Scripture Memorization: Help for Along the Way
Richard Klaus
Although I do not consider myself a “master” memorizer I have learned a few lessons along the way that may help others in their journey of scripture memorization.
Before You Begin
1. First off, do not tell yourself that you cannot memorize scripture—you can! Think of all the names, telephone numbers, birthdays, pin numbers for accounts, passwords for computer accounts that you already have memorized. Everybody can memorize to some degree. Don’t worry about “how much” you can or cannot memorize. Don’t worry about the speed at which you memorize scripture. Just know that you can do it.
2. Keep in front of you the goal of why you are engaging in the discipline of scripture memorization. We want to have the words of the living God feeding us, protecting us, and guiding us. We live on every word that comes out of God’s mouth (Matt 4.4) and we want to live well-nourished lives. If you don’t keep the goal in front of you the work of scripture memory may not seem worth it sometimes. There is work involved but there is a pay-off. So don’t lose sight of the goal!
Beginning
1. Start with a modest goal—say one verse a week.
2. I write the verse down on a 3 x 5 card.
3. Notice the natural breaks of the verse. Some will be short enough that you can begin to rehearse the whole thing. For
4. What you’re looking for on your first day with a new verse is to be able to say it from memory without looking at your card. The more you can rehearse this verse through the day the better off you will be. If you have to look at your card throughout the day that’s more than okay—that’s what it’s there for! Be sure to check yourself often to make sure you’re getting it exactly correct. On day two if you can’t do the verse from pure memory don’t worry. Start looking at the card like day one and repeat the steps. The process will be quicker. Be sure to look at your card as often as possible.
5. Keep reviewing this verse all week. By the end of the week you have said it out loud and in your mind easily over a hundred times (saying it 20 x’s a day for 5 days =100). The verse should be firmly lodged in your head. Now the challenge for this verse is to keep reviewing. You will want to review it every day.[2]
6. Now, what about longer verses? I use the same principles but I separate them into natural “chunks” that make sense to me. For example, consider John 14.9 which reads: “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, “Show us the Father”?’” When I worked on this I had it all on my card[3]and I went over the first half (“Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know me, Philip?”) over and over until I got it. Then I moved on to the next
7. Once you’ve memorized a verse and are reviewing it over the next few days and even the initial weeks there is something that will happen (at least it happens to me sometimes). You will come to a place initially where you have “got it.” It’s flowing like you will never lose it…and then for some reason you may begin to forget the exact phraseology (“Was that ‘For to me…’ or ‘For me…’?”) and second-guess yourself. This is okay. Press through this turbulence. Go back and review with your card like you are just starting out. It will seem like you’re losing it but you’re not. You will “get it” again and when you do you will be stronger. You are not failing here. I don’t know why this happens but it happens enough to me that I just sort of know it’s going to happen and push through.
8. Are there any secret techniques that help the process? I’ve been exposed to one but I don’t use it. I did try it this week to see if it worked and I had some success with it. You may want to try it. This is a technique to speed the initial “get it into your mind” process. Here are the steps.
a. Pick your verse or phrase.
b. Read it aloud very carefully and deliberately three times.
c. Then write out the verse three times on paper. Be sure to look back at the verse in your Bible as you do this all three times. Don’t write it from memory the third time. Very deliberately look at the Bible for each phrase and write it down.
d. Now take the page you have written and read out aloud the verse you wrote down. Again, very carefully and deliberately.
e. Now put the paper down and say the verse out loud three times without looking. You should be able to do this at this stage.
This technique is only the initial stage of memorization. It may help some. Be sure to keep going over the verse throughout the day over and over again.
