I memorized a lot of Scripture when I was a child. Growing up in a pastor's home meant that we were heavily involved in the AWANA program, and I was privileged to participate as early as Cubbies to TNT clubs and beyond. In Bible college, Scripture memorization was a major portion of our grades. I was thoroughly saturated with the importance of memorizing Scripture... So I was naturally great at it, right?
The truth is, I've always struggled with memorization. Nearly everything I memorized was crammed for one reason or another, and whatever wasn't done last minute wouldn't stick with me long-term. I can hardly remember any of the verses that I memorized in AWANA clubs, and I have only a vague recollection of what I memorized during college (which was not very long ago, mind you.) My strongest memories are the agonizing frustrations of trying to recite to a professor, or writing down for a test, only to be met with a blank wall of complete forgetfulness.
I didn't really memorize Scripture after graduating college. Whenever I tried, I faced the same frustrations that I had met so many times before. The words just wouldn't stick.
However, I made a resolution this year to memorize the whole book of Colossians. Yes, I made that goal even though I can barely memorize a single passage and make it stick. I wanted to grow spiritually since I've been in a bit of a slump and I figured that memorization was the way to go. I've been working at it all month. I figured that if I was to memorize about eight verses every month, by the end of the year I should have the whole book memorized.
I've memorized 20 verses so far. And they stuck.
I can recite them like a breeze, and on bad days I might stumble a little bit but I've not forgotten them completely. I have no secrets to attribute this to, I've not stumbled on the one thing that everyone is missing that's keeping them from memorizing. I've only approached my goal with a different mindset. It's not about grades or getting little jewels to stick in my Sparkies crowns anymore, it's about my personal walk with the Lord. With that being said, there are a few things that have helped me along the way that I think you might find helpful too:
1. Ask God for help.
Did you know that God wants you to memorize Scripture? Did you realize that it's part of His will that you memorize His Word? If you are struggling like I do, just ask Him to help you!
When I began to memorize Colossians, I struggled so much over the first two verses. I couldn't do it. For three days I stuttered and fumbled over them, and I got so frustrated that I wanted to give up. So I talked to God about it. I remember thinking that maybe it was wrong for me to set my goal, maybe I had some prideful intentions, and maybe He just didn't want me to memorize Scripture.
You know what happened next? The words flowed into my mind, loud and clear, word perfect:
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother,
To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Of course He wanted me to memorize Colossians! I think He would have been very happy to help me if I was setting out to memorize the whole Bible, even! Scripture memorization is hiding His Word in our hearts, it helps us to know how to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, and it purifies our hearts, keeping our way free from sin. It transforms our minds and conforms us to the image of Christ, which is what God wants us to be. If we ask for His help, why would He say no to that?
2. Pick a portion of Scripture.
Choose something to memorize. For me, I chose Colossians from random. I knew that I liked it, but I couldn't always remember why. The details were a little fuzzy in comparison with Epistles like Philippians and Ephesians, so I figured it would be a good book to start with. It has proven to be a huge blessing and encouragement daily.
I do recommend picking a large portion of Scripture to start with, like a whole book. It may seem daunting, but if you're going to put in the effort you may as well learn it all! There are no parts of Scripture that are less important than other parts, so don't get worried over "wasting" your memorizing efforts on parts of Scripture that seem a little less directly applicable. After all, we know that all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, reproof, and training in righteousness. Just pick a portion that you are interested in memorizing.
3. Be consistent with your translation.
Memorize from the same Bible that you read every day. If you read the King James version, memorize the King James version. If you read the ESV, memorize from the ESV. Choose a good, solid translation to make your personal preference. If you're not sure if your Bible version is a good one for memorizing, try one of these four versions: the King James Version (KJV), the New King James Version (NKJV), the English Standard Version (ESV), or the New American Standard Bible (NASB). My personal preference is the NASB. Reading from your translation daily will help you to familiarize yourself with the text, making the memorizing of it much easier.
The translation you choose should be a mixture of personal reading preference, your reading level, and an attention to accuracy. If you are into the advanced Old English, read the King James. If you like the flow of the King James but get tripped up over the Old English, read the New King James. If you don't mind a slightly awkward but seriously advanced sentence structure with excellent accuracy, read the New American Standard. If you like your accuracy still on point but your sentences structured in a way that is friendlier to reading, try the English Standard Version.
Try to steer clear from memorizing paraphrases like the NIV or the Message. These versions were created for young minds to get children accustomed to reading the Bible. If you are not a child and are reading from a paraphrase, I would encourage you to graduate to a translation with a higher reading level. I think that you will be encouraged in finding how much deeper these four translations go!
