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A vibrant mind filled with scripture will be as a stream in the midst of the dessert.

Fortifying the mind with scripture is our defense against the dark sentences that the world would place upon our souls. The Lord has great and precious promises available to us that we might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world, through lust. {See 2 Peter1:4-11}

Scripture passages are available for our help when putting on the whole armor of God that we might be able to stand against the wiles of the enemy. {See Ephesians 6:10-18} But how do we put scripture into our minds in an effective way where we can use it when needed most? If you don’t have a photographic memory, it may take some strategies and a little effort to put important scripture to memory. We are told that we need these scriptures to be partakers of the divine nature and to be fortified with the armor of God. Let me share with you some tips for memorizing scripture. If these scriptures are vital during ordinary times, how much more so through the day of trouble! Don’t wait to put the scriptures in your heart and mind.

BIBLE MEMORIZATION MADE EASY:
Download Bible Memorization Made Easy – PDF

A technique for memorizing scripture begins with simply reading the verse or range over and over until it becomes familiar. Make up a list of the verses so that you can read and rehearse them. You can do this over a span of time which is useful for you. When you are familiar with the scripture, then begin to memorize one or two verses at a time day by day until it is embedded in your memory. This works great for larger portions. Short verses you may only need to read repeatedly to become familiar with it. The visual or audio familiarity with the scripture will make memorizing much easier.

Once you have memorized a scripture in your list, it helps to cement it more solidly in your memory if you first list the beginning of the text along with the book, chapter and verse(s). It is also helpful in some cases to add a column for an acronym when trying to remember the verses of a particular book. Take the book of Deuteronomy for example. In my list, I have some difficulty remembering which verse goes with which text. So I made up an acronym NBOBOB to go beside each scripture in Deuteronomy. You can use an acronym or letter for a single text also. A letter of the alphabet helps me remember what word the text starts with. An acronym can give you a more information about the verse, or can give you the beginning letters of several key words in the text. See the Excel Memory Planner for an example. You can also use this document to adjust your memory verse helper to your liking.

But eventually, when you have rehearsed your scripture over and over again, you will want to have only the listing of the references without the text helps.

Stage three then, is to practice pulling your scriptures without any cheat sheet. We may not always have a list in front of us. In other words, try to remember all of the Psalms that you know and even in order.

How do you keep the memory verses fresh? Repeat those scriptures that you have learned, perhaps taking 20 or so to repeat every day in addition to what you are currently memorizing. It isn’t easy to get through a long list of memory verses every day and still find time to learn new ones. And of course the bigger the list gets, the more you have to manage it.

SUMMARY OF MEMORIZATION STEPS:
Download Bible Memorization Made Easy – PDF

• Make up a list of the verses you are learning. Read the verse or range over and over until it becomes familiar. You can do this quickly or over a span of time.
• When you are familiar with the scripture, then begin to memorize one or two verses at a time day by day, adding to what you learned the previous day until the scripture is embedded in your memory. This works particularly well for large sections.
• Once you have memorized a scripture in your list, it helps to cement it more solidly in your memory if you first list the beginning of the text along with the book, chapter and verse(s).
• Use acronyms and letters of the alphabet to help you remember the first word of a text, or as the beginning words for a group of texts within a book. A letter of the alphabet helps you remember what word the text starts with. An acronym can give you a more information about the verse, or can give you the beginning letters of several key words in the text.
• Eventually, when you have rehearsed your scripture over and over again, you will want to have only the listing of the references without the text helps.
• Finally, when you have thoroughly cemented the scripture in your mind, practice pulling your scriptures without any cheat sheet. We may not always have a list in front of us. In other words, try to remember all of the Psalms that you know and even in order.
• Repeat those that you have learned, perhaps taking 20 or so to repeat every day in addition to what you are currently memorizing.

MEMORY VERSE HELPER
DOWNLOAD EXCEL MEMORY PLANNER – XLS

In the Memory Planner, you will see icons such as a red heart and an arrow in a green box. The hearts signify that the verse has been memorized. The green box with the arrow is a tag alerting you that the verse has not been memorized. You can move the icons and alter your planner spreadsheet according to your plans.

By Deborah Jabs

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Article Copyright 2008, Deborah Jabs

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