9. Here are some helpful things I do when memorizing lists in a verse. For example, the “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5.22-23. I counted that there were nine fruit listed: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. When I went over this I would count on my fingers each one. When I began I kept wanting to drop out one (usually “goodness” or “faithfulness” since they were toward the end). If I came up short on fingers I knew I missed; if I had nine fingers used then I knew I had them all. Also, you may want to break the list up into three’s or two sets (one with 5 and the other with 4). Another example: Ephesians 4.31—“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” There are a number of vices listed here in succession. The temptation may be to put them in the wrong order or forget one. I took the first letter of each one of the first 5 (b, w, a, c, s) and said “
Intermediate
1. Once you’re clipping along with your initial memorization you will quickly come to a place where you are reviewing a number of verses. This is good. Note this: If done properly, you will spend more and more time reviewing verses you have already memorized than memorizing new ones. This, I repeat, is good and the way it is supposed to be. Let me put it this way: It is more important to review a verse already memorized than it is to memorize new ones![5]
2. Here’s what you can do for
3. You will probably by this time be already doing more than just single verses. If not, try a passage of 2-3 verses. Maybe try something like Ephesians 4.29-32. The same principles apply. Do a verse or phrase at a time and just move through the passage. The challenge here will be to try to keep the specific verse references. You will want to be able to know that Ephesians 4.30 is about the Holy Spirit (“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”). Sometimes you may have to get a “running start” by going back to verse 29 and start there.
4. What about memorizing whole chapters of the Bible? This can be done—it just takes time and patience—and lots of
Advanced
1. What about memorizing whole books of the Bible? I’ve never done this but there is a resource that tells how to do it. Pastor Andrew Davis has written a booklet entitled “An Approach to the Extended Memorization of Scripture.[7]
Questions and Answers
1. What particular verses/passages should I memorize?
In the beginning, almost any verses will work. Choose those you are most interested in. As you progress you can choose categories to fill in with scripture memory. For example, verses on personal sanctification are important to keep God’s perspective before. In so doing do not neglect to memorize specific passages on the gospel message centered in the grace of the cross of Jesus. This will allow you to both be able to preach the gospel to others and to yourself. Consider the categories of theology. Could you defend the deity of Christ with 2-3 specific verses? What about God’s sovereignty?
2. What is the relationship between memorization and meditation?
Memorization is the ability to recall specific passages while meditation is the slow soaking of one’s mind in the scriptures with an increasing understanding and application. Memorization provides the base for effective meditation. One way to have memorization help the cause of meditation is to think of specific applications of your various memory verses. When might you need this or that specific verse? Why did you memorize it to begin with: to challenge, remind, comfort? Another way to use your memory verses (especially in review) is to stress different words in the verse as you go over it. For example, take Matthew 6.33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” As you say this stress the word “seek” and then the next time stress the word “first” and then “his kingdom”, etc. By so doing you begin to realize fuller nuance to the verse and more areas of application. By stressing “seek,” for example, you stress the fact that we need to do something to focus on the kingdom. By stressing “first” we see that this is a priority. You get the idea.
3. Are there any dangers of scripture memorization?
You wouldn’t think there would be but there are a few. First, the area of motivation. Scripture memorization can be pursued with and for the sake of pride. The Pharisees were powerful memorizers of scripture and Jesus completely torched their reputation. Second, by memorizing individual verses we can potentially pull verses out of context. I’ve seen this done with a verse like Philippians 4.13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The “all” is seen to be everything and it is forgotten that this passage has a context. The remedy for this is continued Bible reading, study, and listening to sermons that put everything in context. I believe individual verses can be very powerful as long as the context is respected. There are dangers but the dangers are worth the risk in that scripture memorization is so powerful in the life of the Christian.
[1]The only exception I allow myself to this is if in my study of a passage I think the translation I use (NASB) could have been rendered significantly better I may make that change. But once I’ve made that change I still hold to the exact word use that I’ve changed to.
[2]I will deal with what to do when you have so many verses it becomes cumbersome to go over them all in one day below.
[3]Actually, for this
[4]In case you’re wondering about the end of the verse (“…along with all malice.”) and why I didn’t use “
