SanghaToday Blog

One of my favorite things to do is to help kids by putting Scripture to music! Singing a verse can make Bible memorization quite easy. Consider the number of tunes you remember that you picked up when you were very young. Somewhere in your mind you still have all that information memorized and logged away. You need to learn the alphabet and it’s fun to be able to sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” but you may really want your child to learn biblical stories too.

A simple melody can mesh well with Bible verses and become children’s Bible songs, solidifying God’s word in your heart and mind. How do you go through the process of matching music to Scripture?

I use the following 5 tips when writing my own Scripture music:

Try to identify words that rhyme. Bible verses do not always rhyme, but Scripture can be poetic. You can create a melody line by using the rhyming pattern as you think best.

Think of what the main word, or phrase is in the particular Bible verse you are considering. In order to stress the notion of “gave”, I echoed it repeatedly in a single phrase when I composed the song for John 3:16. Repeating the verse made it stand out as i wished when set to the melody. My kids enjoy doing some fun motions that go along with the song, which also helped me create them.

Repeat the melody line if rhyming words do not exist. All too often though, Bible verses won’t rhyme. The only thing you would need to do is to choose the lines that fit best with the melody that will be repeated in the song. So really it’s the melody that is “rhyming,” not the words.

The melody line should portray the emotions you want to express. An upbeat tune or more of a lullaby, is it needed by you? What feelings do you want to convey and what goes with your verse? To make the words stick in your mind, the emotion this creates does as much as the melody.

Lastly, the reference to the verse must be added. When you write a Scripture song, it is very important to include the “address” of the Bible verse. This is a wonderful place for using your imagination. At the end of the song, don’t feel like you have to put the reference. You can place it in the middle or beginning if you would like.

Visit KJV Bible Songs today to hear samples of the many Scripture memory songs I’ve written to help many memorize God’s Word more quickly and easily.