How to Memorize Scripture
Why memorize scripture?
Proverbs 7: 1-3 gives us a very good reason:
“My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.”
No matter what we face in life, having His Word “on the tablet of our heart” is like having a toolbox from heaven to draw from.
I have found my faith becoming so much deeper and stronger since I started being intentional about memorizing scripture. How does faith come? “Faith comes by hearing the Word of God…” (Romans 10:17). What better way to hear God’s Word than from your own lips?
Chuck Swindoll wrote in Growing Strong in Seasons of Life, “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. . . . No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.”
It will also benefit your family and friends. See my blog titled “What’s in Your Pantry?” for more on this. Below, I’m sharing some tips for how to memorize scripture:
1. Just add music. In my video at the top of this blog, I share an example of how God put a scripture on my heart recently to memorize which I put to music. You don’t have to be a singer or musician to use this tool! Just record yourself on your cell phone (using voice memo feature) or your computer, singing the verse to the best of your ability. If you can’t conjure a melody up, use a familiar one from another song such as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”or “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Just keep in mind that each verse (or cluster of verses) you want to memorize should have a different melody, and I find that including the actual verse name and number in my ‘memory songs’ is most helpful to also know where the scripture is located in the Bible when recalling it. Replay the recording of yourself singing the verse(s) repeatedly until you no longer need to hear the recording. Just like jingles from long-ago television commercials are cemented in your memory bank, it will be there for life!
2. Write the verse(s) down and speak them aloud. Keeping a stack of 3x5 cards with verses you’ve written to memorize is a great idea. Speak them aloud repetitively. Tip: Use colored index cards to categorize scriptures according to topic; i.e. pink index cards for verses about healing, blue index cards for verses about fear, green index cards for verses about God’s provision.
3. Use mirror markers. If index cards are not your thing, writing verses on your bathroom mirror with erasable mirror markers is a great tool. Whenever you brush your teeth, speak the scripture aloud that is in front of your eyes (or better yet, put a melody to it and sing it)! Click here for mirror markers available on Amazon.
4. Learn the context. Understanding the context of verses you’re memorizing can bring deeper revelation of how it applies to your life, and how God is speaking to you through it. A quick way to learn context of verses or chapters is to type into your search engine, “commentary for bible verses [fill in verses].” This will lead you to explanations, background and details of the biblical text you are reading, usually provided by scholars.
5. Create a scripture board. This can be as simple a bulletin board with verses tacked onto it, or a more artistic vision board with verses and images displayed with your dreams and goals. For an example of how I did this on my “Kingdom Vision Board”, see my Kingdom Vision Quest blog.
Ready, set, go. Let’s get to memorizing!
reSOURCEs:
God’s Creative Power by Charles Capps — this little book fits in your purse, backpack or briefcase and has powerful scriptures compiled for you on different subjects. I LOVE it!