People who memorize Scripture amaze me! I do not mean one verse here and one verse there; I mean whole passages of Scripture, whole books even. In resent months it’s been on my heart to memorize entire books of the Bible. I am writing a study in the book of James {learn more here: Learning to Walk in Genuine Faith.} So I am memorizing the book using the methods I will explain later in this post. One question I hear often is this, “Why is it that important to memorize Scripture?” I am writing this article to answer that question and equip you with a method that will help you begin the discipline of Scripture memory.
Why is it That Important to Memorize Scripture?
I believe the best way to answer this question is with the word of God itself. Here are eight reasons we should memorize Scripture. These eight reasons are from Susan Heck’s book, “A call to Scripture Memory.” {More on this resource at the end of this post.}
We memorize Scripture to be Successful. Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1: 1-6.
- Memorizing Scripture convicts us of sin. Psalm 119:11 and Psalm 37:31.
- There is power in the word of God. Hebrews 4:12
- We are commanded to memorize Scripture. Deuteronomy 6:6 and Deuteronomy 11:18.
- Scripture memory transforms our minds. Romans 12:2 and Ephesians 4:23.
- Memorizing Scripture will hep us help others. Psalm 119:97-100.
- Scripture memory will keep us from error. Matthew 22:29
- When we memorize Scripture our love for God increases. 1 John 5:1-3.
- Scripture memory will comfort us in our afflictions. Psalm 119:50.
Who Should Memorize Scripture?
I believe every true Christian should memorize the word of God. Why? Because it teaches, commands us to do so. The Psalmist and the apostle Paul will help us answer, “Who Should memorize Scripture?”
Psalm 1:1-3, describes the man or woman who loves God and meditates in His Law, day and night. In Hebrew the word meditate means to read a passage over and over in a low murmuring tone to impress the word on the mind and commit it to memory.
In Colossians 3:16, the apostle Paul instructs the believer to let the words of Christ richly dwell within us. This means when we are meditating on the word of God and memorizing His word it is taking up residence in us. It inhabits us!
What If Our Bibles Were Taken Away?
We live in a time when there is no shortage of Bibles. We can get our hands on as many as we like, and in numerous translations. But, sisters, some day this may not be the case. What if our Bibles are taken away? Would we be equipped to stand in such a time as that? I do not want to find out! How About You ?
Something to Pray About Before We Learn How to Memorize!
Before we get to the, “how to section” of this article I want to give you a word of warning. Do not memorize Scripture for the sake of memorizing Scripture. Do you remember in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and tempted by Satan? If you will remember Satan quoted scripture in verse 6. “and he said to Him, If you are the son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written. He shall command His angels concerning you and on their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”
It does you and I little good just to memorize words. Ask God not only to give you retention but to give you understanding as well. Satan knew the words, but he did not understand the meaning. Nor did he know enough to keep the word of God in context!
How to Memorize Scripture!
Ok, so here we are! Time to put into practice memorizing Scripture. I will not tell you this will be easy. It will take work and discipline on your part. However, this will be the most rewarding and beneficial work you and I will ever set out to do. It can be done! Sisters, I am in my mid 50’s:) I am living proof, it can be done! Be encouraged, I am right here learning beside you. Let’s get started!
First Things First!
Pick a book or passage to begin with. If you are going to start with a book, I would suggest a short book such as Titus, 1 John, or even James! I memorized Psalm 1:1-6, right before I started the book of James. It helps me keep in mind why I am making this commitment! It also helped me put into practice the “How too’s” we will walk through in a few minutes.
Set realistic goals for yourself. You know your schedule better than anyone else. Pick the time of day which works best for you. We all know some days will not work out but pick a time and try to stick to it. If you do not set a time from the start chances are you will probably not stay with it.
Decide how many verses a day to memorize. It could be 1 or 10! I try to work on 3-4 a day. That also depends on how long the verse is. If the verse is longer, I reduce it to two or three. Again this is your judgment call. Remember, this is not a contest!
Get an accountability partner. Find someone who will hold you accountable. Someone you can recite what you’ve memorized with. You my even partner up with a friend! This is something I have not put into practice. Now who can I recruit?
A Few Methods of Memorizing!
Go to Google and search, “How to memorize Scripture” and you will find hundreds of ways to memorize. It can be a little overwhelming! I am only going to share with you what I have found to work for me.
Audio Format: I learned about this method from Susan Heck’s book, “A call to Scripture Memory.” let me tell you it works! She said it would but I was not convinced! Now that I have put it into practice I can tell you, “IT DOES WORK!” God is the one who gives the ability to retain but listening to yourself on audio, reading the book or passage you decided to memorize, helps in the memorizing process.
*Record in your own voice the passage or chapter you are working on. For instance, I recorded myself reading James chapter 1. {Repeat this with every chapter in the book you’ve chosen.}
Listen to the recording over and over as many times a day as possible.
Something else Susan points out in her book is to speed the recording up. Studies show we learn words from commercials quickly because of the speed of the voice. I know right, who knew? But again, it works. If you have the option use your cell phone to record the chapter or passage you have chosen. That way it is with you everywhere you go!
It is good practice to listen to the recording right before you go to sleep. Remember, what the Psalmist said, meditate on God’s word day and night!
Write it: Write the verse or verses you are working on over and over again. I usually write the verse at least 4 times using a different color pen for each writing. Another option is to write the verse or verses on index cards. This is a convenient way to carry them in your purse, tape them to your mirror or fridge.
A few helpful Tips
- Always stick to the same translation until you master the passage. If you use a different translation do so only after you have finished the book or passage you’re working on.
- Use the verses you memorize to witness, train your children, and in everyday conversations. This is God’s word, it is alive and active!
- Review chapters you have memorized. Work on new passages each day but do not forget to review previously memorized chapters at least three to four times a week.
A Great Resource I have found to Aid in Scripture Memory
I have mentioned Susan’s book twice. I cannot recommend it enough. I am not getting any kickbacks for recommending this book. It is just that good. You can buy it from her website or on Amazon. It will be the best $6.00 you spend!
I am so excited for you as you begin the discipline of memorizing the word of God. I hope you have found this article helpful!
I have found Scripture Typer a valuable resource for memorizing and reviewing memory verses. They have a website and an app.
Hi Debi! I have heard of Scripture Typer! I actually downloaded the app and then failed to use it! I do need to check out the website! Thank you for letting us know anout it!
This is a resource I am using – have some of their books – I love it!
https://scripturememory.com/
It is a great resource, Betsy!