4. Memorize straight from your Bible.
I used to write out all my Bible verses onto 3x5 index cards with colored pens. I struggled so much with this method, let me tell you. I always used it in college because it worked very well for my Greek studies, so I figured it should work for memorization. I rely on mental pictures when I study, and when every verse looks like an index card, it's hard to remember which one comes next. There's nothing worse than trying to recite your Scripture portions to a professor just to get caught up in thinking, "the green one is next! I can't remember the green one!" It may be more convenient for traveling purposes, but I never actually worked on my verses throughout the day so the whole method just wasn't cutting it.
Instead, I've found that memorizing straight from the Bible that I use everyday is so much more effective in helping me memorize. Since I rely on mental pictures, I can "see" where I am on the page as I'm reciting my verses. This way, it is much easier to find the verses again if I forget the reference (which I tend to do quite often...). Memorizing straight from the Bible pages also allows me to scan the verses around the ones that I am working on to get an idea of the context.
5. Practice daily.
Set aside time every day to work on memorizing. The more often you review it, the better it will stay for the long-term. I prefer to memorize right before I go to bed for a few reasons. For one thing, this is the only time of the day when I don't have any distractions. I don't have any children or a husband to take care of so bedtime is perfect for my single lifestyle. Another reason is that it gives my mind something to meditate on while I fall asleep. We are told to meditate on God's Word day and night, and this seems to be one of the best ways to do it for me. A bonus is that this helps me to keep my mind from wandering to all those places that it shouldn't be that tend to sneak up at night. By running through the verses again and again, I can fight against temptation or doubts or whatever may be troubling me.
6. Go at your own pace.
You may benefit from setting a deadline for yourself, or you might need to take your time memorizing. I've found that I'm right in between those two. Some nights I can memorize two, three, or four verses at a time while other nights I need to slow down and review the last few verses. Don't allow yourself to stress over meeting a deadline if you aren't making it in time. One of the goals of memorizing is remembering the verses in a pinch whenever you don't have access to your physical Bible. Think of it like keeping your sword sharp and at the ready. You can't always be at the training ground, you eventually need to go out and do something. If you have your sword, you won't have to worry. If you keep it sharp, it's even more effective. If you try to sharpen it in a hurry, you'll probably do a sloppy job. Be intentional about your time memorizing the Word; relax, and enjoy it.
7. Recite out loud.
Some nights I have a particularly difficult time keeping my mind focused on the verses. I want to think about other things and I make it hard for myself to get through the evening's verses. If I recite it out loud, it forces my brain to think about the verses that I'm working on and it keeps my wandering mind in check. It also aids in the long-term memorization of the passage because I would have seen the verses (by reading), heard the verses (by listening to my own voice), and acted on the verses (by physically speaking).
8. Write it out.
Aside from reciting to a friend, this is the best way to figure out how accurate your memory is. Write out the verses after you have memorized them, then compare your written copy to the verses in your Bible. Don't worry about the punctuation so much, but did you get all the words in the right order? Did you skip a phrase? By writing it out, you'll be able to see which portions you need to work on more.
9. Strive for perfection.
Don't settle for less, try to keep your memorizing word perfect! You are filling your mind with God's perfect Word, and by doing this you are (in a sense) giving the Holy Spirit something to work with when you face a hardship. The better you have it memorized, the easier it will be to fight through that struggle. Instead of having a rough and vague idea of what the verses say, you can confidently know what God has to say about whatever you are facing!
10. Keep on going.
Some days are going to be more difficult than others, but you can't let that keep you from continuing in your pursuit of memorizing that passage. When you complete your goal and finish a passage, start on a new one. Memorizing is a vital part of spiritual growth, and the more you dedicate yourself to the study and memorization of the Word, the more you will start to see yourself growing in your knowledge of and relationship with God (did you know that's part of His will too?).
In a physical sense, the more you train your brain to memorize, the easier it will become as you continue. It's like playing a sport or a musical instrument. Keep on practicing and your body will get used to the actions that you are asking it to perform. Keep on practicing your memorization and it will become easier, even if it is difficult right now. Just keep your focus on the end goal of what you'd like to achieve. It's more than just memorizing an impressive chunk of the Bible, it's about becoming more like Christ.
Now I'd love to hear your thoughts. What things have you tried that have helped you memorize Scripture? Do you have any Scripture-memory goals that you'd like to achieve this year? Please leave a comment and let me know!
In Christ,
Megan
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