Scripture Memory

God’s Word tells us to hide His Word in our hearts. That could mean many things; however, for me it simply means memorizing Scripture. There are lots of reasons for doing this and many ways to attempt to do it. I’d like to share my thoughts on the matter.

First, why memorize? I don’t know any other way to have Scripture readily available to me than to have it in my mind. When Jesus was out in the desert alone for 40 days, He did not have the scrolls of written Scripture with Him. Yet, when Satan made his attacks on Jesus, Jesus quoted Scripture, like wielding a sword, to fight off the attacks. If Jesus is our example, we need to have Scripture readily available to us to fight off the attacks that are used against us to throw us off track in our life in Christ.

Also, having Scripture memorized is vital in accurately sharing the Word with others. It’s God’s Word that creates change in people – no matter how elegant one’s speech might be. I want my conversations, especially with those who don’t yet know Christ, to be filled with the truth. I’m not saying that I need to go around quoting Scripture to everyone all the time. What I’m saying is that when conversations turn spiritual in nature, I want to be saying only that which God would approve of. Having His Word foremost in my mind, I am more likely to do that.

Those are just two reasons; there are more. So, why is it so hard to memorize Scripture? I hear that question often when I’m trying to suggest to someone that they give it a try. I was introduced to a Scripture memory plan a long time ago, and I still use this plan today to memorize and review Scripture. I suggest trying it for yourself if you are just starting out on this aspect of your Christian walk or are having trouble memorizing Scripture.

First assign the verse a topic (topic ideas). Right now I’m working on a set of verses that give me assurances of different aspects of the Christian life. The first topic is “Assurance of Salvation.” The corresponding verse is 1 John 5:11-12. So to start memorizing it, I start by memorizing the topic and the reference. Once I’ve repeated those aspects several times, I ADD the first phrase of the verse and repeat until I can say the topic, reference, and first phrase aloud without making a mistake. Then I repeat the process adding a second phrase of the verse. Each time I review I start at the beginning with the topic and reference, then the parts of the verse I have memorized, adding phrases one at a time until it’s firmly established in my mind. I conclude with saying the reference again.

There are several key points to this process. For further explanation go to the discipleship tools web site of the Navigators. Another key thing for me has been writing the verse (with the topic and the reference before and after) on cards (I’m currently using mini flashcards on a ring available at Amazon). Having the verses on cards allows me to carry them in my purse or in my pocket so I can pull them out and review often. Repetition and review are keys to getting the verses firmly planted in our minds. I like to say that over-learning them is good. They become second nature like reciting your phone number or your address. When’s the last time you forgot your address?

I’ve found this system to work and the memorized verses have stayed with me. I can’t say I remember word for word every verse I’ve memorized, but as I work through the Assurance verses again with a friend, I’m amazed at how easily the verses come to mind and how little “re-learning” I have to do.

Several links are highlighted above for resources to some of the concepts included in this article.