Here we go again, I thought to myself as I listened to my 12-year-old spiral into her worst fears. Her anxiety was getting the best of her, so I waited patiently and let her pour out the story from school including all her thoughts, and feelings. She huffed and commented how everything was just too much right now. Living in the middle of a pandemic has created anxiety in all shapes and forms for everyone but especially for our kids. Instead of shutting down the conversation and telling her to stop worrying, I opened my Bible and asked her to read out loud one of her favorite Bible verses. At that moment, I was thankful I started the habit of finding easy to memorize Bible verses for my kids when they were still toddling around the house with sippy cups. She glanced at the page and then spouted, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. And the God of peace will be with you.”
We talked more about how to utilize God’s Word when she felt herself beginning to worry and it gave her comfort knowing God is in charge all the time.
It’s important as Christian parents not only talk about God’s Word, read His Word, but to help our kids memorize His Word. It is vital to teach them how to put it use in everyday moments like Tori’s. That’s one of the reasons I think there’s so much value in practicing Bible memory verses for kids. When they have already stored biblical truths in their memories, it makes your job easier as a parent when you are teaching them how to live a life based on His Word.
What Does the Bible Say Teaching Kids Scripture?
The Bible has a lot to say about teaching kids the Word of God. There are dozens upon dozens of Scriptures that tell us not only how to raise up our children to know and love God, but also how to teach them God’s Word. Deuteronomy 11:18-20 is perhaps the clearest explanation of all.
“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
I love this verse. Every time I read it, I feel convicted and encouraged. Convicted because I know all the ways I fall short of what God wants for me as a mother and a follower. Encouraged because it gives me insight, direction, and the desire to teach my kids to love His Word as much as I do. This passage is also an image of a constant conversation about God with our children. It’s a never-ending conversation that constantly points our kids back to God.
Moses was instructing the Israelites how to live and what God expected as they were entering into the Promised Land. God wanted His people to remember Him at all times and to teach the younger generation who God was in order to live according to His Will. God did not want His people or the future generation to be swayed by the other cultures around them. God wanted His people to not only survive but thrive. When we know God’s Word, it directs our thoughts, words, behavior, and actions. It shows us how to obey the Lord. God’s Word also brings nourishment to us and sustains us during all times and seasons. His Word God also helps us understand God’s purpose, even if we do not understand what He is doing at the moment. His Word also protects us because it serves as a compass and helps us resist temptation and to stand firm in our faith.
How Do I Teach My Child the Word of God?
The best way to teach kids the Word of God is to use it in everyday life. It’s better for us to help them catch it than to teach it. We do this by modeling our own spiritual life. For example, my kids see me reading the Bible when they wake up in the mornings. I talk about how God answered prayers for a friend. We also read the bible together in the morning and a devotional as a family. When they were little, we used as many age-appropriate tools we could find that ranged from VeggieTales to being diligent about discussing what they learned at Sunday school. At mealtimes, we took turns praying, and at bedtime, we would listen to worship songs.
We aren’t alone in our memorization or teaching of Scripture. Jesus also knew God’s Word. Jesus Himself is the Word incarnate and He knew the written Word. He quoted it often during His short ministry on this earth. He quoted the Old Testament almost 180 times in the New Testament. There are so many creative ways to teach the Word of God to your kids. It depends on their age level and how you model it that helps us instill an intrinsic love for God’s Word. Here are three creative ways to teach God’s Word to your kids.
Memorize Scripture Together
Colossians 3:16 tells us to “let the word of Christ dwell in us richly.” We called to know the Word and let it dwell in us richly. There are so many different ways to help our kids memorize Scripture. One of the best ways is to pick a verse and memorize it together. It could be as simple as picking one verse a week or a month. Let this verse be your family motto. Be open to how the passage applies to your daily lives. Recite it in the car on the way to school. Challenge each other at dinner. Write the passage on notecards and post these throughout your home. Place it where you and your kids can see it. Put copies of it by their beds, on the bathroom mirror, or fridge. This will help us apply Romans 12:2 to our lives and set a great example for your kids too.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
Sing Worship Songs Together
When my kids were little, I realized they had a thing for music. As a new Christian mom, I was so thankful for the Go Fish Guys because they had the ability to put the Word of God into a format my kids loved that didn’t drive me crazy either.
Find a list of Worship songs with God’s Word as the lyrics. This is a fantastic way to help your kids memorize Scripture and get your groove on at the same time. Other sources for music include Seeds Family Worship,Cedarmont Kids: Action Bible Songs, and Meet the Rizers. As my kids got older, we started a family routine of listening to worship songs each of the kids picked before bed. We would talk about the verses they recognized in the song and why they specifically selected that song.
Read and Pray Together
The Bible is living and active. The Holy Spirit used the Word in powerful ways in our lives and equips us thoroughly. Reading and praying together is one of the greatest ways to memorize, recall, and remember God’s Word. As our kids learn God’s Word, He uses it in their hearts like a homing pigeon, drawing them back to Him from the age of three to 103. No matter the age, when we pray and talk to God using His Word, we are showing our kids God is worth talking to. It will also show our children God connects His blessing with our continuous reading and dwelling on His Word. It also allows us to encourage and give each other hope (Romans 15:4). Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 4:18 to be ready to encourage other believers (Kids included) with the truth. When we have verses and passages ready, we can more easily build up other believers in the truth.
18 Easy-to-Memorize Bible Verses for Kids to Remember Forever
There are so many ways to help your kids memorize Bible verses. Here are several verses that are easy to memorize and remember in their hearts forever. The key to committing information to memory is seeing it frequently. Have your family practice Bible memory verses for kids at the same time each day. We like to do it around breakfast and at dinner time.
John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 14:6: “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 13:34-35: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Ephesians 6:1: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”
Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Colossians 3:12: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Micah 6:8: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Philippians 2:14–15: “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God.”
Galatians 5:22–23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…”
Proverbs 15:1: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he make your paths straight.”
Mark 12:30: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
Nearly all of the easy to memorize Bible verses above also apply to behavior. These Scriptures will act as a guide in how God wants our children to behave. The best part, all of the passages listed above reflect God’s amazing love for us.
Further Reading
20 Great Bible Verses for Kids to Memorize
Great and Easy Bible Verses for Kids that They Can Memorize
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Tutye
