Deuteronomy 6:4-9
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lordyour God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
I hope you were able to do a little research and goal setting for you and your family the past several days. I wanted to share with you a list of passages for school (1-3 grade) children. This list isn't extensive, but gives you a basic idea for each school year, if you want to go that route. This list is taken from the church where I grew up.
(Before first grade)
- Books of the Bible
- The Lord's Prayer
- Psalm 23
- The Ten Commandments
(First Grade)
- John 1:1-5 (you could go to verse 14)
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (or the whole chapter)
- Psalm 119:9-12
- Ephesians 6:1-3, 11
- Proverbs 3:5-7
- Genesis 1:1-6
- Psalm 100
- Psalm 121
(Second Grade)
- John 1:1-14
- 1 Corinthians 13
- Ephesians 6:1-3, 10-18
- John 14:1-6
- Proverbs 3:1-7
- Romans 3:23;6:23
- Genesis 1:1-6, 26-28
- Matthew 5:14-16
- Psalm 95
(Third Grade)
- Matthew 5:1-16
- Psalm 27:1-14
- Psalm 148:1-14
- Proverbs 3:1-18
- Luke 2:1-20
- Hebrews 11:1-20
- Hebrews 11:21-40
The responsibility of getting the Word into your children's hearts rests with you as a parent, but it is helpful to find a church that will partner with (or a school perhaps). I am not necessarily a fan of church programs, but when they are Word focused, I am all for them. If you are not in a church that encourages Scripture memory for your children, I would encourage you to 1. find a church that does or 2. talk to your elders and start something yourself for the children at your church. It can be really helpful for your children to quote verses to others outside your family just for practice and more internalization.
Scripture memory begins with you.... if your children see you place importance on it and practice it yourself (like any of our other disciplines) they will be much more likely to be excited and to take these disciplines with them for the rest of their lives. So as you plan for them, make a plan for yourself. Find a buddy who you can memorize with (or memorize with your husband or children together). Set a goal, so you do it.
Summer is a perfect time to memorize with your children - school is out, and you need more structure. Add it to your routine. Plan now!
....And remember, the point is not to check of a box of how many verses you memorize, but to get the Word into your heart so that it can do its work when life happens.
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