I’ve been getting emails and comments for the past couple of weeks saying one thing: you want to testify to what God is doing in your life through Scripture memory. By all means, ladies, we want to hear how the Word of God is changing your life, and even your day as Beth says! We want to dedicate this post to that end.
Don’t forget that February is a short month, so our next Scripture Memory post will come early. March 1st is this Sunday. Please expect that about 12 hours might pass before you see your comment, not only because of the volume of comments we receive, but also because it falls on a weekend. Thanks so much, ladies! We love serving you!
My latest is memorizing Psalm 62:5-8. It is amazing how many times I call upon (wield it) the last couple of weeks. I even had the opportunity to share it with a sister who asked me to intercede for her to have strength.
It is such a blessing to me to be able to do this in my faith journey!
Namaste,
Mary Ann
woodbury, MN
I have struggled with some of my verses, but was able to retain 2 Timothy 1:7-For God did not give us
a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power,of love and of self-discipline.
My husband was hospitalized two weeks ago with clots in both his lungs and a massive clot in his legs. Myriad numbers of people prayed for us, but I seemed unable to pray. However, I did recite that scripture…over and over and over!
Thank you from the bottom of this helpless siesta’s heart for encouraging us to hide His Word in our hearts. My husband is home and recovering wonderfully and we are using this wake up call to get back into a healthlier lifestyle.
Leslie in Utah
I am LOVING this sooooo much! The Lord always surprises me with the scripture I will memorize….I think I’ll do one and He gives me another. What is so wild is that the ones I would have chosen would have been just fine, it IS HIS WORD, but the ones He has chosen for me have been JUST what I needed in certain circumstances that I was unaware I would be facing. HE knew what I needed – I LOVE that about HIM – He knows what tomorrow holds and what we will need to feast on to sustain us.
All I know is that I have never been able to memorize scripture and I’m doing it! I’ve almost memorized an entire chapter and I haven’t forgotten the first verse I memorized this year! That’s always what has happened before. I could memorize a few scriptures, but then when I moved on to a new one I couldn’t quote one or 2 of the other ones and just couldn’t get to where that changed. I even forgot John 3:16 a couple of years ago! It was horrifying! But so far that hasn’t happened this year.
You Siestas are a blessing and I have enjoyed reading your sweet comments. Our Father is so good! I think we need to pray for each other… to keep keeping on.
Thank you Beth, Amanda, and Melissa for your anointed ministry to us and for reading and processing countless comments. I have found this method of scripture memorization so helpful and revolutionary. Praying for a verse, the tutorial, and the posting of verses on the 1st and 15th is inspired. It works! I have particularly seen the Lord work through being able to readily pray these new scriptures, not only for myself, but for others. For example, praying the Lord’s beauty over my family, and asking Him to establish the work of their hands. And, then for them to come home with an exciting story about how the Lord worked. The Sunday I posted my last verse, I was “pondering” what exactly does “make all grace about to you” mean … and then Charles Stanely (on In Touch) expounded on that particular verse that evening. I was like, okay, Lord, clearly you wanted me to get it! He loves me so much(haha) and he loves you too, so much!!! He is “in this thing”! 🙂
Thank you … this is AB (a blessing)! Thank you Lord Jesus for guiding us to this ministry. Continue to lead us in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake and for Your glory! We love you!
Hugs,
Beth
I have been so encouraged because I have actually been ABLE to memorize these scriptures, with not too much difficulty at all!!! I know that is only by the power of the Holy Spirit, because I have never been “good” at memorizing. Praise the Lord!
I look forward to picking a scripture which really gets me revved up each month. I like to memorize longer scripture passages which is why I just do one each month. I blogged about reciting scripture to a person’s photograph (to help me to be better at making eye contact while I’m concentrating on remembering the scripture). This has now become praying memorized scriptures over loved ones photographs.
I like how memorizing the scripture keeps me learning continually from the scripture and makes me love the scripture even more.
My family likes hearing the scriptures I memorized too. But my mother doesn’t want me to say mine to her until I can say them really well.
God has truly used the Scripture memorization to get me through a lot of difficulty this year. At 91, my grandmother moved to a nursing home last November. She has always been so independent and it’s been a difficult transition for her and for me as well. Most recently, a very special aunt passed away and I learned that a cousin has been placed on hospice care with cancer. However, God is always faithful and gave me exactly what I needed in the way of Scripture. I am so thankful to God that He gave Beth (I’m so close to her age it’s hard to call her ‘Mama Beth’)the desire to learn God’s Word and that she shared her challenge with us.
Sharon Crouch
Pontotoc, MS
P. S. Beth–watched you on “Life Today” last night(I record it on Wed. nights) and loved the teaching on Mary and Martha. Thank you for everything.
