Memorizing scripture is an excellent way to improve your private worship time. Why? Because once you have memorized a sufficient portion of scripture, you are no longer bound by the requirement to have your Bible with you when have private worship. You can turn a long line at the DMV or a wait at the doctor’s office or a frustratingly long red light or a traffic jam or a grocery store line (get the picture?) into a time of provate worship as you meditate on the Word of God you have stored.

Of course waiting isn’t the only time memorizing scripture will come in handy. Cutting the grass would be terribly difficult to do with a Bible in one hand, but if you have memorized scripture this kind of activity can be transformed into a great opportunity for private worship. Impromptu conversations with non-believing family members, friends and acquaintances will be more fruitful because of your knowledge of scripture even if you don’t have ready access to a Bible. As would spur-of-the-moment conversations with other believers. Imagine how much more God-glorifying your conversations would be with other brothers and sisters in Christ if you’re able to point to scripture after scripture about the goodness or the holiness or the steadfastness of God!

desiringGod posted today John Piper’s latest “Taste & See” (formerly called “Fresh Words”) entitled “Why Memorize Scripture?”

A couple of scripture memorization resources:
» Bethlehem Baptist Church’s Fighter Verse porgram (5 years’ worth of weekly memorization)
» An Approach to Extended Memorization of Scripture