Thoughts on Scripture Memory

Since we are looking to memorize a passage of Scripture together, I wanted to put some thoughts down on why we are doing this and how best to go about memorizing. I hope that the some of this extra time many of us have will be put to good use as we seek to continue growing in grace.

The Reason

I cannot say this loudly enough – memorization is not the end goal! Memorization is not a magic rabbit’s foot that will instantly keep you from sinning. Memorization is a means to an end, and that end is meditation. You should memorize God’s Word so that wherever you go, God’s Word goes with you.
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As you think about God’s Word, repeating it over and over to yourself, it will begin to change your outlook on life. As you think deeply, and repeat often, the principles, promises, and picture of God that thinking will reshape you. What is constantly running through your mind is continually reprogramming you. Start thinking on Scripture all day, every day, and I guarantee it will change.

The Plan

There is only one effective way to memorize – spaced repetition. That means you repeat over and over to yourself what you are trying to memorize. And you spread those repetitions out over time. In other words, saying a verse 100 times in a row is less effective than saying it 20 times in a row over 5 days, which is less effective than saying it 10 times in the morning and evening for 5 days. Cramming might help you say the passage in time to get the piece of candy in children’s church or to get credit on the quiz, but it doesn’t set you up for true memorization.

Some Tips

• Learn verses in chunks – take longer verses and break them into several smaller phrases, learning one at a time. Don’t try to learn the whole verse at once. Memorize the first few words. Once you have them down, memorize the next few, then add the phrases together.

 

• Meditate as you memorize – look for surprising details, ask why seemingly random things are included (hint: nothing is random in the Bible). For example: “Therefore I tell you” (Matthew 6:25) could just seem like a random throwaway phrase you have to memorize so you can say you memorized the verse. But when you stop and realize that in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is speaking, and has already said “I say unto you” several times before, you realize that this is the authoritative command of King Jesus. He is speaking from his own authority, not just reciting the authority of Scripture like the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 7:28-29). When you understand why the phrase was included, you are much more likely to remember it!

 

• Write, read, and speak your verse – people’s brains all work differently. Some learn best by just reading, others won’t remember something until they’ve heard it, still others need to physically write something so they get it. But why choose? Write out the verse, say it to yourself, and engage your brain as much as possible in different ways.

 

• Use verse cards – check out our previous post to find downloadable verse cards. Write out your own cards on a 3x5 card. Or, you could…

 

• Try using a Bible memory app – I’ll be honest, I haven’t tried any of these. But if using an app sounds like something that would be helpful for you, go for it! https://churchtechtoday.com/2020/03/04/7-best-bible-memorization-apps/

 

• Finally, don’t underestimate a lifetime of learning one verse at a time – learning one verse a week, or even one verse every two weeks, might seem discouraging. You may wish you memorized faster, or knew more. Part of Christianity is learning to be a plodder. You don’t have to memorize a chapter a month. Work on a verse a week or every two weeks. You’ll find that you get better as you go, little by little, and one day years from now you will look back and find you have memorized hundreds of verses, one memory card at a time.