Let's quit memorizing excuses, and start memorizing Scripture. 😊 Because “hiding God’s Word in our hearts” has far-reaching benefits (Psalm 119:11).
Some suggestions:
1. Painless Memorization: Recite the same verse every day until you memorize it. Then add another verse and do the same.
See 3 Ways to Focus on Jesus When You're Busy.
2. Mutual Memorization: Memorize a passage each week with a friend so you can keep each other accountable.
See The Blessings of a Peer Mentor.
3. Musical Memorization: Advertisers use music and catchy jingles because these things help us remember. Try "singing" Scripture passages using familiar tunes or make up "Scripture jingles."
See Do You Know Your Burger Better than Scripture?
4. Retro Memorization: In the 1970's many of the praise songs were straight Scripture, and you can still find many of them online. Listening to these songs as a new Christian greatly helped me memorize Bible verses.
See Music Appreciation.
5. Artistic Memorization: Draw pictures and symbols, use outlines and bullet points to help visualize and remember passages.
See Creative Bible Study and Journal is a Verb.
6. 3X3 Memorization: This method explained HERE is based on Psalm 119:97.
Why not make it your goal to memorize at least one new passage each month.
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I was just telling someone today, I have a terrible memory. I do want to join you. I really want to hide the word of God in my heart! Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteGreat! Glad to have you join me.
DeleteThese are some great tips to memorize scripture, I am going to give them a try. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBlessings :)
Glad to have you join me...I definitely want to make memorization a regular part of my spiritual disciplines again.
DeleteI recently found an awesome site that enables me to memorize Scripture in a fun and interactive way....and with great results. In about 3 weeks I have memorized 88 verses! For an almost 60 year old that's quite a feat! The site is scripturetyper.com. I've also started a group there called W.I.T.S. (Walk In The Spirit) so feel free to join us if you'd like!
ReplyDeleteI'll check out the site, Audrey. It sounds great if it helped you memorize 88 verses in 3 weeks!! Good for you. And I think those of us over 50 should get extra credit for memorizing because it's a physical fact that it's harder for older brains (I'll be 62 next month).
Delete: )
I also will be 62 next month. I need all the help I can get! 😊
DeleteGreat list, thanks! I put scripture on indexcards and put them on my table or in my prayer book, so I see them day after day. I noticed that the best way to remember is 'telling them to someone else'. Once I speak 'm out loud, they stick :)
ReplyDeleteI love using index cards too, Marja. I used to carry them when I walked with prayer requests and memory verses. Now I've been walking on a treadmill and I usually work on my blog while walking. But I need to fit that memory time back into my schedule.
DeleteAnd I think you're right about telling the verse to someone else. I always retain things I teach better than things I simply read/research.
I love to sing scripture as I clean the house. It helps me clean with joy and a thankful heart :)
ReplyDeleteGreat idea. That's multi-tasking at its best.
DeleteMemorizing is very important to me because I grew up next door to communist China and there were people who did not have Bibles. So, I would memorize with my children....they would take off with it and I was left in the dust. I was trying to memorize again last year and at the start of this year. I didn't get very far so am thankful for this post.
ReplyDeleteWe sometimes sing scripture choruses in church that our pastor put to music for his children. The songs I remember best by heart are the ones from youth group in high school and then in college..straight from scripture.
I'm rambling.
Such a good point, Judith. We take the availability of Scripture for granted.
DeleteI think music really does facilitate memorizing. As a new Christian, I learned many passages through music.
Thanks, Gail, for linking up over at WholeHearted Home this week.
DeleteWe do those picture ones! My 4 year old really benefits by having a picture cue and it often illuminates the meaning. Micah 6:6-8 lends itself well to this method.
ReplyDeleteI actually love making symbols and little drawings for Scripture.
DeleteThanks for sharing.
We're working on doing this together as a family during our dinner times together. :-) Visiting from Live Called!
ReplyDelete~Stacy @ Stacy Makes Cents
I want to join too! There's a group of us who are starting a Bible memorization/reflection link-up in August! I'm really excited about becoming more intentional with hiding God's Word in my hearts! Thanks for this great post! :)
ReplyDeleteMemorizing scripture has always been difficult for me, until recently. That's when I discovered that in order to do it, I needed to work at it! lol (What a revelation!) Anyway, this year I am committed to memorizing scripture and and just "mastered" Deut. 31:6. I find that I want to jump ahead with a new one now, but know I need to savor this one for a bit to truly let it sink in to stay.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Joan
This has always been difficult for me as well. I can remember the general ideas of verses, but not (for the most part) exactly where they reside in His Word. Quite often I will use my photographs and place a scripture with them, but I like the idea of sketching a picture and actually WRITING DOWN that verse. Great tips. Thanks so much!!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to start this with you. I have seizures and they have caused my brain to not function as good so memorization is a difficult thing for me. But I am also working with our AWANA girls at church and one of the ways I tell the girls how to learn Scripture is to break the verses down into smaller sentences and learn one part at a time...just 5 or 6 words each...making it into 3 or 4 sentences and change according to length of Scripture. Learn each sentence one at a time then add the second sentence until they know it and then last adding the third sentence until they know it and then putting them all together. Some are more difficult than others but 3rd, 4th and 5th grade girls AWANA books don't usually have that long of Scriptures to learn anyway. So its much easier to learn bits and pieces and putting them together.
ReplyDeleteI relish in: Writing out Scripture in my Journals and Diaries, as well as Writing them out on paper then posting them on my Bathroom Mirror and near the Head of my Bed. Mmmm, hmmm. Works great! ��
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Many years ago, as a young believer, I was trained in this discipline and we were taught to memorize the Scripture reference “fore and aft”... so that you learn the reference by quoting it before and after the words of the verse(s). This helps when sharing with others. Sometimes you remember the reference, and when you say it, the words of the verse(s) come right along because you memorized it that way. Sometimes the opposite is true, and after quoting the words, the reference tumbles right out along with it. Credit for this goes to the Navigators Topical Memory System.
ReplyDeleteLike anything, you use it or you lose it. At age 69 (50 years after beginning Scripture memory work) I’m still looking every day for the opportunity to speak Scripture to someone. Thank you for your words of encouragement, and for promoting this wonderful discipline!
Thanks for this tip, John.
DeleteIt's so valuable to have Scripture "hidden in our hearts."
I appreciate your testimony.