I began Inscribe the Word Scripture Writing Plans in 2016, and every year, I am in awe of how God uses these plans to bring hundreds of thousands of people to Scripture. I am humbled and honored to bring this resource to you.

This year, our theme is The Spiritual Disciplines. By placing daily spiritual rhythms in our lives, my husband and I have decided to rebuild our lives around our apprenticeship to Jesus.

Each month in 2022, we will focus on a new spiritual discipline. I will also be including some books and resources to help you put that discipline into practice in your everyday lives. In January, we inscribed verses focused on Sabbath Rest. This February, our Scripture passages were on prayer. In March, we continued our study of the Spiritual Disciplines and studied Fasting. In April, we focused on the beauty of Praise & Worship, and in May, Silence and Solitude. In June, we spent our time studying what Scripture says about Hospitality. In July, Celebration. As the summer came to a close in August, we inscribed Meditation. This month, we turn our hearts to Scripture Memorization.

My prayer is that you see these not as legalistic rules but as ways to Abide in the Vine each and every day. (John 15:1-8)

In my elementary and middle school years, I attended a Christian school. We had an awards assembly each year, and one of the awards was called "The Second Timothy Award." Here's how it worked:

Each month, the school had a passage of Scripture that we would read each morning during our morning devotion. It was usually 10-15 verses long. Then, at the end of the year, those who wanted to compete for the award would sit with our teachers and recite all nine passages for memory. I am proud to say; that I won that award most of the years I attended.

While the title "Winner of The Second Timothy Award" has faded through the years, the passages of Scripture I memorized have not. In times of anxiety, I quickly recall Philippians 4:6-7. In times of temptation, I say the words of Jesus when the devil tempted him in Matthew 4. In times of trials, stress, and strain, I can quickly remember James 1:2.

Scripture memorization is a vital spiritual discipline and one that we will walk through in our Inscribe the Word plan this month.

As we have been going through The Spiritual Disciplines this year, the words of Adele Ahlberg Calhoun in The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook ring true once again. If you haven’t purchased this book, do it today!

“Memorization allows us to choose words and images that shape our minds and hearts. It gives the mind somewhere to go when all the media is turned off. Furthermore, memorizing God’s Word allows us to access divinely inspired thought and wisdom. And it works in us even when we are not conscious of its doing so.

If you are someone who forgets birthdays and can’t remember why you opened the refrigerator door, the whole notion of memorization can seem ludicrous. Don’t be too discouraged. Consider the things you have already memorized without trying. What songs do you know by heart? What proverbs or sayings or Bible verses? Memorization depends on repetition. Choose what you want to memorize and tape it where you constantly see it. Return to it again and again.”

As you look through our Inscribe the Word plan this month, you will notice that the first two weeks contain Scriptures about meditation and memorization that give us a Biblical framework for memorizing Scripture.

In the final two weeks, I chose short, one or two-verse passages to inscribe. In these weeks, I'd encourage you to write out these verses two or three times, coming back to them throughout the day. See how many of these short passages you can memorize this month!

Below is a list of resources that have helped me as I continue to memorize God’s Word.

WHY SHOULD I MEMORIZE GOD’S WORD?

Ten Biblical Reasons to Memorize God’s Word by Open The Bible
Why Memorize Bible Verses by ORBC

HOW TO MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE?

How to Memorize Scripture by Navigators
6 Favorite Ways to Memorize Scripture by Pine Cove
10 Tips for Memorizing Scripture by NIV Bible

APPS & PODCASTS

Bible Memory App
Seven Best Bible Memory Apps by Church Tech Today
The Bible Put to Memory by Practicing the Way
Scripture Memory For Bible Teachers by Help me Teach the Bible
Five Tips for Memorizing Scripture by Risen Motherhood