How I wish that I could bring all Christians to receive simply that word of our Father, 'Lay up My words in your heart,' and to give their whole heart to become full of God's word.
Resolve then to do this. Take pains to understand what you read. When you understand it, then always commit to memory one or another word to keep in remembrance and ponder.
Learn words of God by heart; repeat them to yourself in the course of the day. The word is seed; the seed must have time, must be kept in the ground: so must the word be carried in the heart.
Give the best powers of your heart, your love, your desire, the willing and joyful activity of your will, to God's word.
'Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord;
and in His law does he meditate day and night.'
Let the heart be a temple, not for the world and its thoughts, but for God and His thoughts.
(Psalm 119:69; John 15:3, 7; John 17:6, 8, 17)
When any person, every day, faithfully opens his heart to God's voice to hear what God says, and keeps and carries about that word, shall see how faithfully God also shall open His heart to our voice, to hear what we say to Him in prayer.
Now remember that we are discussing "God's Word in our Heart". Receive the instructions of the Bible as God's word to you. Remember these are the words of
our Father who has received you as a child,
of Jesus who has made you God's child,
of the Holy Spirit who lives within you.
God asks of you, as His child, that you give your heart to become filled with His word. Will you do this? What's your answer? The Lord Jesus would like to complete His holy work in you with power in this way.
(John 14:21, 23; 1 John 2:14, 24; Rev. 3:8, 10)
Let your answer be distinct and continuous:
'I have hid Your word in my heart;'
'How love I Your instruction: it is my mediation all the day.'
Even if it seems difficult for you to understand the word, read it only the more. The Father has promised to make it a blessing in your heart. But you must first take it into your heart. Believe then that God will by the Holy Spirit make it living and powerful in you.
O my Father, who has said to me:
'My son, give Me your heart,' I have given You my heart. Now that You have instructed me to lay up and to keep Thy word in my heart, I answer:
'I keep Your commands with my whole heart.'
Father, teach me every day so to receive Your word in my heart that it can exercise there its blessed influence.
Strengthen me in the deep conviction that even though I do not actually understand its meaning and power, I can still trust in You to make the word living and powerful in me, in the precious name of Jesus,
Amen.
adapted from "The New Life" by Andrew Murray, 1885