Remembering God is a practice widely spoken of in the Bible. What does it mean to remember God in daily life and why are we to remember Him continually?
The bad news hit me like a bomb. Panic and worry spread through my body and mind. I started frantically searching for a solution. Oh God, what shall I do? Then two words came to my mind: Remember Me. I took a deep breath. I knew that in the middle of my mess, God was calling me to peace by remembering Him.
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Biblical Meaning of Remembering
The Hebrew word zakar is widely used in the Bible, mostly in the Old Testament and in the Psalms. It is translated into English with the words remember, remembered, or remembrance. A few other translations include “mention”, “think”, and “mindful”. However, zakar means not only to remember but also to think of or pay attention to.
In a broader sense to remember means to acknowledge, to focus on, to consider, to take into account, to keep in mind, to meditate on, to think about, not to forget. However, although remembering starts in the mind, it finds expression in our whole being – in our words and deeds. We proclaim, declare, tell, and speak about what we focus on. Moreover, we act according to what we pay attention to.
Do you need help in transforming your thought life? Check out this helpful book by my writer friend Sarah Geringer, a resource I highly recommend.
Remembering God Is Worshipping God
Remembering God is part of the worship. Indeed, one of the greatest acts of worship is to remember who God is and what He has done. By choosing to be mindful of Him and to pay attention to Him, we are opening our hearts to receive the comfort, peace, and guidance we need.
One of the greatest acts of worship is to remember who God is and what He has done. #worship #christianmeditation #thoughts #ChristianLiving #BibleTeaching Share on XWe recall His love, power, and truths. We recall and remember His deeds in our life, His faithfulness, and care. True worship acknowledges God alone, magnifying and lifting Him up.
“I will remember the deeds of the LORD: yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. . . . who is so great a God as our God?” (Psalm 77:11; Psalm77:13; Psalm105:5; Psalm 106:7).
Goals of Remembering God in Daily Life
There are three main goals behind God’s instruction to remember Him and His deeds:
- The first goal is to enable us to put our trust and hope in Him, leading to obedience. This means choosing to exercise faith, and to submit our problems and ways to Him. Remembering God is motivating and encouraging us to move forward in faith, following God’s leading, obeying His Word, and doing what is right and pleasing to Him. „Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.” (Psalm 78:7)
- Remembrance is part of the process of transformation. The more we remember God and His words and deeds, the more we are transformed in His image. The more we focus on Him, the more we become like Him. He is breaking our pride and stubbornness, giving us soft and faithful hearts. (Psalm 78:8)
- Remembrance is the path to faith legacy for the next generation. When we remember God in our daily lives, exhibiting a vibrant and active faith, we are powerful examples for the next generations. We are preparing for them a legacy of faith. „We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.“(Psalm 78:4)
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The Consequences of Forgetting
Psalm 78 and Psalm 106 paint a sobering picture of the dire consequences of forgetting God:
- Fear and defeat, turning back on the day of battle
- Disobedience and refusing to live by God’s law
- Rebellion and persistence in a sinful way of life
- Impatience and not waiting for God’s plan to unfold
- Unbelief
- Envy
- Despising the promised land
- Putting God to the test
- Speaking against God, doubting Him, and demanding
- Worshipping idols and defiling oneself
- Arousing God’s wrath and judgment
- Being disloyal, faithless, and unreliable
- Bringing God’s rejection and abandonment
Forgetting God is not harmless. Forgetting means slipping into sin, rebellion, unbelief, and ultimately destruction and death!
The Ministry of Remembering and Reminding – 3 Areas
- In the first place, the ministry of remembering and reminding is directed toward ourselves. When we choose to focus on God in our thoughts and recall His words and deeds daily, we are taking responsibility for our life and spiritual growth. This is the process of self-edification and encouragement.
- Secondly, we minister to others when we remind them of God, His truths, and His works. We do this by testifying, preaching, exhorting, teaching, proclaiming the gospel, ministering. (2 Peter 1:12-15)
- Thirdly, we are to remind God continually of His promises, asking Him to act in prayer and intercession. „You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. “ (Isaiah 62:6). God wants us to remind Him to remember.
When God Remembers
Because when God remembers, then miracles happen. Then it is time for action, the time God shows up and we see and experience the fulfillment of His promises and words. We see and taste His salvation, His redemption, and His restoration. So, we declare from the bottom of our hearts: „Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9)
We can be always at peace and relax because of the fact that God remembers. He remembers His covenant and He watches over to fulfill His Word at the appointed time. “He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations.” (Psalm 105:8)
More Encouragement for You
If you need more resources and encouragement to help you connect with and remember God in daily life, I can highly recommend these books. Check them out.
Draw Near: How Painful Experiences Become the Birthplace of Blessings by Hadassah Treu
Trusting God in All the Things: 90 Devotions for Finding Peace in Your Every Day by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk
Make Up Your Mind: Unlock Your Thoughts, Transform Your Life by Denise Dubois Pass and Michelle Nietert
Transforming Your Thought Life by Sarah Geringer
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
Hidden Manna on a Country Road by Sarah Geringer
A Little Goes a Long Way: 52 Days to a Significant Life by Rachael Adams
Numbering Our Days: Combating Anxiety in the Power of Small Intentional Moments by Nichole J. Suvar
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Your Turn
Do you struggle to remember God daily? In which of the 3 areas of the ministry of remembering do you experience the most difficulties? You are welcome to comment and share on social media.
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When we choose to remember God and recall His words and deeds daily, we are taking responsibility for our life and spiritual growth. #SpiritualGrowth #christianmeditation #BibleStudy Share on X
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Beautifully written! I have ab Angels page on FB and do a daily post. I have been blessed by God every day and love to share his gifts!
This is great, Holly! Sharing God’s blessings is a great way to honor Him in our daily lives.
Remembering God is so important. Worship music is one thing that helps me. Listening to it while I’m driving or doing housework is a good way to bring my focus back to God, and the songs also stick in my head.
Thanks, Lesley! Music is so powerful! For me, this is also one of the best strategies to focus on God and remember Him.
I would say I struggle the most to remind others of God’s faithfulness. Perhaps this comes from my introverted nature. Thank you for this study, it helped me see that I need to make some changes.
Thanks, Anita! I can relate because I have introverted tendencies too. But I think as long as we abide in Christ and let Him produce fruit in us, it would become easier and more natural for us to minister to the people in our life by serving and loving them.