I am severely disabled with a chronic illness and suffer cognitive impairment. Both my husband and I have been shocked that I have been able to memorize the scriptures. My husband tests me every week. Every week he shouts out, “It’s a miracle.” And I respond, “Yes, I know!”
Every time I start the memorization program I become overwhelmed and tell the Lord, “You know, I can’t.” Then with the next breath–in sheer desperation–I pray, “Please help me.” The Lord has done abundantly above all that I have even asked or imagined. I am often memorizing new scriptures during the second week that I haven’t posted to the LPM board, because of this incredible hunger and thirst for His Word.
First of all, I want to acknowledge the genius of Beth’s plan. The genius of this program is in each woman asking the LORD to give her the scripture that He chooses. (I’m on another memorization list where the scripture is given out weekly, but I have never even started the program.)
Secondly, I think that there is success in having to publicly post our verses. By doing this there is a sense of accountability.
I notice that some sisters with illness are struggling with cognitive impairment. I can only share with you what I do.
First of all, I read the entire text about 10 times. (Of lately, the Lord has me memorizing an entire psalm, instead of just one verse.) Then I break it down and repeat one verse about 10 times. Then I try to do it on my own without looking at the card. Once I feel that I have most of it down, I then go to biblegateway.com (go to “Additional Resources”) and listen to the scripture being read to me. (I really like Max McLean.) Then I listen again and recite my verses with him. I find that he helps me with the words and phrasing. And I try to repeat it on my own during the day. (I try to do this at least three times.)
Sometimes, if I am having problems with a particular verse, I go to my commentaries to study the verse so I can gain understanding. I have found this to be incredibly helpful in memorizing a verse that I am struggling with.
I once attended a small church where everyone was doing scripture memorization. One lady had her five children doing the memorization and the youngest was four years old. It was amazing because they were memorizing long portions of scriptures. I asked her how she did it. She told me that none of them memorized any scripture. All she would do was read to the children the designated scriptures every night for one month. At the end of the month, her children were able to recite the passage.
I’m hoping that these tips might help some people who are struggling with scripture memorization.
Blessings in Christ,
Trudy
Alberta, Canada
This is not my first attempt to memorize Scripture, but it is the most successful by far.
It just works for me, the way you are asking us to memorize a new verse (or verses) only twice per month; I review them every morning, and it takes until the second week usually for it to really take hold.
Not only that, each time I say the verses out loud, I get deeper understanding and meaning from them!
Deb from MN
I am having so much fun with this and cannot believe what God is helping me retain! The other day I wanted to memorize Proverbs 3:1-4 when reading over the first half of the chapter I was thinking this is all so good to commit to memory! I am considering memorizing the first 15 or so verses, but am a little scared I am bitting off more then I can chew! Please pray that I will be able to do this! I have talked to my son to say what I’m thinking of doing, so if I commit to it I need to set a good example for him! Thanks for the encouragement to memorize God’s wonderful word!!
How can I even put into words how this has been blessing me everyday. The scriptures that God has placed on my heart these past two months have been such a comfort and encouragement. I am a Real Estate agent in a very uncertain time, with business being down. The verses have given me a peace that only God can give. I have a tendancy to become very anxious about the economy. (I have to turn off the news as it only upsets me). Being able to say my verses over and over, pray over them and let them fall all over me has been such a gift. I am looking forward to continuing this journey and then reflecting on my verses at the end of the year to see what tale they tell about the year’s journey! I am sure they will tell a witness story!!!!
Also… I have had the opportunity to use them in the Bible study I am leading!
Thanks for your continued prayers for all of us, and the encouragement to perserve!
Love you all!
K
As always, God’s timing is perfect. I stumbled across this blog and the scripture memory challenge just days before my pastor husband came to me and said he wasn’t sure he could do this anymore. Satan was using some folks to push a lot of doubt into my husband and at that moment it worked. He began questioning his calling and feeling like God had finally given him more than he could handle. But what the sneaky little devil didn’t know was that God was pouring HIS word into MY heart and I was prepared to do battle for not just my husband but for my family. When God would lay a scripture on my heart, I’d write it down on a note card and tape it to the bathroom mirror or to the kitchen cabinets. Not only could I learn them and feel guarded by them but my husband was as well. When he felt down, his “armor” was up all around him. Within just a few days of his “quitting comment”, he came back to me and thanked me profusely for the scriptures posted around the house. He said they were “working” and he was feeling SOO much better!! He was even able to share them with some folks at church who were going through a similar spiritual battle. Let me say as well that I truly believe that not only memorizing these great scriptures but praying them over a paritucular situation in our church has caused a great kingdom victory. The battle that was getting my husband down so much was won!! Praise be to God!!
