Simple Methods for Memorizing Scripture to Use When Praying

“For me, it is absolutely essential that my prayers be guided by, saturated, and sustained and controlled by the Word of God.” ~John Piper

Memorizing Scripture can be one of the most rewarding and worthwhile ventures a follower of Christ can undertake. It gives a believer constant access to the incredible power of God’s Word. That power can open many doors and lead to opportunities that otherwise would not have been possible. The major benefits of Scripture memorization are expressed in Romans 12:2,“and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Also in Psalms 119:11 and 105, “Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You,” ” Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Scripture, memorized, allows the Holy Spirit to put God’s Word to use in your life. Chuck Swindoll said in regards to memorizing Scripture that, “no other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.”

There are many different ways to go about memorizing Scripture and some ways may work better for you than others. The strategies we have listed here work well by themselves or in combination with other memorization techniques. We urge you to explore the various ways to memorize Scripture and chose what works best for you.

1: It is important to not only learn the words of a passage, but also to take that passage to heart. One way you can do this is by praying the Scripture you are trying to memorize. Here is an example of this technique using Proverbs 3:5-6, which reads, “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on you own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct Your paths.”

Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus’ Name to tell You that in this situation I am trusting in You and I am not going lean on my own understanding. I acknowledge that You know everything, and I am waiting for You to direct my path. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Another example would be Jeremiah 33:3. “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus’ Name because I have no idea what to do. I am trusting you to give me an answer. Thank you for the privilege of bringing this crisis to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

2: Another great way to memorize Scripture is to print out or put on your phone 30-50 of our miniature prayers (found under the Miniature Prayers category). Read 5 of them each day with your devotions. After reading them several times, you will begin to remember the verses in each prayer. The advantage of using the miniature prayers in this way is that you are doing more than just memorizing a verse. You have a theme and are praying to God about a verse related to that theme. This should help with both the memorization and application of the verse in your life.

Memorizing Scripture can be a daunting task, especially to those who are new to the faith or who simply haven’t memorized Scripture before. To help you begin your journey into memorizing the Word of God and taking hold of the power found in Scripture, we have provided a basic step by step plan.

1. Pick out three verses (Isaiah 40:28, John 14:6, or 2 Corinthians 5:17 are all great options) and print them or write them out on a note card. Read and recite the verses at least 3 times a day until you have them memorized word-for-word. The first memorization technique discussed in this post can be a great help for this step.
2. Continue adding new verses, making sure to review your previous verses as you go. We have found it easiest to add new verses one by one after you have memorized the initial three verses.
3. Once you have reached this step, we highly recommend adding in the second memorization technique. We like to use this technique because it allows us to begin to learn multiple new verses all at once. When you are ready to memorize a new verse, you can pick one that you have been reading from the miniature prayers section and then dedicate it to memory.

The above steps are a great way to begin Scripture memorization, but if you are looking for something even simpler, another great option is to print out or put on your phone the following pages of verses and read a half page every day until you know them by memory. You can also record the verses on your phone and listen to them as you drive or in your free time. We recommend that even if you aren’t planning on memorizing these verses, that you print them out or put them on your phone because they are an excellent tool to have throughout the day when praying or needing encouragement.

Our prayer for you is that one or more of these plans will help to launch you down a lifetime of memorizing God’s Word and that the Lord would give you the strength and endurance to make Scripture memorization a regular part of your life. We pray that you would find His Word to have a great effect in your life.

Scriptures to Memorize and Use When Praying

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 “…My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness….”

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

1 John 4:4 “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

Psalm 50:15 “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

Matthew 19:26 “…With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

Hebrews 10:30 “For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.“‘

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Psalm 34:17 “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

Lamentations 3:23 “[The Lord’s mercies] are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 86:11 “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.”

Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”

Romans 14:12 “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”

1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Psalm 55:22 “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Psalm 91:11-12 “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”

Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”

Proverbs 27:12 “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; The simple pass on and are punished.”

Psalm 119:18 “Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.”

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Matthew 18:18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Ephesians 6:11-12 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Proverbs 2:6-7 “For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly.”

Ecclesiastes 2:26 “For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.”

James 1:5-6 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.“