28:7 NIV
Rosalie
Cincinnati
“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:18 KJV
Melene, Chesapeake VA Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger
James 1:19
ESV 🙂
Stacey, Houston
But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands;
Psalm 31:14-15a NIV
Jessica – Whitby, Ontario, Canada
Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Kina – Chicago
Isaiah 58:11 (ESV)
And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Jennifer, Houston
“…the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.
You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.”
Colossians 1:5-8 (NIV)
Midland, TX
Galatians 5:13-15 (HCSB)
For you are called to freedom, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
Psalm 19:13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless innocent of great transgression. NIV
Shannon, Springdale AR
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5 (HCSB)
Mandi, San Angelo
Hebrews 10:23 ESV
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
dixie, santa monica, california
Deut. 1:30-31, NLT (seeking his guidance while in a very difficult, painful situation)
The LORD your God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt.
And you saw how the LORD your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.
Jackie, Wichita,Ks “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:6 NIV
Ginger – Mansfield, TX
Deuteronomy 7:9 (NKJ)
Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart. Proverbs 4:20,21 NLT
Shiffra Vicksburg MI
“Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.” Psalm 105:4 NIV84
Stephanie Giesbrecht from St. Catharines, ON
James 2:12-13
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. NASB
IF you remain in me and my words remain in you,ask whatever you wish,and it will be done for you.
John 15:7 NIV
Rebecca Findlay
Greenwood, IN
Lamentations 3
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” NIV
Tracy A from Saskatoon SK, Canada: “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” Psalm 27:13,14 ESV
My second verse:
Romans 8:28 (English Standard Version)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.
Julie from Bristol, Tennessee
Isaiah 61:1b NIV
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness from for the prisoners.
Sydney, Houston
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
Becky, Temecula, CA
Psalm 105:4 NASB
“Seek the Lord and His strenth; Seek His face continually.”
Terri from Orange,
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8 ESV
Carrie Todd Hunter, Truckee, CA “We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy.” Col 1:11 (NLT)
Eileen, Georgetown. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. NIV84
Stacey Gaines
Corpus Christi, TX
“Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD.”
(Hosea 10:12, NIV)
Lovc the verse you chose Stacey!
Mandi from Sand Springs, OK
If you do the right thing, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do the right thing, sin will be waiting at the door ready to strike! It will entice you, but you must rule over it. Genesis 4:7 CEB
Amy Storms
Santa Clarita, CA
Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. (Romans 4:20-21, NIV)
“I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”
-Mark 11:24 NLT
John 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” ESV
Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Marybeth in Oxford, PA: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.” Philippians 2:13 NLT
La Chiel from Portland, TN
I have been crucified with Christ; ad it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me. Galatians 2:20 NASB
Jana, San Angelo, TX
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 NIV
CINDYLU ELLISVILLE,MS
…”IF YOU CONTINUE IN MY WORD, THEN YOU ARE TRULY DISCIPLES OF MINE-AND YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE.”
JOHN 8:31b-32 NASB
AMEN, MY SISTERS!!!!
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.
Job 23:12 NIV
Beth, Tennessee
I John 2:15-16, ESV
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions – is not from the Father but is from the world.”
Jennifer
Jacksonville, FL
“If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Matthew 6:15 NIV
Amber in Goshen, Indiana
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
James 1:19-20, NLT
Charlotte, Houston, Texas “The plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.” Psalm 33:11 (ESV)
Darcy, Houston. You are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault. Colossians 1:22 NLT
Kristi, White Pigeon, Michigan – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 NIV
Dana, San Angelo, Texas
“God is magnificent; He can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness.” Psalm 145:3 (The Message)