Teaching a Child to Pray

Why Memorizing Scripture as a Child Matters: A Psalm 23 Story for Families There is something uniquely powerful about words learned in childhood.Songs we sang as kids, rhymes we repeated, and stories we heard again and again often stay with us for life. Scripture is no different, except its impact is far deeper. When children memorize God’s Word, they are storing up truth long before they fully understand it. They may not grasp every phrase or picture in the moment, but those words take root. They become familiar. Safe. Known. And one day, often unexpectedly, they bloom into understanding and comfort. Memorizing Scripture as a child is simply easier. Their minds are open, flexible, and naturally wired for repetition. What might take an adult weeks to commit to memory can be absorbed by a child through gentle, consistent exposure. Even if the meaning feels abstract at first, the rhythm and truth of Scripture settle into their hearts. And when life becomes difficult — when fear, pain, or uncertainty appear — those hidden words often surface. I’ve seen this firsthand in our own family. When our kids were little, my husband Ted always enjoyed doing the bedtime routine. He worked all day, so those quiet evening moments were precious to him. He would play games with them, read books with them, and pray with them. He also began choosing passages from the Bible and helping them memorize Scripture — not just single verses, but entire passages. Night after night, line by line, they repeated them together. Before long, they could recite sections of Scripture without missing a beat. Psalm 23 was one of the very first passages they learned by heart. Years later, we saw just how important those early memories really were. When our daughter Kallie was 22, she broke her leg — a complete fracture of the femur — in a wakeboarding accident. That night in the hospital, as we waited for surgery, she asked me to recite Psalm 23 with her again and again. She had memorized those words as a child. They were written on her heart. And on one of the most painful and uncertain nights of her life, those familiar verses became a source of comfort for both of us. They reminded us we were not alone. They steadied our thoughts and gave us peace in a moment we couldn’t control. That experience reinforced something I already believed, but now understood more deeply: when God’s Word is planted early, it stays. Children may not fully understand every word right away — and that’s okay. Understanding grows with time. The important thing is planting the seed. When Scripture is hidden in their hearts, it will be there when they need it most. That is the heart behind our upcoming Psalm 23 book. I wrote it to help families slow down, read together, and gently commit these sacred words to memory. To create simple moments at bedtime, around the table, or before school where Scripture becomes familiar and comforting. To give parents an easy way to help their children carry truth with them wherever they go. Because challenges will come.Uncertainty will visit.Life will have hard days. But when those moments arrive, a child who has hidden Scripture in their heart will not be empty-handed. They will remember. And when they remember, they will know their Shepherd is near.