My older daughter is a mastermind at stretching out her nighttime routine. We read stories, tell God a few things we are thankful for, and end in a prayer. I usually say, “Okay, time for bed. Goodnight, I love you.” Then she adds, “But Mommy, I have to tell you something . . . my legs itch,” or, “I need a drink of water.” After lotion is applied to dry skin, water is drunk, and I have been informed of several random facts, again we say goodnight. “But I just have to tell you something! I’m scared.”
I remember being afraid of the dark myself. I used to carefully wrap my blanket around the top of my head and around my ear, leaving only a breathing hole for my face. I did not want any monsters to touch my ears. Please, not the ears!
But in real life, blankets don’t work. Hiding your face in the sand like an ostrich to hide from your problems just doesn’t work. What does work, is the word of God—used as a weapon and spoken audibly. “For the word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb 4:12)
God’s word carries power, and His word in our mouth also carries power. We so desperately need to speak and repeat what God has already said to us in the Bible. In Joshua 1:8, we are instructed to meditate on God’s word day and night so that we will be prosperous and have good success.
We have helped our daughter memorize certain scriptures to combat nighttime fear. We now say them together almost every night before she goes to bed. It is good to pray for your children, and help them learn some Bible verses to say when life gets tough. Kids memorize things so quickly; it is amazing! These truths will give both, our children and us, a firm foundation to stand on when trouble comes.
As adults, we must also have scripture memorized so that when difficult circumstances arise, the next words out of our mouth are God’s words.
The best way to memorize scripture is to focus on it and make sure your brain has access to it all day and night. Personally, I love to write scriptures on post-it notes, or print them out and hang them on my fridge or in my bathroom. Yes, I said bathroom. As soon as I get up in the morning, there they are!
So when I am going through tough situations I can look at my paper or say from memory, the parts I have memorized. When the waves in life get big, we need to know that our God is bigger; constant reminders of his word are so important.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to pick ONE verse from the list below and do one of the following:
- Write it down on paper,
- Take a pic of the verse with your phone and save as your lock screen (I guarantee that you will see it all day!), or
- Take a screenshot of the verse and save it as your wallpaper.
Whatever it takes, make a decision to be active in learning the word and make this investment in your life and your children’s lives. Read it, speak it, and say it all week long until it gets deep into your brain and heart.
Pick a verse and go for it!
The Lord gives strength to his people. Psalm 29:11
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you Isaiah 66:13a
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord. Isaiah 26:3
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:29
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7
He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. Psalm 25:9
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (lack). Psalm 23:1
It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening. Psalm 92:2
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4