Beth, THANK YOU for sharing your love of God’s Word with us so beautifully. It’s been contagious for me…..life changing!!
Becky in Georgia :o)
Just wanted to let you know that as i signed up to do the bible memorizing i was excited and was sharing with my husband and my 2 youngest sons. They wanted to do it too. So I bought them each a set of index cards and they have been joining us in learning new scriptures each 1st and 15th!
I never thought memorizing Scripture was for me. I was encouraged in a sermon by Pastor John Barnett, and then about a month later the final shove (and accountability) came here. I am stunned that I can do it, stunned that God is speaking to me through it, and so thankful that you all set it up.
Susan
England, U.K.
Memorizing these scriptures have been great for me, but have also been great for my two daughters (10and 8 yrs. old). I get them involved in helping me memorize so in turn they are learning the scriptures too. Actually they memorize them quicker than me – so cool. Thank you for all you do – you are truly an encouragement to follow hard after God’s Word. Love you dearly.
Meredith Sloan
Greer, SC
This has been incredible – I have mostly memorized but certainly meditated greatly over my verses. During one spinning class I was meditating on my first verse, Eph !:13-14, trying to make it my own, and the Spirit clarified: “I’m coming back for you, girl”. I couldn’t believe it! I wanted to shout in the middle of a spinning hill!
The other verses have been lifeblood, literally, going through a difficult phase in a most significant relationship.
kae h
Dear Siestas, We have lived thru several of the most difficult terrifying months of our married life. I wish I could run to our Heavenly Fathers lap and NEVER leave. This scripture has held me up as I cried it out to him. Calmed me as I tried to sleep. I have been holding on to it for dear life. Thank you Beth from the bottom of my heart for listening to his voice and being obedient. Our Father new that we needed this. Onward in His mighty name.
How to put this into words…life changing! Always knew I should do it & wanted to. Tried and wasn't very successful. This approach is working…especially using the N in Beth's RENEW acrostic. As I have asked & listened to see which scripture I should select, I have learned that the ones I NEED are the ones that I can learn. So grateful for this structure, the bi-monthly posts, the mini tutorial, and the community!! I am doing it. And…the word of God, hidden in my heart, is sustaining me through some pretty challenging times. Praise Him!
He has directed me from one Scripture to the next about trust. Oh how I love Him!
-Melissa
I am reminded through memorization that God’s Word is Alive!! I love it! It is so exciting to have His Word in my heart and on my mind! I am so thankful to be doing this…glory to God!
I just want to say thank you for providing this accountability for me to memorize scripture. It is something I know that I need to do, but the doing is usually harder than the knowing! It has been fun–yes, fun, and I look forward to the 1st and 15th and posting the scripture I feel led to memorize. I feel like I am making a deposit in my “spiritual bank” that the Holy Spirit is able to quicken when “life happens” each day. Thank you lproof and Beth for your direction and taking the lead to provide this opportunity for so many of us!
Blessings,
Heidi
I almost didn't join in on this b/c I'm not a fan of memorization. I can easily "remember" the words, but it doesn't always translate into my "learning" them. But I felt a nudging and decided to try. And four weeks in, as I was repeating all four of my memory verses in order, I realized that together they were beginning to form a beautiful prayer. I've always been so impressed with people that so easily "pray over scripture" but I never quite got it. But as I repeated those four verses over and over, I could feel God's whisper that "see, this is why I wanted you to do this memory work. I wanted to teach you how to use scripture in prayer." Thank you Beth & the Siestas for helping facilitate this lesson on His behalf.
I have been writing on the back of my scripture card the reason why I chose that scripture. It has been a good thing for me because I am learning that there is scripture for every need in my life and that the two should go hand in hand. As my challenges change, I search for new scriptures to spur me on. I’m lovin’ it! By the way, it blesses me beyond words to know that I have so many siestas!!
My mother’s been in the hospital for over 2 weeks and I’m just now catching up on posts. My goodness, did my last set of memory verses, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 come in handy. Love is patient, love is kind, etc…. After being in such close contact with my elderly parents for 2 weeks, we started grinding on each other. We were all tired, all upset, all wanting to be home and not in the hospital. (My dad got the flu after the first week and couldn’t come up after that, so there was more friction between mom and me.) God couldn’t have chosen a more specific section of verses for me. I had no idea I’d recite them over and over to myself so many times these past 2 weeks. Often, it didn’t take more than the first 3 words to readjust my attitude. Praise Him!
