My morning begins each day by having a private time
with the Lord. The practice started when in college. Initially, as a husband, a
father of young children, a student with a full load of academic classes, a
fulltime job at a banking system, and an active member of a local church, the devotional
time was usually brief, just a few moments. Sometimes, my time while driving somewhere
completed what was started in our small apartment.
Today, as a senior adult, personal time with the
Lord has transitioned into hours. Mornings involve Scripture reading (usually
from more than one translation), prayer, study, meditation, and journaling. I sometimes
grieve of how little time was given to this spiritual discipline when I stood
regularly behind a pulpit every week. There would have been more life-changing
truths given to the people who regularly heard my sermons.
One morning, while giving thanks to God for his
goodness and grace, a strong prompting stirred in me to start memorizing
Scripture once again. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, I gave oversight to a small
congregation in Minnesota, my first assignment as the main pastor. I took it
upon myself to memorize 1 Timothy, one of the pastoral letters of the New
Testament. Eventually, the busyness of sermon preparation, church
administration, counseling, visitation, outreach, and church maintenance, ended
the practice.
Now, decades later, I found myself sensing the need
to commence the daily routine. I asked the Lord to guide me to the most
personally beneficial passages and to help me to accomplish the task. But, where
was I supposed to begin?” Back at the beginning!
As a young child, my family did not regularly
attend church. My involvement in a local church ended during Kindergarten.
A few of us neighborhood boys often played together,
primarily Victor Hardy, Stevie Nelson, Dean Jackson, and myself. Dean attended
the nearby Presbyterian Church, not because he wanted to, but his grandmother required
it of him; he was just as devilish as the rest of us. Dean frequently tried to
get out of attending church but, if you knew his grandmother, that was impossible.
Each summer, Dean attended a Vacation Bible School.
One year, the prize for bringing the most friends was an item he wanted and asked
me to attend. The teacher was probably not very happy with his selection of a
guest; our behavior was far from angelic – disruptive and unruly. However, when
the week was over, I had learned the Lord’s Prayer and the 23rd
Psalm.
I decided that my pursuit to once again memorize Scripture
would start with these two passages. I started with the Lord’s Prayer,
something I had sung at weddings but rarely gave thought to.
Our
Father in heaven,
hallowed
be your name.
Your
kingdom come,
your
will be done,
on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us
this day our daily bread,
and
forgive us our debts,
as we
also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead
us not into temptation,
but
deliver us from evil.
For yours
is the kingdom and the power and the glory,
forever.
Amen (Matthew 6:9–13 ESV)
Although the caption in numerous Bibles is entitled
“The Lord’s Prayer”, a better subtitle would be “The Disciple’s Prayer”. Jesus
taught his followers to pray this way; a Lord’s prayer is recorded in
John 17.
There are many wonderful lessons contained in this perfectly
structured prayer. However, I wish to only show what came from memorizing; what
energized a passion to transition Scripture from mind-knowledge to heart-knowledge.
With the Lord’s prayer in my heart, words and
phrases came to mind throughout the day in various circumstances and situations,
prompting further inquiries about phrases and word meanings. By additional research
and study, the simple prayer took on greater intensity and significance. Through
pondering, it became personalized and the content captivated my personality.
Whenever I outwardly recite the prayer, as recorded
in Scripture, my inward nature realizes:
Our
Father in heaven,
let your
name remain holy.
Let your
holy kingdom come,
let your
holy will be done,
In the
very core and structure of the earth,
as it is
done in the very core and structure of heaven.
Please,
give us this day our basic needs of life,
both
tangible and intangible:
A mind
filled with peace,
a heart
filled with joy,
a body
filled with health,
and a
soul filled with love.
And,
please forgive us our numerous violations
of
thought, of word, and of action,
as we
also have forgiven all those who violate us.
Lead us
away from temptation
to the
place where evil no longer tempts.
And deliver
us from the evil one,
and the
day of evil, which is to come.
For
Yours is the kingdom,
and the
power and the glory are of Your kingdom,
for time
without end.
As one
of Your many followers
I make
this request to You, Lord God,
please
bring it to pass for Your namesake. Thank you.
The Lord’s Prayer became much more alive and
meaningful through the doorway of memorization.
Then what happened to the 23rd Psalm when
it transitioned from mind-knowledge to heart-knowledge? This is what is recited:
The LORD
is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes
me lie down in green pastures.
He leads
me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
He leads
me in paths of righteousness
for his
name's sake.
Even
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will
fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod
and your staff, they comfort me.
You
prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you
anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the
days of my life,
and I
shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
(Psalm 23 ESV)
Inwardly, however, I hear:
The Lord
is my perfect Caregiver, he is my every need.
He makes
me lie down in fresh meadows.
He leads
me beside waters of rest. He restores my soul.
He leads
me in right paths for his name’s sake.
Even
though I nervously stroll
through
the valley of deep darkness,
I calmly
fear no evil, for you are with me;
your
instructions and guidance make me brave.
You prepare
a feast of gladness before me
in the
presence of my adversaries;
you
anoint my being with your Spirit;
my cup
of joy overflows.
Only
steadfast love and mercy shall accompany me
all the
remaining days of my life,
and then
I shall dwell in the Lord’s visible presence
for time
without end.
A greater sense of peace and joy, connected to a
more in-depth sense of His presence, awaits those who pursue for themselves,
“Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against you.”
(Psalms 119:11)
Here are some practical thoughts about memorizing:
Ask the Lord to guide you into what you should
personally memorize. Gain an ear to hear his voice as part of the transforming process.
I memorize mostly in the English Standard Version
of the Bible; it is an excellent translation and uses the most common sentence
structures of today. Since restoring the practice of memorizing Scripture, verses
from Numbers, Job, Psalms, Isaiah, Matthew, John, Romans, Ephesians,
Philippians, Colossians, Hebrews, and 2 Peter are now part of the fertile soil
of my soul. Some passages contain only a few verses (such as Job 19:23-27; John
14:1-3), other passages are lengthier (such as Psalms 139, John 15, and Romans
12). To help with retention, the memorized Scripture is recited daily,
throughout the day during undemanding moments.
There is no timetable for memorizing. The passage
being learned, or a portion of that passage, is recited every morning until it can
be spoken, by memory, naturally and with normal voice intonations. The verses
most recently memorized, John 1:1-18, began January 1 and became fully
memorized by March 30. Presently, Hebrews 1:1-4 is being memorized and a
passage in Proverbs is scheduled next.
An additional benefit to Scripture memorizing is
greater mental retention. During the earlier years of ministry, when regularly
speaking to others, I was very dependent upon pages of written notes. Today,
when an occasion comes, I rarely need to use any.
Older people often become anxious about losing
their memory or having reduced mental capabilities. The brain is a muscle that
needs exercise, just like the rest of the body. This spiritual practice
strengthens mental comprehension and retention.
During your daily quiet time with the Lord, add to
Scripture reading, meditation, Bible study, research, prayer, and thanksgiving,
the practice of memorizing God’s word. Ask the Lord to lead you to what verses
in the Bible you need to shift from a simple mind-knowledge to a wonderful heart-knowledge.
The Holy Spirit will faithfully show you what to memorize and will move you into
a more transforming realm of abiding in Christ.
