This learning is not a memory contest or a religious duty, it is really an important stage of the session, with many implications.

Resisting temptation

First of all, the child needs to be equipped in order to be able to resist the tricks of the opponent. It is not by his own strength or will alone that the child can cope with situations of temptation. But he can learn to use the powerful Word of God to defend himself. Jesus himself used verses he had memorized to repel the devil during his temptation in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry. We Christians, past and present, are no stronger than Jesus, nor are we children! Let us arm them for times of temptation, present and future.

Making the right choices

Learning verses, remembering them, allows us to know what God thinks and wants. Every day, the concepts of the world, its values, its fashions reach children. If they do not know the Bible, if they have not learned what God expects of them, how can they make the right choices?

Being guided by God

We have certainly experienced how the Lord uses His Word, which we have memorized to remind us of certain things, to encourage us, to take us back, to guide us. Let us not deprive the children of this treasure.

Getting acquainted with the biblical text

We are committed to making children love the Bible. The first step towards this goal is to familiarize them with the biblical text. By memorizing a verse, the children first pronounce it, repeat it, meditate on it and then fix it in their memory. He is then part of themselves.

We can use a version of the Bible that is accessible to children. The biblical text has no “magical” power in itself, in the sense that it would exert a powerful action even if the listener does not understand the words or phrases used. By being confronted with obscure texts, long sentences and difficult to understand, children can have a false picture of the content of the Bible and become discouraged.

Remember, in practice

Let’s help them with games and media that will allow them to memorize with pleasure. Let’s create some emulation with team games. When motivated, children memorize more easily.

Ideally, children know the verse by heart as they leave the classroom. Even better: let the monitor know the verse by heart before the session!