Hey Little Momma:)
God has been using these scriptures that I have mem. so far: Deut. 6:5(AMP), Rom. 12:1-2(NASB), 1 Cor. 10:13(NASB), Phil. 3:13-14(NASB), and now this new verse that I will be posting today to transform me, renew my mind, and conform me to His image. His Word is not returning void. It is accomplishing the purpose for which He sends it. I am overcome by the fact that He wants to speak to me personally. To pray for the next verse He would have me memorize spec. means that He desires to have rela. with me and an individaul-His daughter-His own. It is amazing to me that He loves all of His children like that. Sorry for long post! Love ya’ll at LPM. Praise the Lord, He is GOOD:)
katiegfromtennessee
Someone else may have already suggested this but I will add this anyway….besides loving every bit of this Scripture memorization process and how it helps me EVERY SINGLE DAY, I have added my own little twist. I have been making a side list of all of the God’s promises that I can see in my verses — His love is great toward me; He has delivered me; He will exalt us in due time…..etc. It’s so encouraging to see these promises, and as the list grows, it gets more exciting. Thank you, Beth, for encouraging all of us in this endeavor!!!
How has this scripture memorization helped in my life? I love the accountability of the whole group. I never seem to struggle to find a verse to memorize as I know that God gives it to me at some time while I am doing the one before. Even if I don’t think that a particular verse has much revelance in my life, He keeps bringing that one back to me.
What a great challenge, thatnk you so much Beth and everyone else for the accountability! You are all great.
Hi Beth!
I see your verse for this month….oh THAT verse…Ãœ It was the very first verse that I underlined in my new bible…when I needed a fresh start…(i.e. “new binder”) Can I just tell you it was like praying for patience! I felt like my “confidence” was put to the test last year! Yet, that verse was what sustained me! You GO Girl! See you in Stockton!
Love,
Heather Smith Ü
At the beginning of the year – the scripture memorizing was going a bit slowly for me. But then I realized that the shelf in front of my at-home eliptical can hold EITHER the tv remote or my scripture index cards. Amen! Memorizing is going so much faster! (So are my workouts, I might add!)
And glory to God, I’m seeing fruit from all this memorizing. Last week I really wanted to share somthing with a friend. It wasn’t something I should share but I really, really wanted to. But all I could think was, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths…” (Eph. 4/29 – the first verse I committed to memory this year). And so I didn’t!! AMEN!! He’s getting control over my mouth. Glory to God!
Also – because I practice my verses out loud around my house, my 3 young kids are hearing them as well. Now this is the the kind of legacy I want to leave behind!
I love this challenge. It was just what I needed. Thanks Siestas!!
I have not chosen the scriptures to memorize, the Lord has shown me which ones He knows I need. One of the things I have so thoroughly enjoyed is looking at the verses in depth and their meaning and application in/to my life. The Lord has already given me verses to memorize all the way through April 9th!! As has been said so many times before, thank you for the challenge! Without it I don’t know if I would have the discipline to do it!!!
I prayed for the Lord to lay each verse on my heart that I am to memorize – whether through the sermon that Sunday morning or my daily reading in His Word. The Lord very definitely has directed – He alone knows my needs better than myself- and it has been such a priviledge and honour to also pray and claim these His precious promises over others throughout each day.
I use driving time, mindless chore times, and exercise time to renew my mind with the verses that have become quite easy to memorize as they are so applicable to my life and others I am praying for. This CAN BE DONE – and the rewards are eternal. ! Amen!
And thank you for the accountability-what a God-honouring blog with over 2,000 Scriptures all at once lifting praise to Him ! Love it and so blessed by it.! Thank you.
Kathy Ontario Canada
I prayed for the Lord to lay each verse on my heart that I am to memorize – whether through the sermon that Sunday morning or my daily reading in His Word. The Lord very definitely has directed – He alone knows my needs better than myself- and it has been such a priviledge and honour to also pray and claim these His precious promises over others throughout each day.
I use driving time, mindless chore times, and exercise time to renew my mind with the verses that have become quite easy to memorize as they are so applicable to my life and others I am praying for. This CAN BE DONE – and the rewards are eternal. ! Amen!
And thank you for the accountability-what a God-honouring blog with over 2,000 Scriptures all at once lifting praise to Him ! Love it and so blessed by it.! Thank you.
Kathy Ontario Canada
First, I can not believe I am actually memorizing scripture, I mean really…. me! Who woulda thought? Let me explain, I was raised in a Christian home but didn’t really understand faith and the relationship that Jesus wanted to have with me until our family moved to San Antonio and we connected with a church there. It was there that God started to reveal to me what He was all about…. not just going to church on Sunday mornings.
