I…sought…the…Lord…and…He

Several years ago I developed a lethal habit. I started the dependency when I was about 8 or 9 years old. My grandfather is the one who got me addicted. The habit is memorizing Scripture.

The earliest passage I recall putting to heart was Proverbs 27:1:

Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

Another early favorite came from Philippians 4:13, which says,

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

More recently a sentence from the Psalms is now finding its way into my heart. Psalm 34:4 reads,

I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

The best use of Scripture memorization is to pray through the passage after you have it memorized. When you methodically pray through a passage, the Lord has a way of speaking to you more profoundly and deeply.

Here is one way I pray through Scripture. Repeat each line slowly and distinctly, emphasizing the last word. As you state each line, listen for what the Spirit teaches you.

Provided below is an example from Psalm 34:4:

I
I SOUGHT
I sought THE
I sought the LORD
I sought the lord, AND
I sought the Lord, and HE
I sought the Lord, and he ANSWERED
I sought the Lord, and he answered ME
I sought the Lord, and he answered me; HE
I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he DELIVERED
I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered ME
I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me FROM
I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from ALL
I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all MY
I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my FEARS.

Let me know what the Lord taught you.