One of the nice surprises I had this weekend came while hearing people recite the Books of the Bible.  Most of those who were ready came in teams – a father/daughter team, three sisters, a mom and her son, four siblings, and more.  All were working on memorizing the challenge together in their little groups and all tapped into the power of encouragement that Saint Paul knew well:

Encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do!  I Thessalonians 5:11

For I long to see you, that I may share with you some spiritual gift so that you may be strengthened, that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith, yours and mine.  Romans 1:11-12

We must consider how to rouse each other to love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:24

We all need to develop the fortitude to forge ahead no matter what the circumstances, but everyone agrees it’s so much better to go with a companion!   You can be that encouragement to your kids (and they to you) as you work together to meet this challenge.

If your saints are having trouble getting started, consider a partnership.  Set up a regular practice time.  Hold each other accountable.  Celebrate small victories.  Some kids thrive on competition and you can use that to your advantage also.  (Especially if they are competing with you, and you are okay with a little humility when they learn faster and with less effort.)

Memorizing the books of the Bible in order can be a practical, lifelong help in your daily reading of Scripture, and has the added bonus of making us all more comfortable with our knowledge of God’s Word!  That’s a worthy goal.