I made the decision to do my first bible study ever, yours in fact, the one entitled, A Woman’s Heart, A God’s Dwelling Place. My intentions for doing this study were not all that “spritually” based. We were new to a city, I had just had twins and needed a break (the church offered free child care)! ha, and my husband and I needed to get connected. What better place than to meet people and learn right? Oh how I wish I had a mirror to see the expression on my face for those first couple of sessions. I must have looked like a deer in headlights. I had NO idea what was in store for me. Looking up scriptures in books of the bible I did not even know existed, trying to appear somewhat intelligent, and realizing that my prior understanding of God and scripture needed some much needed retuning.
Since that time I have begun to soak up everything. I began reading Christian books on faith, God, prayer etc. I have joined small groups with my husband, participated in several women’s bible studies (most of them yours) and if you can believe it, now host one in my home here in Michigan (we’ve moved). But here is the thing, up until 2009 I was “book smart”. I had applied, to varying degrees of success, what I had learned. God be praised that he is patient with me and has allowed me to take baby steps in this area. I had learned that scripture memory was important as one studied the truth but never really got around to doing it. I was really good at reading what I was supposed to do, but never did it. PROBLEM! So when your challenge came out wanting to make this a Jesus year and asking us to join you, I thought what perfect timing.
My first verse and those I am being LED to memorize center on promises of God and things I need to do in my life to walk with Christ. I love the first one because of its directness and I need that: James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word and so decieve yourselves. Do what it says! Gotta love it. Now the cool part… I have been led to every scripture to memorize and this has not been by accident. Things that I hear, read etc. over the course of the 15 days in between postings all lead to my next verse. This has led me to further my belief that God actually talks to us through his word. Do you know how much I have needed to know that?? Not just to you or to others whose faith is much more established. I mean he will talk TO ME! Totally cool.
My kids participate in AWANA here and have been memorizing scripture too. This has also been a motivation for me to start memorizing my own. Well in the car or at the dinner table we will all practice our verses, me included. I did not know how much they were really listening to me and what I was saying. But tonight at dinner all three of them started giggling and reciting my long one, I Thessalonians 5:14-24 in bits and pieces. It cracked me up on how they started though.. And we idge (not urge) you brothers, warn those who are idle… Ok totally cute and my husband and I could not help giggling too. Well Beth in my kid’s words, thank you for idging me.. not to be idle, thank you for your encouragement and challenge this year. I know I have a long way to go, but I know Jesus will be there with me.
Lee Ann
This could get quite long so if you choose not to post it, I’m totally o.k. with that. Just gotta brag on our God!
This is the first time I have ever made an effort to ask God to choose scripture for me to memorize and then to memorize it. Beth asked those of us who wanted a “Jesus year” to sign on for this challenge. That is exactly what I’ve been experiencing and my heart is thrilled!
The first scripture God placed on my heart was Ephesians 3:14-21. Yes, I was one of the ones Beth was worried about for choosing a long scripture to start with. However, it was God’s plan. The part of this selection that just seared my heart was the part that says “that you may be filled with all the fullness of God”. At the end of 2008, God convicted me of my sin of overeating and using food as my idol. He showed me the root lie I was believing that fueled my overeating and blasted that thing out of the water with His truth. However, I still didn’t know how to eat in a way that would honor Him. I asked Him to show me and He brought me to a Bible study called The Lord’s Table. Guess what this study is teaching me? How to be FILLED with Jesus instead of food. Very cool, huh? He is just all about details, isn’t He? Daily now, I am filling myself with Christ instead of food.
My second verse was Luke 6:37-38. And the part that grabbed my heart this time was “give and it shall be given to you”. My word, He has given me many opportunities to give. The first one was for my children and I to give valentines at a nursing home. We were blessed as much or more than the residents. There were other opportunities, too, that He has blessed me with but I’m not going to brag on my “works”. Just bragging that He brought me the specific verse for a specific reason!
The third verse God chose for me to memorize was Hebrews 11:1. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” God gave me the opportunity to believe for a flat out miracle for a friend. One in which I could not see any way it could happen without God orchestrating the whole thing. He truly did and I had a front row seat to all the drama. It was amazingly beautiful, and a bit exhausting, to watch Him overwhelm my friend with His love as He worked out all the details. And He is faithful to finish that good work He has begun in her life. So amazing.
The verse He had me select in February for March 1 is Isaiah 58:8 It starts with “then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily”. After receiving much healing from a post-abortion Bible study, I now have the opportunity to help teach the study for others. God has already told me that He is bringing more healing to me through this class as I learn to facilitate it. How fabulous that it’s going to “spring forth speedily”. He’s just that good! He is also giving me the opportunity this very week to share my testimony with others that may attend the healing Bible study.
This is, indeed, a Jesus year for me. I cannot wait to see what else He has in store for me. There is healing, ministry and much, much love here. There is nothing like His Word. No one like our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Thank you for prompting me to join this challenge. His Word is certainly alive and active!!!!
