A couple of years ago, I recognized that if I lost access to the Bible, I didn’t have enough of it stored up in my memory to hold on to it in tough times. So I started the spiritual discipline of memorizing Scripture. Mind you, at that point I was 40+ years old. I had a real fear that my brain couldn’t do it. I was already struggling to remember people’s names and connecting them to a time and place in my life. I had also watched my dad succumb to early-onset Alzheimer’s. Could I really memorize Scripture and retain it? It helped to have some tips and tricks, so I want to share those with you.
Why Memorize Scripture
But let’s take a step back and talk about why it is important to memorize Scripture. Beyond the threat of losing access to Scripture on our shelves and on our phones, the Bible tells us to hide God’s Word in our hearts. We are given this command for several reasons.
As a mom, one of the most important reasons for me to memorize Scripture is detailed in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, which tells us to hide His words in our hearts and “teach them diligently to [our] children.” I can’t teach my kids something I haven’t learned.
Of course, the spiritual discipline of memorizing Scripture isn’t limited to parents. Every believer is instructed to meditate on God’s Word day and night. Often, when we read Scripture, we walk away from it and don’t think about it again, but when we memorize Scripture, we are rehearsing it, repeating it, meditating on it throughout the day. And as we practice and repeat a passage, it takes root in our hearts and our understanding of the passage grows.
Ultimately, the goal is to be shaped by Scripture—to develop a biblical worldview, the lens through which we see the world. Memorizing Scripture allows the Word of God to inform our thoughts, which shape our feelings and actions. Living life with a biblical worldview is for our good and is how God intended us to live.
Don’t Believe the Lies
While there are many excuses NOT to memorize Scripture, what you have to decide is how important it is to you. Are you willing to do the work, to practice, to train, and to strive for godliness? We know we can memorize information that is important to us—if I asked you to tell me your social security number, I have no doubt it would be top of mind, or if your favorite song comes on the radio, it isn’t hard to sing along. Don’t believe the lie from the enemy that you are not capable of committing Scripture to memory.
So let’s get into the tips:
How to Memorize Scripture
First, decide which translation you want to use (to see a discussion on the spectrum of translations, see this blog post). Are you more familiar with one translation? Is there one that is easier for you to understand? I’m personally partial to the translations closer to the word-for-word end of the spectrum. I would encourage you NOT to choose a paraphrase simply because paraphrases are someone’s interpretation of someone else’s interpretation so they are further away from the original than a translation will be.
There are many ways to memorize, and they will appeal to you depending on your learning style. If you are a visual learner, you might want it typed up and laminated so you can take it with you. If you are an auditory learner, you may want to record it in a voice memo to play back or put it to music. If you are a kinesthetic learner, you might enjoy putting motions to the passage. Whichever type of learner you are, memorization requires repetition.
The system I use to commit Scripture to memory is below. Feel free to modify it as best suits your learning style.
For the first verse in the passage:
- Step 1: Read the verse aloud 10 times.
- Step 2: Recite the verse 10 times.
- Step 3: Write the verse from memory.
When you get to the second and future verses in the passage:
- Step 1: Recite the previous verse 10 times.
- Step 2: Read the new verse aloud 10 times.
- Step 3: Recite the new verse 10 times.
- Step 4: Write the new verse from memory.
- Step 5: Recite the passage from the beginning.
I like to use the FLOW method to remember the verse throughout the day. FLOW stands for First Letter Of the Word. You can write the first letter of each word in the verse on your hand, set them as the wallpaper on your phone, write them in your planner, put them on a post-it note and put it where you will see it frequently, etc. This reminds me to rehearse the verse as I go about that day’s activities.
I’m always open to new ideas, so if you have another method that has worked well for you, please share it!
If you would like to learn more about how to study the Bible, I invite you to download my FREE Bible study workbook, 6 Steps to Study the Bible on Your Own, at the button below.
If you would like to join a group of like-minded women who are pursuing godliness together, check out the Bible Study Academy by clicking the button below.
I love how practical and straight-forward these tips are!
I’m so glad you found it to be helpful!
Love the FLOW method. It’s a reminder when I see or hear a letter that there is scripture I can use as well.