Day 11: Pray through it {Tools for memorizing}
TO DO
* Pray the chapter.
Use Sunday as breathing space to sit with the words in being, not doing.
Tomorrow we’ll add Isaiah 12:2-3. But not today.
Isaiah 12 (ESV)
1 You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.
2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”
3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
4 And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 “Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.
6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
TODAY’S TIP
* Say it often in your head.
When I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep, I often go through my memory verses. I may not get the words exactly right, but that’s okay; the meaning is there. It’s relaxing and focuses my thoughts on God.
FINAL WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Meditating on God’s truths aren’t guaranteed to bring you a feeling of rest or peace. Emotions and thoughts are fickle. They sometimes refuse to budge.
But you don’t have to stay stuck in chaos. Let feelings come and go. Instead, prioritize the love of God that you carry deep inside. Your emotions and thoughts will realign again in time with what you know to be true. Rehearsing scripture in your mind is one effective way to do that.
LINKS and Week-in-Review
- A Midnight Habit
- Even if your body is tired
- What if you believed all the good things are true?
- Day 4: Pray through the chapter
- Day 5: Dig up the root words
- Day 6: Use 1st letters and commentaries
- Day 7: Make a mental map
- Day 8: Make it personal
- Day 9: Share it with others
- Day 10: Recite it
* * *
Has your memory verse begun popping into your thoughts throughout the day or night? Please share in the comments.
- Day 10: Recite it {Tools for memorizing}
- Day 12: Add more words in your heart {Tools for memorizing}
I do the same thing that you do-review my verses if I wake up during the night. I also review them before I go to sleep.
It just seems like a good use of our awake time, right, Pam? 🙂 Glad to hear this works for you too.
I posted before I read “A Midnight Habit.” Meditating on my verses instead of just reviewing them . . . I like that idea. Right now I learning Isaiah 12:2, and reviewing Isaiah 12:2, Psalm 1 and Psalm 63:1-8. I’m still a little rusty on Psalm 63:7-8.
In 2005 I went through a really bad time of depression which lasted 2-3 years but through it I discovered that I could really know Christ and have a relationship with him. I filled many journals and memorized a lot of scripture during that time. Two scripture verses that meant a lot to me were Psalm 63 and Psalm 40:1-3.
Your challenge is helping to get me back to scripture memorization.
Several members of my family have gone through severe depressions also, so I’m sorry that you had to experience that, Pam. Praise God that you came out of it with a healthy relationship with Christ. Psalm 63 is so beautiful—I immediately want to sing it when I read it because of music I’ve heard with it through the years. The Psalms are probably my favorite chapters to memorize in general, but I’m grateful for so many different genres sprinkled throughout the Bible that are also beautiful truths we can use to fill our souls with the Lord. Thank you for sharing here!
I have had a Dickens of a time sleeping after my surgery and you Lisa have given me something productive to do!
And I am.just reading through Isaiah and really live the imagery and depth of the words.
Well, I’m glad I’ve given you something productive to do, but I’m sorry you’re having trouble sleeping. I know how miserable that is when you know that you need to be asleep but just can’t manage to do it. Praying your recovery is going well!
The Isaiah imagery is fascinating, isn’t it? I’ve been reading in Ezekiel the past few days, and it’s just some crazy stuff. ha.
Praying through the chapter – any chapter of the Bible – can make a profound impact. This is a practice that I am trying to become better at (if there is a “better”), and in the process of developing as a habit. Since it is not yet a habit, thank you for the reminder.
Side note: when I start to feel bogged down with “studying” the Scriptures – bogged down to the point where I do not even move forward…I remind myself to just read the chapter (which ever one I’m studying at the time) – just read it and let God’s Word soak in and don’t think about the study aspect, just read. When I do that, it’s freeing and amazing only enough…I always come away enlightened in some way.
Ummm….yeah…proofreading comments is something I should do…..amazingly enough is what I meant to say instead of “amazing only enough”. Goodness.
But isn’t it such a pain to have to proofread our own comments? ha. I know what you mean.
Yes, yes, yes. I totally agree with you, Deanna. We can often expect too much out of ourselves with studying and memorizing, etc., but often the very thing we need is just to relax into the Word and let him spill over into us. Time will come later for the other stuff. (And if not, that’s okay too.)