Much love to you all,
Julie
Want to have a sweet time of fellowship and communion with our Abba Father? As you read verse after verse, pray them over your loved ones and church family. I’m fairly new to Scripture memory, so my brain is far from rewired, but I believe I have been as blessed by reading the verses as I have been helped by the accountibility.
Much love to all of you,
Patti Hayes
Lutz, Florida
I just ‘accidentally’ stumbled upon the fact that my husband, who I think is a good man, has been viewing internet porn. I was in a rage, fit to be tied. I am confident it has not been going on long, and I feel it was a case of his curiosity got the best of him, but nevertheless, there it is, and I was instantly directed to the verse I had just committed to memory, …”we do not war after the flesh..” and it reminded to not attack my husand, he is not the enemy. This battle has to be fought on my knees first. He still doesn’t know that I know, but I am praying for the Lord’s direction in that area. But I am so glad He put that word in my heart so I would not attack, and possibly cause more damage, to my marriage. Thank you, Lord, for a shield of faith!
I have been struggling to focus on the memory verses for the past two months because I’ve been the site coordinator for Focus on Marriage and so much in my life has been put to the way side. I thought I was totally blowing it on memorizing until I was talking to our church’s women’s ministry director about using our God given talents/gifts and she brought up Is. 43:10 – just a few words from it – and my brain went straight to it and finished out the verse! My eyes actually brimmed with tears and I felt a little silly for being so moved that my heart actually conjured it up so fast but I guess that’s kind of cool.
I’m reading Gary Smalley’s book “Change Your Heart, Change Your Life” now and am so excited to build on this blog’s scripture memory “challange”. Dr. Smalley’s life has been just CHANGED by hiding God’s word in His heart and, Mama Beth, you’ve testified so strongly to the same. I WANT THAT. I want Jesus. I want my heart to focus on Him – not the junk of the day.
Thank you for challenging us. Amanda, thank you for giving a space to share. I am grateful to hear about everyone else because it’s such an encouragement.
Laura P.
Pleasant Hill, CA
One more thing . . . the scripture memory challenge has given me an idea for the summer – a scripture memory challenge for my 6 and 3 year old this summer. A very simple verse every week to focus on. Can’t wait to see what it does with my kiddos.
My life has been changed by the Holy Word in that I can have the Triune God at my fingertips no matter what is going on or who I am interacting with. My Bible has so many colorful tabs as reminders of the numerous Beth Moore Bible studies I have attended these last two years while struggling through the emotions of the separation.
I am one who writes in my Bible and I love to add the sermon points alongside the scriptures. I put the date and which group I was in at the time this scripture was discussed. I also use different colored highlighters for each study, so I do have a very colorful Book. My Bible is on the other side of my bed when I sleep and available if I wake during the night and need some additional assurances.
My husband challenged me in the first year of the separation that we could not even talk about getting back together until I see a counselor and tell him who that counselor was so he could see them and tell them all the bad things I have done. As Psalm 121:2 says, “my help comes from the Lord.” and after much prayer for strength that I could stand up to this, I told my husband that my counselor was God, open 24/7 and he was welcome to contact him any time and tell him all the things I have done and have already been forgiven. My husband’s attitude has since changed and in our second year we are positively interacting and communicating more than the year before.
I also have been able to start witnessing to my children too who are now grown and gone and even though we were active in church when they were young, they have asked how I am able to stay strong through this separation with their stepdad and I said to them that it was by the strength I gain from the Lord in those wonderful scriptures.
I am not sure if my husband and I will get back together but I know that God comes first now and forever as Romans 8:31b says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” and I am working on living Psalm 118:6 that says, “The LORD is with me, I will not be afraid.”
Thanks Beth for the sharing opportunity!!!!!! I do love you, Beth, like a siesta, a siesta in Christ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m just going to lay it out there and be honest. I signed up and did great on the first verse, and then not as diligent with the next three (but I will be now). Part of the problem was, I think, that I was trying to contrive which verses I was to memorize. I mean, I didn’t just pick verses that I thought were “cool” or would be good to memorize, but I was choosing verses among the topics that I desired (i.e. passing the baton to the next generation, the Word). So I was getting ready to search for one that I thought the Lord would want me to memorize concerning food (my habit of over-eating), but MY plans got changed. I’ve been doing a Precept’s Bible study (by Kay Arthur) on the book of Isaiah since school started this fall, and I have prayed since before it started that it would not leave me the same person. I have loved the whole study, but have had ebbs and flows of how deeply it was touching me. This past week we’ve been doing homework in Isaiah 58-60and I was so heavily hit with conviction plus a couple of heavy messages other places recently. Anyway, blessedly, I have been remorseful and repentant, and yesterday, while “trying” to come up with my verse, I was reading something totally different, that I haven’t picked up in over a decade. It is a book on a subject I wanted to revisit and full of Scripture references. Fortunately, I love to underline and take notes and I had circled each reference in the whole book. When I came across one, it leapt off the page. I could not get it off of my mind. I knew in the middle of the night, it was to be my memory verse. I need it so badly, that I love it in every version I read (5 different ones) and it was very difficult to choose, but it was the original way I read it that I knew was for me. I’m going to do some journaling using some of the other wording as a side study/meditation. I need it so badly, that I think I already have it mostly memorized! From now on, I will literally let God choose the verse for me. Right now I have some work to do in my repentance, overcoming, tearing down of strongholds! P.S. my word verification looks a lot like uppity (ouch)!
