Most Christians know they should set aside some time each day to read the Bible, few do. My grandmother’s second husband (she was widowed earlier in life) was one of the few. He brought this daily discipline into his marriage where, each morning before breakfast, he would read aloud a passage so they both could enjoy reading or listening to God’s heroics throughout history. They could talk about the passage over breakfast, and I know his discipline became an important part of her life. To my knowledge they never missed a day.

I’m not writing to be your personal Holy Spirit, convicting you to do what you probably already know is the right thing. I do need to mention, however, that part of loving someone is listening to them. The more one loves another the more they want to listen and hear from the loved one. You know its true, so if you aren’t doing it already its time to start.

If you are already there and devoted to reading the Bible every day, the next step is to memorize Scripture. This is especially hard for me as I have a great short term memory but terrible long term. So I memorize a passage one week but can’t recite it a week or two later. What I have found though, is that when a situation calls for it my memory recalls the passage. I may not be able to cite chapter and verse, but the word of God is in there and ready to guide or advise. That is the Holy Spirit at work.

If you don’t share my shortcoming, then Scripture memorization is even more powerful for you. There is nothing more comforting than being able to quote God’s very own words in time of stress or emotional need. It becomes infinitely easier to meditate if the passage of interest is already internalized. And when one is under oppression from the enemy being able to recite the word of God is a powerful defense. There is a reason the Bible is likened to a sword in Ephesians 6.17.

A part of every exorcism, whether getting a spirit to depart a person or a place, involves reciting certain pslams, reading aloud from the gospels and vocally praying the Lord’s Prayer. Unclean spirits hate God’s word for the simple fact that they hate God. Furthermore, they know that the promises of Scripture do not apply to them. Jesus died for humanity, not the fallen angels, and they are reminded of this fact and of their final destination when one quotes the Bible. Finally, any believer who knows the Bible is harder to dupe.

Reading and memorizing the Bible has a whole lot of spiritual health benefits and can assist the believer in spiritual warfare. More importantly it helps connect you with God in a special way, and that is never a bad thing.