5 Choices for a Deeper Walk with God

How often do you purposely memorize scripture?  Need to stop making excuses and get started?  Here's a good program to consider.  It is just one verse a month -- memorizing according to topics.  Over a 12 month period you will memorize 12 verses that directly connect to 12 different themes...and over a 5 year period you will memorize 5 verses that directly connect to each of the 12 themes.  Isn't that how we usually need to recall passages of scripture -- according to topics?  This program currently has a completed 5 year theme -- "Discipleship" -- online...and a new theme -- "More about Jesus" in the first year of the 5 year program. The pictures on this post are created to...
 further aid in the memory of these verses for this program.

Think about the help this will be to your walk with God (or a friend you are discipling) when there are struggles with "Victory in Jesus," "Humility before God," "Teachable Spirit," or "Yielding to God" and you have 5 verses already hidden in your heart on all these areas (and more)!

On Facebook you can view a pictorial directory of each verse for this year's theme https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grace-Baptist-Church-of-Marshfield-WI/244075188950771) in the photo album called "Topical Scripture Memory."  At the Grace Baptist Church website, you can view the entire program (http://www.gracebaptistmarshfield.org/?page_id=75).

Here's a couple of practical helps when memorizing scripture:
1. Set aside time each week to memorize scripture.  It really should be more often than once a week. 

God's Word says, "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night." (Ps. 1:2)

2. Be consistent.  Memorizing or meditating on scripture daily will significantly impact your walk with God and help you see consistent victory in learning the weapon ("the sword of the Spirit").

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." (Ps. 119:9-11)

3. Choose time over quantity.  Many begin a program saying they will memorize 2 verses, or even 5 verses, a week.  They quickly discover this was too ambitious for them to begin a memory program -- and they give it up altogether.  Start with a goal with which you can see success!  Consider spending 10 minutes memorizing or reviewing scripture each day.  Ten minutes will pass by so quickly and it will be an investment of time that yields eternal profit!

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (Eph. 5:16)

4. Review, review, review!  Once you have memorized Bible verses, get in the habit of reviewing them once or twice a week.  The old saying is true, "If you don't use it, you will lose it!"

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Rms. 12:2)

5. Wipe the slate clean.  Resist the temptation to make excuses, or continue as you always have -- avoiding scripture memory altogether.  Take the first step today, make the commitment, and clear out at least 10 minutes of your schedule for scripture memory.  Tomorrow never comes...choose today! 

"The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat." (Prov. 13:4)  "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil. 4:13) "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (II Cor. 5:10)