I already posted here, but wanted to add that I have been doing the bible study, A Woman’s Heart…the new version.
A few months back, I mentioned in a post that I couldn’t wait for this study to be done so I could do it again and actually finish it since the first time I did it was in 1999, and I was in the middle of moving before the study was through.
I just had to post how silly I feel now realizing that it was finished like 3 years ago…hahaha. Please forgive me. I moved out into the wild rurals of Vermont and I guess with no real internet access until recently or any other Beth Moore junkies around…I didn’t know.
But I did get it and am in the middle of it and love it just as much if not even more than the first time.
Thank you.
Love and Blessings,
Michelle in VT
Knowing that I have all of these specific Scriptures to look at, read, and analyze this past couple of months has been wonderful. And, with God’s help, I have even memorized some of them, in part or completely.
I can tell that I feel MUCH less stressed out, even though I have been un-employed for the past couple of years, for the most part.
However, I have been praying throughout this “season of un-employment” that the Lord would please SHOW me which job or jobs are in His will for me to work at, and to PLEASE give me the endurance to continue filling out applications, and going to interviews, even when they do not choose me for the position. Not to mention asking Him for the discernment for which applications to even fill out in the first place ~
[And, mind you, the General Motors Plant-aka: GM- in my hometown closed its doors for good on December 24th, 2008; and, along with those 1,200 people, all of the GM subsidiary companies had to close down, also. So, there are thousands of people in this city either taking the state up on their free education packages, like my brother-in-law, or are out there searching for work, just like me. Except, there is one big difference for me: any un-employment money that I received has long since stopped…]
And, in my “natural self”, I tend to be one who gets extremely depressed when the rejection letters come my way after what I feel is a “good interview”.
However, this year, that has lessened; as I know that I can turn to my Scripture Memory Journal, and then I remember that it is NOT these employers making these decisions on their own, but, [whether they know it or not]… I know that I know that GOD IS really the ONE who is in CONTROL in my job search, and that is very calming for me.
I have been doing a little bit of substitute teaching in the area, but it only equals out to be about 3-4 days per month, even though I am a Wis. certified teacher.
And, thanks be to God, I get along quite well with my mother, so I have been able to live with her [and my Dad, before he passed away from cancer on March 24, 2008] for the past few years. So, I am not freezing nor starving to death, either, praise God!
Thank you so much for setting this post up ~
It is all to God’s Glory in my life, I know that much for sure ~
In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer
Janesville, Wisconsin
This has been such an amazing exercise. I’ll be honest, though, and confess that I’d just been mentally rehearsing my verses instead of saying them out loud. And, honestly, they’d not been sticking. My mom would randomly ask me what verse I was on, and I stuttered mightily trying to call them to my tongue.
But my mom and I are doing the Believing God Bible study, and we got to the part about the power of the spoken word… WOW.
So, I’ve been saying them out loud as often as I can during the day. What a difference! These words are finally seeping into my soul and doing some good.
PRAISE GOD!
I’ve always said that public speaking is not a strong point for me, but I believe God is calling me to a job in the future that will very possibly require a fair amount of public speaking. That goal is years away (I’m working on the education for it), but speaking my verses out loud with confidence is giving me wonderful practice.
I am so thrilled to be hiding God’s Word in MY heart.
I have learned so much about the power of God’s word through this. In addition, my twin sis is a missionary in South Asia(www.reachsouthasia.blogspot.com, she has the most amazing stories every day). So we are memorizing the same scripture. It is a blast and really brings us together even though she is far away!
You know, I just never got the concept of praying scripture. I’ve tried reading scriptures as I prayed and it just didn’t seem “right.” Imagine my surprise the other day as I was praying and the words from Joel 2:13 (Thank you Father that you are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love) came pouring out of my heart. If you could see me, you’d see a light bulb glowing over my head! So, for this gift (the encouragement and challenge that YES I can memorize the Word) I thank you. I’m thinking this might be a small peripety! 🙂
One of the tools that the Devil frequently uses against me is fear. I’ve been plagued by it. However, since I began memorizing Scripture (most of which pertains to fear or worry), I am tempted with fear about half as much as before. Moreover, even when I am tempted now, I put my foot down and confess Scripture that I’ve memorized. It’s amazing how much this has blessed me! When I begin to worry or fret about something, I’ll hear the Holy Spirit whisper to my heart, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Memorizing Scripture has drastically changed my life! Thank you, Beth, for encouraging me to participate in this!
P.S. For those of you who also struggle with fear, Psalm 91 is an amazing chapter to meditate on and memorize.
Amanda,
I am “a day late and a dollar short” posting on here this late, as my people would say. My philosophy: better late than never. EXCEPT, when one is attending a parent-teacher conference. Oh Mama, one DOES NOT WANT TO BE LATE FOR THAT! Talk about feeling like the worst mother of the year. One time and I will never do that again. I have sick butterflies just bringing it up.
The Bible has done more than words can express in my short life of seven years as a Christian. Well, this April will be seven years. It has breathed life into this once dead person again and again and again (whatever that math term is for never-ending).
I know the words, hang on to them with everything in me, but I have never been good, well, I have been terrible about knowing where they are and what verse they are in.
So, Scripture memorization is something that has always intrigued me and something I wished I could do. When your mom came up with this, I jumped to it. I knew it would be a challenge and I knew that if anyone could help me do it in a realistic, pratical way, it was your Mama.
Shortly after, my husband started Masterlife at our church. As soon as I heard “Scripture Memorization,” I turned it down. I told him and others, that I had already committed to this and I felt no problemo with it. God has told me to do it this way. Pick my own versus, make them short and stick with it.
I have learned my versus, one at a time and it has done wonders. Again, I’m not going to try to explain it because I can’t. All I can say is that I am memorizing Scripture, something I thought I could not do and I recite them in my head over and over. I do it when things are good and I can’t explain what it does for me when I am having a spiritual battle in my mind, which happens quite often.
Every time I would see someone, such as your mom, say versus from memory, I would just think “That is so great, I wish I could do that, wow, they really know their Bible and oh, how I wish I could be like that.”
I have never and am not reaching to be like others, God made all of us unique with different gifts, but needless to say, I am EXTREMELY GRATEFUL for this ministry as a whole and for the Scripture Memorization part of it. Who knew that I could learn scripture? Well, God did and apparently your Mama, courtesy of God!
It so helps that there is no pressure to learn huge passages and recite them to everyone in class. One week, I used “Jesus wept.” That verse is one I’ve always loved and I needed it that week to remind me that He does weep for all of us and knows all of our pain. What a enormous comfort!
Now, I am going to get on to the library website, renew a couple of items and order some off of the list from the other day. I am very excited about reading some of the books that were listed over and over and some that were not. When I move to a new area, after getting schools, doctors and hair salons lined out, I take my children, head to the library, get my card and go to it. I am forever in a library and forever paying late fees. I love to support the library though (smile).
Now, here I’ve gone with another letter-post.
Thanks for letting me share,
Barbara S. Katy, TX
I have never found it easy to memorize Scripture. In fact I gave up because I found it so hard to do. When my friend Tracy told me about the “Scripture Siestas” I told her she was crazy. But the thought of it kept cropping up and I decided to heed that Voice. I have since memorized five different Scripture verses and so far still remember them. Praise the Lord! It is amazing how He can bring about something you thought to be impossible. I am beginning to really understand the words of the psalmist, “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). In fact I may have to put that one on my list. 🙂 Thank you, Beth
Molly
Columbia, MO
OK, I LOVE God’s Word. I am always making resolutions to commit more to memory, but as 63 year old “Grandma” I really struggle with memorizing. We were also out of the country during January, so I got a late start. But, I am determined. And I am loving it. Today I posted #4, trying to catch up.
We have struggled with several personal issues including the death of our 13 year old grandson in a car accident 18 months ago. I had stopped teaching ladies’ classes. My tendency has been to withdraw; my confidence is almost non-existent. Lately I have been trying to hear God’s voice about whether to teach again.
Today I started on Hebrews 10:35-36
and was blown away as I studied the meanings of words like “confidence” (“boldness in public speaking; being in the public eye rather than being concealed”)and “will” (“that which pleases and creates joy; not to be conceived as a demand”). Once again I was thrilled with God’s Word and its relevance to my life.
Thank you, Beth, for this wonderful challenge. I now walk through Sams whispering my verses over and over. 🙂 I know God is using this process to work in my heart. I desperately want to “finish strong!”